Attention is a valuable commodity in the digital age. Humans are constantly bombarded with boisterous ads promising the moon. The constant cry of “buy now” has deadened consumer’s hearing and driven the effectiveness of the audio sales pitch into the cellar. Savvy businesses have realized this and begun to take advantage of visual content to reach their target audience and make sales. If you haven’t maximized the use of visual content for your company don’t worry… you have come to the right place.
What is “visual content”?
Photos are the first thing that come to mind when talking about visual content, and for good reason. They are easier and cheaper to produce en masse. Just about everyone has a camera with them wherever they go since the advent of camera phones. They are eye catching and appealing when quality photos are chosen. It can however, be tricky and expensive to get permission to use photos found online. Many business owners take the liberty of using photos found via search which can land a company in legal hot water.
Custom designed graphics are a fantastic way to quickly communicate ideas and brief information on your website. A properly delivered graphic will reinforce a business’s brand and draw attention to important information such as services offered or promotions. The images are typically designed to be shared across social media outlets where they help the advertiser stand out and get traffic to their site. Inspiration and humorous “Meme’s” are commonly shared over and over again on social media sites. Reshares work like compound interest, friends of the person who reshared the post will see it, but the interaction with the post also sends signals to the social media network and they will in turn “serve” the post to more fans of your page. This means that you are not only reinforcing your brand to fans of your page, but you are reaching those who are not following your company as well.
Infographics are custom graphics on steroids. While a graphic may communicate a simple idea or point a visitor to a promotion, an infographic communicates complex and detailed information quickly by visually representing facts and figures. It is much easier to read a graph, rather than 3 pages of data spelling out last years financials. An infographic offers the same ease of interpretation in a visually compelling way and encourages the viewer to take the action the advertiser desires.
Informative videos are another effective way to get a message across to potential clients, and inform them of the benefits of a service or product. A properly produced video helps a business appear more professional, and can establish a personal connection with their potential clients.
The Facts About Visual Content
Statistics show that visual content generates a lot of interest online. One web expert asserts that articles which use visuals achieve up to a 94% higher viewing rate than those with text only. Having great content on your website is important but does little for you if people aren’t taking the time to look at the page. Social Media Examiner (a leader in the social media training industry) asserts, posts with visual imagery receive 87% more interaction on social media, and 35% more reshares. This means that fans of the page are taking the time to reshare the information, which helps your company reach more people including those who may not already be familiar with your business. Fan interaction is a great opportunity for companies to build brand loyalty by creating touch points and developing personal connections with their fans. It also helps humanize the brand and inform customers of additional products and services they have to offer.
All types of visual content provide additional search engine optimization benefits. SEO as we call it, means an increase in the likelihood your website is found when potential clients are searching for the products and services you offer without having to pay for advertising space. High quality graphics, photos and videos make your site more pleasant to view and navigate creating an overall better user experience. User experience is a vital ranking factor that helps determine which website appears higher in internet search results, and higher search results means more traffic to your site. Proper image presentation to the search engines also can greatly improve the chances you will outrank your competitors in search engine results.
Not sure where to get started? That’s OK!
All of this information may seem overwhelming but don’t worry. Maneuver Up Marketing has the experience and knowledge your company needs to create an effective and comprehensive online marketing strategy to get your business in front of the proper audience and increase your brand awareness. Give us a call today at (231) 357-1952 for a free marketing consultation and let us help you out maneuver your competition!
