Deck the Halls with Visual Content
As marketers, we’re always looking for clever, novel ways to spruce things up. The democratization of publishing and the explosion of media channels have poised both opportunities and challenges for how brands approach creative content. A recent Hubspot survey concludes that “32% of marketers say visual images are the most important form of content for their business, with blogging in second at 27%.”
The question is not if you need content, but rather how much; and furthermore, what particular type of content best fits your strategic goals. Sometimes an editorial story is a perfect way to announce a product or idea; other times it’s useful to convey a narrative through videos or infographics. In addition to originally produced content, companies now have a vast repository of reference material which spans the internet — and can often be repurposed to bolster a marketing or advertising campaign.
In other words: Content is everywhere these days. Unfortunately, this means more noise to cut through and more barriers to cross in terms of being heard. It’s our belief that visual content, in addition to well-positioned messages and compelling writing, can often be the difference in reaching an audience.
When it comes to social media “80% of marketers use visual assets in their social media marketing.” This makes sense, considering how visuals can often quickly tell a story — the hallmark of social as a medium.
Another interesting factoid: “If a relevant image is paired with that same information, people retain 65% of the information three days later.” This is compared to 10% of information retained without a visual image present. That’s a 55% difference.
But what if you can’t afford (or simply don’t have the time) to produce a three minute, documentary-style video, or you lack the design resources to pull together an award-worthy infographic?
The truth is, most brands don’t. Even the biggest, most well-funded companies in the world often don’t have the time, human capital, or money to create enough content to satiate the demands of a digitally-driven marketing age.
Here are some “visual hacks” you may find useful.
Consider this our little holiday gift to you.
#1 – Makeameme
If you use any kind of social media, along with gifs and emojis, you know what a meme is. Just like a viral video, you can’t necessarily guarantee a meme will spread like a pesky virus, but you can certainly make a meme in hopes of doing so…and have some fun in the process.
#2 – Pixabay
Consider Pixabay the Shutterstock or Getty Images for the rest of us. This website boasts over one million free, stunning images perfect for company blogs, marketing materials, and anything in between.
#3 – Animoto
This digital video-making platform makes it easy for marketers to create branded videos ranging from product promotion to social media campaigns. They offer a 14-day free trial to ease you in, but we promise it’s well worth the minimal price (starting at $5/month) to have this resource on hand.
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