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6 Visual Content Marketing Tips

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Recently, we talked about how visual content marketing boosts the visibility of your content and helps users retain key messages. Visuals such as images and videos are content marketing awesome sauce because they require less brainwork than words do. And nothing builds loyalty faster than a good online experience.

If I see a dress online and want to know how it might fit, I could read the description, scan the product Q&A, and review the brand’s size and fit guide. Or I could jump to customer feedback, which often includes pictures of women who look more like me wearing the dress. In the blink of an eye, I know whether that dress is right for me.

Users get that same lightning-fast impression of your product or service when you use visuals to help tell your story.

Visual Content Marketing Tips

The good news is you don’t need to be a graphic designer or blow your marketing budget to start winning audiences over with visual content marketing.

Here’s what you can do:

  1. Go for simple rather than elaborate: Use visuals that give users a peek behind the curtain, showing the people, facilities or products that make your organization unique. Sometimes a casual snapshot does the trick. I just love this picture of our team. I could wax on about how we’re energetic, dedicated and enjoy working together, but why waste words when this picture says it all?
  2. Leverage social media: Make an impression on new users through social platforms. Then draw them back to your site with the promise of more of the compelling content that caught their eye in the first place. Post videos to YouTube. Put slide presentations on SlideShare. Don’t shy away from Instagram and Facebook – they’re not just for check-ins and selfies. Learn more: Using Pinterest in Hospital Marketing: A Case Study.
  3. Strive for authenticity: You’re not alone if you’re considering stock photography. But slow your roll. Sourcing images from a stock photography site can be like getting snacks from a vending machine. Everyone has access to the same options, and they often lack substance. That’s not to say you should avoid stock photography altogether. You can find images that support your messaging in an authentic way (read: not staged or cheesy) on photo-sharing sites such as Pexels and Stocksnap.
  4. Repurpose existing content: You’re likely sitting on a bounty of visual content. Any visual in your marketing cache is fair game, including images from email campaigns and stakeholder reports. If you have videos from a conference presentation or stakeholder gathering, consider posting a clip.
  5. Try to DIY: Sometimes your best option is to start from scratch, such as when you need an infographic to communicate a complex or data-heavy topic. Infographics combine text and visuals to present key ideas. Platforms such as Piktochart allow you to create infographics at no charge and offer online support if you get stuck.
  6. Be strategic: Finding visuals and placing them on every page of your site is resource-intensive and fortunately, not necessary. Concentrate your efforts on the real estate that matters most, like your landing page or high-traffic pages. And think about how placement affects the user journey. If your visual is the most important part of the page, don’t hide it halfway down or off to the right. Place it front and center.

You’re On a Roll! Don’t Stop Now

Beef up your content marketing savvy by reading: