A picture is worth a thousand words, so the saying goes. While us marketers love a good infographic or chart, the saying holds true in almost every context. In a recent article on JeffBullas.com, author Savannah Louie says “words aren’t enough any more.” And we agree with her! In fact, 27,000,000 pieces of content are shared each day, according to an Aol & Nielsen content sharing study. Wow, that’s a TON of content consumers have access to view. How do they decide what to dig into and what to skip?
As marketers, we need to be increasingly more and more intentional about standing out from the crowd. While words can be incredibly powerful, we need to capture the attention of our followers in new, graphic-centric ways that give us an edge. The article authored by Savannah goes on to say that, “With the increase of photo, video, infographics and screenshots – today’s marketers are discovering the power behind imagery in content marketing.”
Why Images Are King in Content
“Communication coupled with imagery – photographs or video – is easier to process and more entertaining than words on a blank canvas,” says Savannah. Forbes Insight reports that nearly 60% of senior executives prefer to watch video instead of reading text, if both are available on the same page.
Still skeptical? Check out these interesting stats from an Inc. article:
- The average person gets distracted in 8 seconds, though a mere 2.8 seconds is enough to distract some people
- People form a first impression in a mere 50 milliseconds
- An estimated 84 percent of communications will be visual by 2018
- An estimated 79 percent of internet traffic will be video content by 2018
- Posts that include images produce 650 percent higher engagement than text-only posts
- People are 85 percent more likely to buy a product after viewing a product video
- Posts with videos attract 3X more links than text-only posts
An infographic in AdWeek shared that:
“People remember 80% of what they see or do, versus 20% of what they read. Imagery in content marketing is a “must” if marketers want to make a lasting impression on consumers.”
3 Tips to Creating Powerful Visual Content
In Savannah’s article, she points out 3 tips to make content more powerful using visuals:
1. Pick the right type of content
“Stock photos may be an easy way to add a visual element to a blog post, but there are better ways to execute visual marketing,” said Savannah. “Adding an infographic or a short video outlining key points can make content much more meaningful to the consumer.”
“However, if your hands are tied and you’re at a loss for original images, using a relevant stock photo is better than completely foregoing a visual element. Reports show that 40% of people respond better to text coupled with visuals than plain text. Although stock photos may not be ideal or original, these images will garner more attention than no visuals at all.”
2. Make a call-to-action
Savannah also shares that, “Visual marketing can be an asset because of its ability to inspire consumers to take action. Marketers should ensure that they are taking advantage of this capability by including a call-to-action (CTA) with their visual marketing.”
“Not all CTA’s have to be obvious. By drafting creative, stimulating content, consumers will feel compelled to share your work with others. By simply providing a solid piece of imagery, you can inspire your audience to advocate for you without actually having to ask.”
3. Be aware of omnichannel marketing
“You can tweet the best video content with links to landing pages on your website… But if your site is not optimized for mobile, this means nothing to the consumer trying to access your site from their smartphone,” commented Savannah.
“Consumers should be able to access all touch points of your company without a hitch. Encountering an incorrectly linked landing page or receiving conflicting messages across two separate platforms can be a major turnoff for consumers. Ensure that you are producing seamless content with omnichannel marketing to avoid confusing or frustrating customers.”
The Power of Imagery in Employee Email
Want another opportunity for your marketing and content to cut through the noise? Your employees send thousands of emails every single day, each with an opportunity to be visually appealing. Use Sigstr for your html email signatures so company branding is consistent, and employee email becomes an owned channel for marketing and employee communications.
Easily add clickable call-to-action banners to your html email signatures. After initial setup, these banners update automatically across your entire organization anytime a new campaign is activated.
Sigstr’s email signature generator allows your employees to use the power of imagery in html email signatures. For marketers, that means promoting the newest piece of content, an upcoming webinar or important event, or a company initiative in a visually compelling way that’s displayed with every single employee email sent.
Need Some “Sigspiration”? (see what we did there?)
Check out a few of our favorite examples below.
Ready to start including compelling imagery through your employees’ html email signatures? Request a free demo today.
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