Recent years have seen a dramatic change in sales processes. The old way of doing things seems to need fixing. According to marketing experts, only 10% of sales and lead generation efforts are highly effective. Is there a reason for that?
Customers started resisting similar sales tactics after many marketing professionals began using similar tactics. In light of this, the average conversion rate has consistently dropped over the last five years.
In most marketing and sales channels, this is a common theme. Thousands of companies copy these strategies after early adopters succeed, which saturates the channel and reduces sales conversions.
Despite constantly changing content marketing strategy, the goal remains the same: attract prospects, convert them into leads, and convert them into customers. With this in mind, let’s explore how visual content can help a business with conversions.
What is a Visual Content Marketing Strategy?
Visual content marketing illustrates a product’s benefits with images and videos. A brand’s message and voice can now be amplified by its social media strategy on platforms, even if they are small.
As a result of social media presence, visual marketing has skyrocketed. The number of Instagram photos posted each day reaches 95 million. Over 30,000 Instagram posts and photos have just been posted in the 30 seconds it took you to read this article up to this point.
The above is just one platform. The visual content marketing sector is growing by the second, thanks to internet users.
- Facebook posts
- Youtube video
- TikTok
- LinkedIn posts
All of which have millions of users.
At Colorpeak, we offer social media management, so you don’t have to worry about scheduling and content building again!
What Types of Visual Content Are There?
It is important to remember that visual content marketing has changed over the last few years. This includes what types of content work better to convert viewers into customers.
Previously, company-created content was the norm, and there were beautifully crafted visual campaigns with scripted content and celebrity appearances, drawing in consumers. However, audience insights show most consumers nowadays do not get hooked by these types of content produced because they see through the scripts and know that celebrities are being paid to say things about the products and services companies have to offer. This is where user-generated content comes into play.
It is becoming more and more common for consumers to consume visual content created by happy customers. The click-through rate of user-generated content ads is four times higher than that of other pay-per-click ads, and user-generated content is now linked to one-quarter of search results for big brands. When a website includes user-generated content, web conversions have been shown to increase by 29%. The democratisation of content creation has been made possible by modern-day digital content engagement, and it is clear that customers create the most meaningful, authentic and valuable content.
You are probably constantly told that high quality photos is the most crucial aspect of any visual content. This is true for the most part; however, studies have shown that it may not be entirely accurate. High-production advertising overwhelms consumers on a daily basis.
However, brands do not need to spend tens of thousands of pounds on expensive locations and product shoots to see their product, nor is a professional designer always needed for more traffic. A key example was when lockdown struck; businesses no longer had access to their office and studios. Many employees filmed a short video in their homes to promote products and services.
The marketing strategies of some million-pound companies rely heavily on user-generated content, while other companies use an iPhone to capture their product photos. Consumers used to trust high-quality content, but now they are more likely to trust online reviews and recommendations than professional content, showcasing how it is not the be-all and end-all of visual content marketing!
We aren’t saying that high-quality online content isn’t essential, but we are also here to reassure you that you don’t need all the fancy tech and locations to show off your brand!
- Video marketing
- A blog post with your own photos
- Data visualizations showing complex data
- Graphical representation showing your brand image and visual identity
- Branded images (your product images) or stock images
- Slideshare presentations
- An animated GIF
- Pie charts alongside your slideshare presentation
Where Should Visual Content Be Used?
Instagram is not the only platform for content marketers. Visual content has stood the test of time among the oldest marketing strategies. Seeing is believing so humans can’t just stop paying attention to visual content.
Our minds are filled with original images and videos when we scroll through Instagram. As we scroll through online videos, we decide if we want to keep watching or if we want to stop. Even offline, motorway billboards draw our attention when we drive by.
It is human nature to love visuals. Marketers cannot overstate the importance of this – including us!
Visually appealing content can be used in the following ways in your content marketing strategy:
- Online social media networks
- An online store
- Various screens
- A printed version
- And so on
There are endless possibilities. Visual content can help your customers learn more about your company, buy your products, and share their experiences with others as long as you know who they are and what they want to see.
Why Are Images Important?
Let’s focus on the classic visual content of images and infographics (the average infographic is fantastic for data visualizations!). Choosing the best photo for your marketing strategy campaigns is crucial. You can inadvertently kill your marketing campaigns by selecting the wrong image to share with your blog post or inserting it on your landing page.
Here are a few examples of why images are important.
This is the simplest way of adding visual content, particularly on your website. Marketers can take their visitors and guide them to their conversion goal using directional cues like arrows or pathways. You can often see giant arrows pointing to visual CTAs or a form to fill, leading visitors to different places on your website. The longer visitors stay on your site, the more likely they will make a purchase.
We can help you with web design if you have too much on your plate!
Your customers are more likely to trust you if you provide them with customer testimonials. This is beneficial to both you and your company, whether you use them on a landing page or a website. Your potential customers can learn more about your service and products by reading reviews of previous customers.
Images with Reviews
Reviews aren’t visual content, so why are we mentioning this?
Visitors tend to respond differently to anonymous reviews. When you include visual elements like a photo alongside your customer testimonial on your landing page, your conversion rates will likely increase. Visitors will feel more confident about your product or service when they see a review with a picture.
Using smart images like memes to engage your audience and take your conversions to new heights is a great way to bring in new customers. Your visibility increases when you get more likes and shares, so it’s basically a win-win situation.
As previously mentioned, an image can make or break a campaign. How you use them will determine whether or not they impress your visitors. Get more conversions by using your pictures wisely!
A strange phrase, we are aware! Creating a buying rationale for your visitors is crucial to selling since it involves generating positive emotions in them about the thing you are selling. This logic can be very easily created with lines of text, but only some visitors will enjoy reading everything you have written.
An emotionally appealing picture on your landing page will help evoke an emotional response in your visitors since they spend an average of 8 seconds on it. The beauty of a picture is that it tells a thousand words in an instant, and when it’s on your landing page, it tells a million stories in an instant.
If your landing pages use cheesy stock photos, you won’t be able to evoke emotional reactions from your visitors. Using a picture of the company’s founder instead of a stock image, Visual Website Optimiser showed a 35% increase in signups.
If you need SEO advice, contact Colorpeak today!
How to Use Visual Content Effectively
Knowing how to use visual content online effectively is the key to success. There are many ways to do this, so we want to keep you informed!
Having a well-designed landing page is the best way to increase conversions. The most common way to accomplish that is to use rich media of high quality. You don’t have to spend loads on visual content to communicate your brand’s trustworthiness and credibility. There is a difference between what visual content you include and why you include it. Don’t just add images to look pretty; include them because it fits your brand!
Your landing page should be designed to appeal to your target audience. To demonstrate what makes them different, small businesses can use short informative videos on their landing pages to demonstrate their unique services. It is also possible to display testimonials from happy customers in order to demonstrate past success.
Visual content can easily be integrated into social media channels and online campaigns without a big budget. Free stock photo, video plays, presentations, slideshows, and other digital assets can be found using a variety of powerful tools on the web.
Using these resources will save time and money when building visual content for your blog or social media posts, and your brand message will be better communicated. Instead of spending money on generic visual content, create unique content that stands out for your company. Or, pick up your camera and take your own pictures! This is more likely to attract customers anyway.
There needs to be more than just sharing visual content randomly for the most competitive companies. Marketing campaigns require tact, just like everything else.
Invest your time and effort in the areas that will yield the most return. Engage your audience by sharing photos and video content that are relevant and appealing.
If you need business photography and promo videos for your next campaign, we can help!
The Importance of Design
Visual content is dominated by design, but it is often forgotten. How you display it is equally important as what you display on your website design or blog post.
Design your website to focus your viewers’ eyes where you want them to go. Typography in plain text, for instance, can increase conversions by attracting visitors to your call to action. Utilise pop-ups with eye-catching colours to draw viewers’ attention to signup opportunities or special offers, so they are more likely to initiate the process. A visual content strategy links directly to consumer internet traffic because the human brain processes images faster (because we are visual learners) and, therefore, site visitors are more likely to stay.
When it comes to online presence, big corporations compete with you. Viewers and conversions are equally likely to be attracted to both of you. The audience of big companies is often larger, as well as the amount of followers they have on social media. Take advantage of this and share the content of your competitors!
Why should you share your competitors’ content? Retweeting and sharing your competition’s posts can attract their followers and boost your SEO, as long as you give credit.
If you communicate that you offer something valuable that your competition cannot, your competition will have followers interested in your services. You can use any visual content to help your audience, regardless of whether they come from a competitor.
Remember That Simplicity Can Be Best
Analysis paralysis – what does it mean? An overabundance of choices can make it challenging to make a decision. For example, you enter a cafe and see a wall full of delicious cakes. All of them look amazing, and you want to buy something, but having them displayed like that makes you freeze because… what do you choose?! The same can be done online. A straightforward design or too many places to look can also prevent visitors from losing focus on your website.
The best way to utilise visual content in your content marketing, particularly video content, is to show off your product or service. You can show your product or service in action through how to videos. Seeing is believing!
Virtual product tours can serve the same function, but if they are mishandled, they can be boring to the viewer. This shows that fewer images might not be a bad thing when videos are a great tool and the perfect example of how you can use data visualization to gain more traffic and get noticed by search engines.
Tell your content team, graphic designer or sales team about the types of visual content and dig deeper when designing and developing your next content strategy!
Alternatively, at Colorpeak, we can help you with your content strategy!
Whether it is for a blog post, social media platforms, your landing page, or graphic and brand design, we can guarantee you will get a tailor-made content strategy for your business!
Details, Details
When considering a purchase, how often do you zoom in on its details? Details are what convince buyers to choose your product over the competition. It is difficult to get enough more detail from small images, however. Instead of instilling confidence, they reinforce the idea that you have something to hide. Conversely, large photos give a better sense of the product’s details as well as clarity.
Another aspect of details is the various angles of products to show. In order to sell your products online, you should show them from multiple angles since buyers cannot hold and inspect the products. A buyer will not only feel comforted by such an arrangement but will also build trust between them and your business. Displaying them all at once isn’t necessary. First, show one picture, then thumbnails of the others.
Are There Other Methods of Increasing Conversion Rates?
Here are some bonus tips from us when it comes to conversion rates! It is more than just visual content that helps.
Online reviews are consulted by 89% of consumers before making a purchase. Positive reviews were also cited as one of the top three consumer purchase influences in the Canvas8 study commissioned by Trustpilot. Conversion rate is undoubtedly affected by your brand reputation and online presence. Adding social proof to your website is a brilliant idea. Like above, pictures accompanying any review will always be trusted more by viewers!
Customer reviews can be linked from your Google business page or another directory page. However, to avoid visitors heading to third-party websites, you should also add testimonials and reviews directly to your website.
The bottom line is that your customers should receive your product or service well. Conversion rates can be negatively affected if it’s not.
Friction in the process is one reason users do not convert. Long forms, for instance, might put visitors off filling them out.
Instead of creating hesitation, you should eliminate it. Building trust with your audience will be easier if you shorten your forms. Additionally, users will be more likely to complete it because it takes less time to fill it out.
Having your landing page follow through on what someone reads in your meta description or ad on Google is essential.
You are responsible for following through on the promises you made in the copy. Users will expect to find strategies for improving their conversion rate in this post if they see it on Google, for example. Seeing random pictures of completely different subjects on this page would confuse them.
Users will only convert on a landing page if they see what they expect. This is why you need to take into account the entire process, beginning with an ad and ending with the user making a purchase.
It is imperative to keep page speed in mind when converting mobile users. Your screen displays your content during this time. The number of people abandoning a website that takes more than 3 seconds to load stands at 40%. Mobile conversions can be reduced by 7% if a page is delayed by one second. You can use online tools to test the speed of your website if you feel this is causing fewer conversions, such as Google’s PageSpeed.
So with visual content being so critical, it is also equally significant to compress images. Compressing and reducing your images’ size will improve your website’s speed.
Visual Content Statistics
According to some sceptics, the popularity of visual content may be a fad or a short-term trend. The results of numerous studies conducted over the past five years have proven every doubter wrong. Nevertheless, here are a few statistics that will give you a better idea of how valuable visual content is:
- Visual learners make up 65% of humans.
- 80% of people are more likely to read content with coloured visuals.
- Watching a video about a product increases the likelihood of buying it by 85%.
- A post with an image generates 180% more engagement than one without!
- Text takes 60,000 times longer to process than visuals.
- Seven times more conversions are achieved by companies that create custom visual content.
According to hundreds of studies published online by marketers, psychologists, and cognition neuroscientists, the future of marketing is visual content. Therefore, visual content is not only effective at attracting more eyes to you and your company, but also engages and converts more people.
Conclusion
Your sales process cannot ignore visual content. It is no longer possible for businesses and brands to generate a positive return on investment (ROI) by using the “traditional” methods used by marketers and salespeople. Learning from others’ mistakes and adapting to emerging technologies is essential for setting yourself apart!
The brain is designed to process visuals, not text, which is why we are visual animals. In 93% of all communications, there is a visual element, which is precisely why visual content attracts our attention and impacts our attitudes and behaviours.
When it comes to increasing conversion rates and winning more sales, visual content remains the easiest and most effective tool!
