Content is the essence of any business. We live in a world where we are exposed to content more than what we can possibly consume. With the information overload, people are preferring more visual content over others.
Why should this interest you? Visuals capture our attention more easily and can be quickly understood by everyone. Visual content makes a powerful connection with your audience if it is presented well. An independent research shows that 90% of the information transmitted to our brain is visual in nature. Thus, visuals make communication easy.
Since you are in a business which primarily depends on communication, visual content can help you grab your client’s attention.
However, the challenge is how can you do it better than others? Widen, a marketing research firm throws light in a whitepaper on some of the most effective ways of visual content you should be creating.
Focus on data visualisations
Suppose you are in a meeting with the prospect and to justify your point, you simply talk about some historical data and facts. Instead of just presenting facts, you could possibly show case studies in the form of bar graphs or charts which are visually more appealing. You can customize it by making more sophisticated formats like maps and timelines.
Use Images
Whether photographs or illustrations, images are of great use. They come in handy to support any form of content. You can either produce them through software like Corel Draw, Photoshop or simple photo-making applications. You can also purchase them if needed, for example from Shutterstock.
Infographics
Infographics are an extended version of data visualisations. Infographics can be a visual representation of any kind of information. While data visualisations can be dull sometimes, infographics are more interesting and are easy to consume. They can be a mix of text and information depending on the type of audience you are catering to.
Memes
A meme can be an image or video or any customized piece of text that can communicate an idea, behaviour or style. Usually, memes are humorous and trendy which can go viral. For e.g., debt funds vs. FDs.
Presentations
Though presentations are the oldest mode of communication during client meetings, it can still be used effectively. You can make the best presentations visually interactive and more engaging by putting photographs and videos.
Videos
Creating and editing videos has never been so easy. You can get many editing applications on your mobile phones which are easily accessible.
Videos are a powerful medium to express your thoughts. You can use videos to introduce products and services to your prospects which can be highly engaging.
Widen suggests a few ways through which you can succeed in your visual content marketing plan. There is no shortage of resources for creating visual content. Some are free while for others you will have to pay. For instance, Pixler and GIMP are two free and easy to use photo-editors. Windows Movie Maker, iMovie help you create engaging videos. Pictochart helps you create interesting infographics.
Points to remember while creating your content:
- Take care while choosing images: Your content should not look outdated or unprofessional. When choosing images, look for ones which can grab attention and can draw an emotional response from the audience.
- Focus on branding: When creating a visual content, make sure it does not look like a copied image. Always give a personalised touch to the image. Keep your company’s style, colour scheme, tone of voice and overall vibe in mind.
- Re-use the images: Visual content can appear on different platforms (Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn). To make the most of it, create flexible designs which you can easily reuse it.
- Search engine optimization: All hard work would go in vain if your content is not easily discoverable. Use the right keywords and tags throughout the content including titles, descriptions and captions.
These steps, if followed smartly, can help you to create your own brand and communicate with clients better.
Reproduced substantially from the Widen whitepaper.
