In 2015, Visually presented The Art of Visual Content and the Science That Makes It Convert, a webinar presented by Tania Schoeman, creative director at Visually, and Hana Abaza, VP marketing at Uberflip. The landscape for visual marketing is as, if not more, crowded than the landscape for written content. Consequently, marketers hoping to cut through the clutter need to think strategically about how they plan to use their visual content to drive some desired result—a visit to a landing page or website, a request for more information, a lead, or a sale.
In their presentation, Schoeman and Abaza point to five elements required to drive action through visual content:
- Data—that is reputable and recent
- A compelling story
- A clever message
- Beautiful design
- Shareability
The elements are not much different from the list you might pull together when thinking about best practices for written content. It’s all about presenting valuable information (in the mind of the audience) in an attention-getting and compelling way. Visual communication—images, infographics and video—just boosts the odds that you’ll capture attention in a very, very competitive communication environment.
Even the most compelling, well-produced visual content, though, won’t resonate with audiences if they never see it. Digital marketers must think about searchability and discoverability if they’re using visual images to promote their products and services.
Jon Wuebben is CEO of ContentLaunch in Fallbrook, California, and he is the author of “Content is Currency” (Nicholas Brealey Publishing, 2012). In it he offers some best practices for ensuring that visual content is primed for maximum online impact:
- Create a relevant, keyword-rich title and description for your video
- Include your URL in your video
- Provide a transcript of the video
- Be sure to brand your video
- Always provide an HTML link for your videos
- Place your video on all of your content channels (and allow others to embed and share your videos on their own sites)
While video and other visual images can’t be the only type of content that digital marketers use as part of their overall marketing strategies, they are becoming increasingly prevalent, and increasingly effective. From the use of Vine to share short personal videos, to the use of YouTube to broadcast brand-owned “channels,” a wide range of options exist; these options are likely to be augmented by new tools and trends in the not-too-distant future. The opportunities are plentiful—the challenge is one of determining how, and to what extent, visual information can become part of a strategic, and aligned, plan to drive marketing results.
Do you use video or other forms of visual images in your marketing? What have you found to be the best practices that most resonate with your target audiences? Share here.
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