5 Ideas For Creative Visual Content Marketing
Posted by Rachel Terry on Thu, Dec 13, 2012
Visual marketing is blowing across the Internet like a game-changing storm. You've seen 
interesting photos on social media, links to infographics on Twitter, and images with QR codes in print media. You may even have seen television commercials with stunning images but no words.
Creative marketers will pay attention to this trend because people are word-exhausted and ready for a change, and visual content is the balm that heals those weary media consumers. Give them what they want. Here are five creative ways to market with visual content.
1. Infographics. The Internet is so saturated with words that it's easy to lose exhausted readers. Infographics are the antidote for word saturation. A cleverly done infographic can condense massive amounts of information and present them in an interesting, memorable way. Expert educators tell us that people remember about 20% of what they read, but 83% of learning occurs visually. Not only will you be able to get your messages across, but those who view it will remember the message better. Their minds will have an image to grasp onto when they think about your product or service. Infographics can be included on websites and blogs, and they're ideal for posting on social media networks, especially on Pinterest and Facebook.
2. Photos on Social Media. Does your product or service seem removed from humanity? Starbucks solved this problem by posting photographs of employees, customers, and community advocates participating in the Starbucks Global Month of Service project. Not only will your Facebook fans see you in a more personal way, but they'll share the photos, especially if they see themselves in them. Does your business participate in local fairs or events? Take photos at the event, and post them as soon as possible--ideally while you're still at the event and can comment: "Enjoying the sunshine at the County Fair with Mayor Cleburne and Girl Scout Troop 2553!" I guarantee that every girl scout in the picture will post the photo on her wall.
3. Images with QR Codes. Producing physical visual content can be a way to move customers from a locale to the Internet. Let's say you set a display sign outside your electronics store with a stunning picture of a brand new gadget. No words, no price, no description--just the image. The only non-image item on the display sign is the QR code in the top corner. Out of sheer curiosity, people will scan the QR code, and you will have moved them from casual passersby to potential customers with an interest in your product. On the website they're directed to, you can include details about the product, videos, links, and store hours.
4. User-generated Content. A local sandwich shop, Which Wich, found a way to get their customers to produce visual content for them. Anyone who climbed a Fourteener (a mountain over 14,000 feet tall) and took a picture of themselves at the top holding a Which Wich sandwich bag would get a free sandwich. In addition, any customer at the shop can draw a picture on a sandwich bag and hang it on one of the cable clotheslines on the restaurant walls. Which Wich employees take pictures of the best sandwich bag artwork and upload them to Flickr. Anytime you get users to generate visual content for you, you have users with vested interests in your products, and you also widen your social networking reach.
5. Go for Bold and Glossy. Whatever visual content marketing images you produce, make them beautiful. That doesn't mean you have to use stock photos of people with unearthly white teeth, but get a decent camera and learn how to use photo editing software. When you're competing with millions of other websites and social media posts, your visual content needs to stand out. If you're posting product images, make your products look stunning. If you're producing infographics, make them look bright, neat, and professional. Humans love beauty. Give them some, and they'll pay attention to you.
Visual content marketing is sweeping the Internet, so don't delay adding this important component to your marketing repertoire. Begin today by posting more photos and infographics to your company's website and social media networks. Then make a plan for more creative and sophisticated visual content marketing campaigns like the one used by Which Wich. Visual content marketing takes more thought than resources, which makes it perfect for new start-ups or companies who are operating their marketing on a shoestring. Catch the vision, and watch your traffic increase.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock