Research shows that we’re more likely to recall images than written or spoken words. “When people hear information, they're likely to remember only 10% of that information three days later. However, if a relevant image is paired with that same information, people retain 65% of the information three days later.”
Keeping this in mind, there are many ways you can add engaging visual elements to support your content—try the following five ideas to enliven your company’s marketing materials!
IMAGES
Are you intentionally selecting imagery that enhances your messaging? When possible, we always recommend using high-quality images of your own so that you can show the heart of your business and employees. Custom imagery may also be more memorable to viewers, as it can be more aligned with your brand, offers and overall message.
However, there are also tons of great options for free or affordable stock imagery such as Adobe Stock, iStock and Shutterstock. When using stock imagery, keep your overarching brand guidelines in mind. Can you find stock images that resemble your brand colors? Or images that perfectly represent the content it’ll be paired with? Take the time to search for images that are engaging, unique and supportive of your brand.
VIDEOS
With 86% of businesses utilizing video as a marketing tool, it’s clear that this is a powerful way to visualize your content. Some of the most popular types of videos for businesses include tutorials or how-to videos, explainer videos, customer testimonials, training videos, demonstrations, and animated videos that portray a piece of content or offer.
Adobe Spark is a great tool for creating video content, and even offers a library of stock photos to enhance your videos.
ANIMATED GIFs
Animated GIFs, short for Graphics Interchange Format, are an engaging way to reinvigorate your content. Whether your company is utilizing GIFs on social media, email campaigns or in a blog post, this type of visual can evoke a strong reaction from your audience.
According to Wyzowl, “A study by Dell found that an email campaign that relied heavily on GIFs resulted in a 103% increase in conversion rates.” Your company can use GIFs to highlight a specific offer, share a quick stat, or even just add some movement into a text-heavy webpage.
INFOGRAPHICS
Infographics are a powerful tool to bring data-heavy content to life in an easy-to-consume way. Want to share a lot of stats, testimonials, or features of your offer? If so, an infographic is the perfect solution!
Infographics require a delicate balance, so we recommend working with a designer to ensure your infographic is formatted in the most impactful way possible. You can also utilize a tool like Canva, which offers infographic templates that you can customize with your content and brand colors and fonts.
SCREENSHOTS
Depending on the nature of your business, there are a few different ways you can utilize screenshots. For example, screenshots can be used to provide visual proof of your content, or behind-the-scenes looks at your product or service. This type of imagery allows viewers to better understand the inner workings of your business and offers.
Screenshots can also be used to share user-generated content or reviews from loyal customers—just be sure to get their permission before sharing publicly! Keep an eye on social media mentions, as well as your Google My Business account for positive feedback and testimonials. These screenshots make for great social media content, and can also be used to support your website content such as blog posts or sales pages.
Once you begin incorporating different types of visuals to support your company’s content, be sure to measure any changes so you can continue improving results. Here are some metrics you may want to keep track of, taking special note of any corresponding visual elements, to see what may be having the best impact:
- Time on page, bounce rates and page views in your Google Analytics account
- Top-performing social media posts
- Conversion rates on sales pages
- Open and click rates in email campaigns with visual elements
The images your company uses have a big impact on how your brand is perceived. Choosing the right visuals for your marketing materials can help your company stand out!
