The Social Visual Evolution - Build Your Brand With Visuals
The human brain is said to process visuals 60,000 times faster than plain text.
The human brain is said to process visuals 60,000 times faster than plain text. Content generates up to 94% more views if you add compelling visuals and graphics, and 40% more if you add both images and video. So, why not include visuals in the majority of your social marketing? The more views, the more engagement, and the more time users spend with your brand. All increasing the odds of purchasing your product and services.
Brands that have tested visual social campaigns across multiple networks have seen significantly better results. But, if you choose the wrong network, time of day, or most importantly, visual message, your campaign can be doomed from the start. Let’s take a look at how visuals on various social networks like Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat can benefit your brand.
Instagram
The fastest growing platform, with over 300 million users, Instagram is a hot spot for brands. In just a short 9 months, Instagram grew by 50%. And with the new ads program that recently launched, the platform shows no signs of slowing down. Instagram enables users to capture videos and pictures and share them on other social networks such as Facebook, Flickr, Tumblr, and Twitter. With 30+ billion photos shared already, Instagram has more than 2.5 billion ‘likes’ and 70 million photos uploaded per day. And its engagement rates are continuously increasing. When marketing your brand on Instagram, use these tips:
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Tell a story with your visuals
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Consider the kinds of feelings you want to express when choosing colors and images
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The perfect picture doesn’t need text – focus on colors, images and backgrounds to convey your message
Pinterest
With Pinterest, users are able to share, save, and discover creative ideas. Whether it’s DIY projects, recipes, workouts, or other activities that consumers love and are inspired by, Pinterest has them. Brands that take advantage of this network have real opportunities to drive revenue. For example, let’s say you’re promoting a furniture store on Pinterest. If you’re just talking about the selection of furniture you have, that won’t attract many people. However, if you create boards with visuals of couches, recliners, and tables in a finished, model setting, more Pinterest users will be interested in your product. And now with Pinterest’s Promoted Pins, brands are able to target a larger audience. Here are a few tips to use when Pinning:
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Never place your product alone – put it in a visually stimulating setting
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Fill the frame, but do not make the visual look cluttered
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Use Infographics to share important, useful information
Facebook
Visuals are becoming the new language on Facebook and video is leading the way. Video posts per person have increased 94% in the United States and 75% globally. News Feeds are now filled with 3 billion videos shared daily. As a marketer, you need to be aware of where your video will fit in on a user’s News Feed, and that make certain it’s something your audience will want to watch and ultimately share. Now that videos auto-play, it’s crucial that the beginning of your video will grab the user’s attention. At Facebook, they call this the “three second audition.”
Although people often watch longer videos, it’s important to make your point early and create shorter clips. The attention span of viewers is fairly short. Be sure to remember that auto-play videos will begin playing silently; so your video must grab consumers’ attention without sound. Videos and images give marketers great opportunities to share their brand in creative ways, and for users to share their ideas and express themselves. Start taking advantage of visuals on Facebook today using a few of these tips:
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Provide relevant communication in your visuals, such as ‘how to’ videos
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Place your logo in the same place within all of your images and videos, and leave some space around it to make it look intentional
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Use a well-lit portrait when posting about staff updates
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Leverage bright and positive colors for promoting contests
Twitter
With more than 288 million monthly active users and 500 million Tweets sent per day, Twitter sees a lot of traffic. By adding visual content, you can significantly increase user engagement. Photos average a 35% boost in retweets, and videos receive a 28% boost, so it’s important that your brand includes visuals in each tweet you share with users. Here are some tips to help you get started:
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Create images with clickable links to capture data on user behavior
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Use consistent fonts and colors so users recognize you immediately
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Share user images in addition to your own
Snapchat
With an estimated 100 million monthly users and 700+ million photos and videos shared on Snapchat daily, this platform is a perfect example of how attractive visuals have become in social. Snapchat is a developing platform for marketers and if used correctly, can be extremely beneficial. Brands can post sneak peaks of new products or services, resulting in anticipation for what’s to come. Snapchat is great for brands because it’s inexpensive, and it’s a newer platform to experiment on. We recommend the following tips for Snapchat:
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Share coupons for products or services
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Create behind the scenes clips that are attractive – with or without sound
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Leverage teaser clips or images that encourage users to keep checking up on your brand
There is no better time to start maximizing your social marketing campaigns with visuals. Whether you use videos, graphics, or photos, you’ll greatly increase the odds of grabbing user’s attention. For more visual social marketing tips and expert opinion, download “The Social Visual Evolution: How Visual Content Drives Business Goals” paper.
Original Article
Find out more on the future of Content Marketing at our DLUK - Trends briefing on the 24th September 2015