The importance of visual content in marketing

Visuals can be divided into the following categories:

• Step-by-step images - These are usually how-to or checklist infographics which seek to explain something step-by-step.

• Shareable images - Such visual content is very easy to create and quick to share. Tips, inspirational messages and quotes usually fall within this category. Shareable images are especially ideal for social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter where visual content is shared more frequently.

• Showpiece images - This kind of visual content is complex and takes time to create.

Here are some of the reasons why you should use visual content to promote your products, services, podcast or blog:

© Maxim Evseev – 123RF.com

Social media has gone visual

The use of visuals has exploded over the past few years. A recent study published in HubSpot showed how much visual content is shared on social media. According to the article, the following happens every minute:

• 216,000 photos are posted on Instagram

• 72 hours of video are uploaded on YouTube
• 3,472 images are pinned on Pinterest

• 277,000 tweets are posted on Twitter

The article further indicates that most visitors to websites spend less than 15 seconds reading content. Having at least one image in your post will result in significantly more social media shares. All these statistics show why every small business needs to begin using visual content to promote their brands.

Correlation between visuals and learning

There is a significant correlation between visuals and how the human brain works. According to the study on HubSpot, 93% of human communication is non-verbal. People remember only 20% of what they read, but 80% of what they see. Another study by Neil Patel shows that visuals influence buying decisions more than other factors such as smell and taste. The kind of visuals you use can either drive away customers or attract them.

The psychology of colour

When it comes to conversion rates and brand recognition, colours play a major role. The colours you use for your images and text will significantly influence how people interact with your brand. The colours you choose will depend on your industry and the feelings you want to stir up. Here are some colours and the associated emotions:

• Red - Aggressive, energetic, provocative

• Green - Prestige, serenity, wealth
• Orange - Fun, playfulness, vitality
• Blue - Responsible, secure, trustworthy
• Purple - Spirituality, nostalgia, royalty
• Yellow - Motivation, creativity, positivity

• Black - Sophistication, value, timelessness

Conclusion

There are a wide range of tools available which can help you create great showpiece, shareable, and step-by-step visuals. This includes Visme, FotoJet and Enlight. These tools are easy to use and will enable you to create professional-looking visuals within minutes. This will save you lots of money which you would have spent on hiring a professional designer.