The technological boom in the recent past has completely changed the way people consume information. The instantaneous nature of the internet is so impactful that studies suggest it has changed human psychology by shortening our attention spans and negatively affecting our memory capacity.
As the way we consume and process information changes, the ways we market content must evolve alongside our psychology. In this day and age, that means thinking visually. Let’s look at 10 visual content types for any brand.
Adjusting to the Times
An important recent adaptation made by brands is producing content consistently. The quality of the content you produce is essential, but publishing it regularly for your audience is what really matters. In an increasingly competitive content landscape, your audience needs to know they can count on your brand to deliver.
This constant desire for content in the internet age doesn’t mean that we have to turn away from denser types of media. It does, however, mean that we need to adjust the ways in which we present this information.
It’s entirely possible (and advantageous to your brand) to repurpose content in forms more attuned to the internet. Visual content types can be used to break up longer pieces of content and distill information or as more digestible standalone sources of information.
Time and again, the effectiveness of visual aids has been supported by marketing research. Buzzsumo found that Facebook posts with a graphic garnered 2.3 times more engagement than Facebook posts without a visual element.
This same study found that it doesn’t matter how many images you use but the ratio of words to images can impact site traffic. Articles with a visual component every 75-100 words seem to be the sweet spot for maximum shares for articles.
Visual Elements to Try
So how do you go about repurposing content? Depending on your brand or the particular piece of content, the best formatting option for visual elements may differ. Here are a few popular visual elements to enhance your content.
1. Infographics
A quick, concise infographic helps readers better retain the information you shared.
2. Slide Decks
Slide decks prevent audiences from mentally “tuning out” the way they might with only a long piece of media. Clicking through a slide deck makes the audience’s experience more active and more engaging.
3. Statistics
Statistics are an immensely effective way to quickly grab your audience’s attention. It’s also a simple way to highlight the importance of whatever it is that you’re promoting.
4. Quotes
Quotes are a simple way of getting to the essence of your content. A good pull quote will also give readers a thing to search for within the piece. This little easter egg hunt is another way to make reading more active for your audience.
5. Video
Video is a great way to demonstrate techniques, showcase interesting people involved in your brand and add a livelihood that can be difficult to capture with writing alone.
6. Professionally Sourced Photography
Hiring a professional photographer can be a huge asset to your content. A professional photographer will likely have an eye trained for spotting visual details that others may not. Many photographers can also give guidance on maintaining a consistent aesthetic for your brand.
7. GIFs
GIFs and memes add personality and a bit of fun to content. For lighthearted repurposed writing, GIFs should absolutely be incorporated.
8. Live Video
It’s exciting for viewers to feel like they’re living a significant moment alongside brands. If you have an exciting event in the near future, consider using Facebook Live, Instagram Live or Periscope so your audience can join in with you in real-time.
9. Interactions with other Brands
Many times in the recent past, interactions between brands have gone viral. There’s something undeniably endearing about brands that seem to have defined personalities. (Brands getting into some light online roasting seems to have attracted a following as well.)
10. User-Generated Content
What better way to engage an audience than letting the audience take part in your content creation? Utilizing user-generated content is a mutually beneficial and fun practice for users and brands alike!
Adding a few visual elements is a great way to better promote quality content and ideas. Try some of these simple additions and watch your content’s engagement skyrocket!
Which visual components do you prefer to see in content? For more tips and tricks on making your content smarter and more engaging, download our latest eBook, The Intelligent Content Playbook, for free!
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