Visualizing a Future for Marketing
Written by Courtney Raguso, Social Media Content Creator
The Significance of Visual Content
How are you going to captivate your audience? Influencer marketing is on the rise, the majority of consumers are favoring video content and gamification has really taken off. It’s clear that the visual experience is taking over. Consumer behavior is changing to a more visual culture, and although we have always been visual learners, the digital era has cultured us in the way we communicate. With attention spans diminishing and shifting towards short-form content, technology has given us better ways to drive more potent communication with visuals becoming a key component to creating attention-grabbing content. Trying to aim for really good copy just doesn’t cut it anymore, and it’s always about establishing that emotional connection with your audience. 
People are visual learners, and most of the information transmitted to our brain is visual. In fact, according to recent studies, it can be up to 90%. Thanks to technology, our visual culture has gone digital and evolved communication more than ever before. Visual content is successful because it’s the type of content that people have an innate psychological resonance with. It is processed faster and triggers emotion, action and memory retention. Studies have shown that even just using an image increases an individual’s memory significantly by 55% when shown information along with a visual. Using visuals also provides a sense of proof and increases trust between a brand and its audience. People are hardwired for connection and bonding over commonalities, and integrating visual content in your marketing strategy is a great way to get their attention and build trust. It’s also a great way to build your brand image. Visuals make it easier for a brand to share its values, personality, and character through their social media presence, profiles and of course website. There are many ways a brand can portray its image, including the type of content they post, its relevance, context of that content and who they collaborate with. In the digital age we live in, more people are creating and consuming more visual content. New devices and apps allow us to create better content, while social media helps us share that content. Visual content is an essential component for any marketing strategy in any industry. Whether it is concerning a Baby Boomer or a Gen Zer, visual content is something that has proven to always be more successful. It’s just a matter of context and relevance.
There are many ways you can add visual content to your strategy. Some types of visual content can include images, videos, infographics, GIFs and presentations. However, one type of content in particular is gaining popularity, and that’s video. As a whole, more people are consuming more content online, with video being the primary medium. However, the amount of content they consume, where and how they consume it all depends on the audience. If you don’t diversify your content and the platforms it’s on, you could have low engagement or even none at all. So why is video content important? With Millenials following closely behind, recent studies show that 89% of Gen Zers use YouTube, 74% use Instagram, and 68% use Snapchat on a weekly basis. So, it’s safe to say that video content is the best way to reach this new customer. It’s also the leading form of content favored by Millennials and Gen Z, who make up for more than half our consumer base. By analyzing younger generations’ behavior, we can understand how to create and share videos since they’re so well ingrained in today’s digital culture. For example, if you are looking to bring Gen Z traffic to your site, it better be mobile friendly because that’s their preferred device and nearly every one of them owns a smartphone. Consumers want to see more from brands and look for practicality and authenticity. This explains why influencer video campaigns are more effective since viewers are more engaged and responsive. Apps are evolving more to support organic reach, but they are also evolving to support only good content. It’s only going to get harder because of the immense opportunity and market share available online. Consumers are becoming less patient and younger audiences aren’t interested in sifting through different kinds of content to get to what they know they like. Video content is more versatile and delivers information in a short story form. Although video is the leading form of content consumption, it is just one of the many ways you can integrate visual content in your strategy.
In today’s pandemic world, people’s trust has fallen and they want to see action. COVID-19 has every generation consuming more video, and every generation is relying on their devices during this pandemic to inform and distract more than ever before. Brands are pivoting their strategies to adjust to this new reality and many are finding new ways to evolve their service to be more fitting for a post-pandemic world. Restaurants are going full force on online delivery, while retail stores are making reusable masks. There’s no way of really knowing what will come in the future, but the best thing you can do is act in the now and seize whatever new opportunities emerge. Over the past year, we’ve seen the continued importance of visual content emphasized by the changes in social media platforms as well as new emerging ones. At the same time, videos continued to grow as powerful tools for brands looking to communicate more easily with their readers in a virtual reality.
At MSM DesignZ, we are experts in creating measurable strategies. Our visual culture is going totally digital and having a digital presence should not be an option. We value the importance of creating visual content that speaks to your audience and brings out the best in your brand. With over twenty years of experience, we know what works and what doesn’t. We treat every brand as if it’s our very own. From web development to social media management, we’ll work directly with you to build a personalized strategy to not only retain but also gain business. We are assisting in all areas for our clients. Visit our contact page at https://www.msmdesignz.com/contact/, and we’ll work with you to devise a custom plan that will keep your brand alive and well. We look forward to working with you!
Sources:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicabaron/2019/07/03/the-key-to-gen-z-is-video-content/#7b9587473484
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/media-consumption-covid-19/