Content marketing is a big deal with many brands making their mark with their stellar content offerings.
Perhaps referring to the various resources being produced every day as “content” is a bit simplistic and misleading. When most of us think of content we think of something that has been written; text-based information if you will. Articles, blog posts, etc all fall under this umbrella.
- 13 Free Design Tools for Visual Marketers on a Budget - by Rosalia Cefalu
But is that all there is to this thing we call “content”?
Video: The Rise of Visual Content: 8 Thought Leaders Weigh In
The Visual Content Revolution
What sorts of content can be called “visual content”?
- Images – Including images of any kind with your text-based offerings has been shown to increase engagement and even improve the rate at which visitors process your website’s content overall.
- Videos -When you use video to reach your audience you are giving them an easily digestible option for absorbing the information you are attempting to share.
- Slideshows – Slideshows can be used to showcase a variety of media including graphics, videos, and interactive Flash files.
- Infographics – Infographics are the new content vehicle that has taken the content marketing industry and revolutionized the way information is presented. Often, infographics are created from mountains of data that would otherwise be tedious to consume, thereby creating something visually appealing as opposed to a wall of text that would put someone to sleep.
- Memes – A more recent phenomenon, the internet meme is a humorous visual representation of an idea, concept, or joke of some kind. A meme is often a template graphic over which a user can add their own customized text.
Any of these things can also appear as user-generated content which can be doubly beneficial to any brand.
For more information, check out these useful and interesting posts!
- Five Steps To Integrate Visual Content Into Your Social Media Strategy – by Stephanie Hobbs
- Why Marketers Should Invest in Visual Content Creation - by Lauren Sorenson
- 5 Ideas For Creative Visual Content Marketing - by Rachel Terry
Further Defining Visual Content
Now that we’ve introduced a few types of visual content, let’s go a little more in-depth about what forms these types of content can take.
Images
Images are still graphics such as photos, clip art, and illustrations.
Videos
Videos are non-interactive audio/visual presentations that can be used to deliver information. Popular video hosting/sharing sites include Vimeo and YouTube. Because Google owns YouTube, videos uploaded to the site tend to do well in the SERPs.
Slideshows
Not to be confused with videos, slideshows are sequential presentations that display information through a series of individual slides. While there are many different ways to create a slideshow on a website, a popular desktop alternative is Microsoft PowerPoint.
Infographics
Infographics are images that have been created in order to convey information related to a single concept or idea. Often presented in a vertical format, infographics are often colorful and filled with visually appealing charts, graphs, and other graphic elements meant to help communicate the point intended by the brand behind the graphic’s creation.
Memes
Memes are funny, easily recognizable graphics that are the epitome of user-generated content. Think of popular favorites such as the Philosoraptor, and The Most Interesting Man in the World.
Comments:
Which of these types of visual content do you use most often as a part of your content marketing strategy?
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