Visual Content Marketing Optimization for social media and blog will be shared in a two-part series.
Part 1 is on why visual content marketing is important for your B2B business, tools that you can use and tips from other businesses.
Part 2 of visual content marketing optimization is on how to optimize for search (engine) and experience (your audience).
Over the course of nearly eight years of doing social media for B2B companies, I have observed the transition of types of contents that are being consumed online. And in response, the media evolved as a response.
So here’s my cursory observation.
There was a time when text content was popular; thus, blogging was the rage.
Then.
Infographics became the rage.
But now.
Videos are the rage. And very much so.
Twitter responded to accommodate images, video and gif. Facebook has opened up its timeline for native videos.
Facebook has opened up its timeline for native videos.
GooglePlus has its Photos….and so on.
No idea what the future is going to be like in terms of visual content marketing. Here’s a wild idea: a beamed training or conference at your remote office. You never know! Right.
Anyway, wild idea aside, the transition has been in regard to the use of visual contents.
Social media is just adapting. It’s just a tool.
But now here’s a thought, that you might say, “…but, but my product is not sexy!”
I don’t believe that this has something to do about how sexy your product is (or not).
How can your B2B company leverage visual materials for marketing?
Well, numbers speak.
Why Use Visual Contents?
⇒ Point 1: Want people to read your content or catch their attention? A study by Xerox reveals that color gains readership by 80%. Source, here.
Side note: Why use black and white?
⇒ Point 2: We have a quite efficient brain that processes visual information fast. In our brain’s cortex are 30% of neurons (in the “hundreds of millions”) that processes visual information while 8% for touch and 3% for hearing. Source, here.
Side note: Your audience is visual. No. Doubt.
⇒ Point 3: In our studies back in high school and college, we were taught that people in the Paleolithic age, carve stones and walls to convey a message.
Side note: Only our implements have changed. We are STILL the same visual people that we have always been.
⇒ Point 4: Consumer of your content is more likely to pay attention if an image contains detailed information that is relevant to them instead of just fluff/decorative images. Source, here.
Side note: You can use those cat images as long as they are helpful.
⇒ Point 5: Tweets with images receive 150% more retweets, 89 more favorites and 18% more clicks than those without. Source, here.
Side Note: Include visual content in your marketing strategy.
Read the stats over again. Let the information sink in.
Let’s process that, shall we? Now, as a B2B company:
Do you want to get your message across FASTER (Point 2) to more audience (Point 1 )?
Do you like to get more shares/retweets, likes or +1’s (Points 4 and 5)?
Why is this essential?
For YOU to get MORE social referrals to your site and ULTIMATELY to get leads.
Visual contents are effective tools when used right.
What are Visual Formats that your B2B Company could use
- Video
- Infographic
- Data/Graphs – There is so many info out there that you can repurpose.
- Gifs – I am just starting to explore this.
- High quality and relatable photos – Don’t be daunted by high quality. You can use your mobile devices to post a high-quality picture.
- Screenshots – I use this often!
We will touch base on how you can optimize this(in Part 2) for search.
What are tools that I use for visual contents?
I use a combination of free and paid tools. I believe in paying for tools that make our life easier and our product looking better.
These tools are very easy to use. The speed of creating one depends on the length of your content.
Ninja B2B Tip: the shorter the better. More of this in part 2.
Video
- iPhone
- Overpost App
- Giphy
- Powtoon
- Camtasia
- FaceTime
- Google HangOut
Images
A. Typography
- Skitch
- Overpost
- Get Stencil My fave desktop app. Not an affiliate. I just happen to like it that they answer my questions and don’t just ignore it like some apps I have used. I am sensitive about customer service that way. 😀
- Spark Post
- Photoshop Elements
- Microsoft PowerPoint
B. Eye-catching images
- iPhone, or any of your mobile device.
- Sony Rebel
- Canon 5D Mark iii
What visual message topics could you use?
Like blogging, choose either of these content themes when crafting visual materials. In cooking, I have one condiment that I can’t do without; it is salt. Use these content ideas as your “salt.”
- Make it informative.
- Make it empowering
- Make it entertaining.
- Make it relatable.
Alternatively, you may view the above as your evergreen content creation guide for all of your contents regardless of format.
Visual Content Marketing Inspirations
So now you have the content themes as your guide, and you have tools that you can use.
What are examples of visual materials that you can create and post?
Here are some content inspirations that we have seen businesses used to put their message across:
- Graph or data
- Cartoon
- Team photo or video
- Screenshot of your company homepage
- Quick tutorial, or how-to, using an image or video
- Office photo or video
- Slideshow of your product photos
- Visual of your top employee or team of the month
- Video of a company event or show you attended
- Before and after of what you are doing
- A company milestone
- Important announcement
- Information on how to create something using your product thus making their life easier and better
- Favorite quote
- Showcase your products and services
- Coupon code
- Top tips
Visual Content Marketing Optimization Tips from Fellow Businesses
How do companies rock visual content marketing optimization?
These are companies that, like you, may not be one of the GIANTS who have a huge marketing budget.
B2B Tip 1: “Don’t over filter, etc. your photos! I see too many food pics, etc. where the cucumber is a neon green!” ~ Tracy Phillips, Copywriter
B2B Tip 2: “Include content that is compelling but also relevant to the demographic. You want items that tweak interest and keep contacts and clients coming back for more because they trust you are in for more than just a cheap ‘one-off’ attention grabber.” ~ Insurance Broker, Gifford Associates Insurance Brokers Ottawa
B2B Tip 3: “Our advice would be to ensure every image is on brand. You can do this by using distinct fonts for the text on images, using one or two brand colors as accents, and by making your logo visible on the image. Doing these things to your visuals helps to make your posts instantly recognizable to your readers while being consistent and visually appealing.” ~ Financial Planning Company, Dragon Financial Group
B2B Tip 4: “Be sure to include a clear CTA within the image itself rather than relying on the text of the post to generate the desired reaction.” ~ Material Handling and Logistics, Starke Material Handling North America
B2B Tip 5: “Photos for every post. And keep it light.” ~ Amateur Film Producer, Elfenshot Films
B2B Tip 6: “You mean besides including Bacon, Kittens, and Puppies? 🙂 You nailed it with this image. Strong colors, interesting image (cloud heart) good use of white space, with a simple message inside – “Thank You” that stands out from the rest of the image. Any of these are good alone, but this image has them all.” ~ Rehab Treatment Center, InspireMalibu
Note: image referred above is THIS one below.
B2B Tip 7: “K.I.S.S. = keep it simple, stupid.” ~ Behavioral Care Treatment Practitioner, PRO Health Group
B2B Tip 8: “Make sure the image is as close to stunning as possible & that it evokes the desired emotion. For example, a food pic should make you hungry. A sunset pic should take your breath away, etc.” ~ 5-Star Celebrity Chef, Chef Ivan Flowers
Having a dull or not a sexy product is not an excuse. Really.
If you reached this far reading this visual content marketing optimization tips, we are creating Part 2 on the technical part of optimization for social media and blogging.
Feel free to chime in if you have anything to add.
