Consumers are getting very critical when it comes to visuals, whether it is a website, a movie, a game, or anything else that has visual content. This is even being pumped-up by social media networks and mobile tech.
Static website galleries, written content on social channels, corporate photos and videos online were alright at one point. However, the readers of today strongly count on visuals to determine whether your message, product, or service is worth their time.
The trends are changing rapidly, and so are the expectations and standards of consumers. They spend less and less time examining an image or a piece of text in order to click on it. Decisions based on the visual content provided are made in a manner of seconds.
Visuals are a powerful tool and a great ally if you are looking to increase the number of happy viewers of your website or any other platform you are using to popularize your work, but that is only true if done correctly.
If you are seeking further development through the modern advantages of visual effects and enhanced content sharing, these rules will give you an advantage in presenting your ideas, message, products and services.
Authenticity
A referral from a friend is the one thing that customers trust most, and it is almost never the company itself.
In fact, research has shown that young adults are more likely to trust, or at least take into account, what a complete stranger says about a product or service than what a company claims it is. That is the main reason why user-generated content is considered far more compelling and valuable than anything that a brand produces.
Credibility
The most substantial advantage that a brand can have is its customers to stand behind it and publicly align with its products, which is indicative of the trust the business has built.
To put it simply, if your clients are posting images and sharing the experiences that they have had with your products and services, this will immediately impact your social media ranking, as well as the rest.
When you think about it, it is easier to determine what is more trustworthy. An image or video used by a brand to present how happy and satisfied their customers are? Or the same kind of experience and feedback shared by one of the clients instead?
Relevance
Context must always be the main driving force behind any visual content. It has to be properly informative, organized, as well as relevant.
If you are trying to sell some sort of a product online, you should come up with the corresponding visual content that suits the purpose and helps to accentuate the benefits and characteristics of it. Remember to also include written text in all the right places.
An easy example is: when selling a particular line of clothing, you should not only post photos of that on the right websites but also place the correct user-generated photos on the right page, which in this case, can involve your own clients relate to the clothes in a real life situation.
Caption
A great picture can replace a thousand words and can mean a lot of things but when paired with the perfect caption, it takes things a lot further.
It’s a no-brainer that we perceive and understand visual content much quicker than text. Nonetheless, a short and simple caption is often key to telling a story much more effectively without spending too much time spent on it.
The brand’s identity can also be communicated using a short and catchy caption. For example, a company that is focused on making fun and exciting things for customers can use a humorous caption.
Visual content should be making its way to your online marketing strategy. Gone are the days of the old and static website gallery. Traffic, bounce rate, page views, and sales will experience an immediate boost when relevant and comprehensive visuals become part of your online presence.