Visual marketing has become a major focus for small businesses, and the year ahead is going to continue to emphasize its power in expanding the reach of brand campaigns. One look at the statistics associated with visual marketing platforms underscores their explosive growth. 
Consider: Pinterest currently has an estimated 70 million total users, and Instagram 200 million active users. Video platforms are equally prolific – one source estimates that YouTube has more than a billion users and that 80% of those visitors are from outside the United States.
Visual content resonates with viewers in part simply because of how the brain operates. In a recent interview, the director for the center of brain imaging at Carnegie Mellon University explained: “Processing print isn’t something the human brain was built for. The printed word is a human artifact. It’s very convenient and it’s worked very well for us for 5,000 years, but it’s an invention of human beings. By contrast Mother Nature has built into our brain our ability to see the visual world and interpret it.”
If you’re ready to leverage visual marketing in your digital growth efforts, here’s a closer look at the hottest trends which include both enduring classics and newer developments in visual content types.
Blog Post and Article Images
Are you using images in your blog posts or articles? If not, it’s time to consider doing so. Not only do images make your posts more consumable, but they encourage you to format written content in a way that is easier to read on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. Images can also be shared on sites like Pinterest, offering readers another way to promote your materials.
Technically, a meme is a funny or infectious image that also conveys a point. One of the best and most familiar illustrations of the meme is the website I Can Has Cheezburger which popularized images of animals with clever commentary. Businesses are adapting the meme format, and bringing it to life in a whole new way. Inspiring, beautiful, or visually striking pictures are being combined with a powerful statistic or quote. This type of content is easy and inexpensive to create, and has a high degree of sharability
Infographics:
One of the most popular forms of visual marketing content is the infographic. Infographics blend data and images to tell stories, and are a great format for everything from entertaining consumer-focused pieced to information heavy B2B marketing. The key to using infographics successfully is to anchor the piece around a powerful story that resonates with your market, and bring it to life with compelling data and illustrations. A well-done infographic has tremendous potential to attract links and social media shares.
Slideshare Presentations
Many businesses incorporate presentation decks into their marketing efforts. From sales collateral during presentations to leave behinds after meetings, presentations use a mix of graphics, text, and creative data interpretation (for example, charts and graphs) to convey complex messaging. Sites like Slideshare allow businesses to post their presentations online for broad exposure. These sites and marketing techniques are particularly effective for B2B businesses.
Microvideos
Platforms like Vine and Snapchat are popularizing microvideo. Unlike YouTube where videos can be limitless in length, microvideo tends to be a maximum of 10 seconds in length. These videos don’t aim to give a comprehensive overview of a particular subject, but instead about capturing a single moment that can be conveyed in just a few seconds. Sneak peeks, behind the scenes introductions to your company, funny skits, or powerful sound bites work especially well in the microvideo format.
Welcome Videos
If your sales team relies on an elevator pitch to attract the attention of new prospects, then the power of a welcome video will make complete sense. These short, targeted videos introduce your business and explain what you do to anyone that’s viewing your website. Some are produced with professional actors following a script. Another popular format is an animated video style that’s similar to a whiteboard presentation. The key is to choose a style that’s consistent with your brand, and keep the video as high-quality and focused as possible.
Are you looking for creative new ways to incorporate visual content into your digital marketing campaigns? Whether you’re looking for help developing a campaign strategy or producing a professional-level video, our team can help. Contact us at Be Locally SEO today to discuss your visual marketing needs.