People are bombarded with information from the moment they pick up their smart phone in the morning to the time they lay down their tablet at night. So how can you cut through this clutter and communicate quickly and succinctly? Incorporate more visuals – after all, the brain processes visual information 60,000 times faster than text, and 90 percent of information transmitted to the brain is visual.
Even search marketing benefits from rich media. According to a September 2015 Blue Nile Research report, eight out of 10 high volume keywords include rich media in their search results. While everyone strives for the vaunted no. 1 position, results appearing farther down the page that include rich media can actually receive more clicks.
Infographics, video and social media are all strong vehicles for B2B marketers and integrating these into your 2016 plan will be crucial to keep up with other industry innovators:
Infographics
Infographics, which incorporate text and visuals, continue to be a favorite of B2B marketers, rising from 51 percent in 2014 to 62 percent in 2015. A strong infographic will provide unique information that is useful and interesting to your target audience. It should reflect your corporate persona in tone and style and include a call-to-action as well as contact information.
Because infographics are digestible – 39 percent of B2B buyers say that they frequently share infographics on social media. Be sure to make the process efficient by using a standard size (a vertical format is preferable) and include social sharing buttons so others can share it quickly and easily with their contacts.
Video
Online video has become an integral part of Internet usage, with 90 percent of consumers watching videos online. B2B marketers don’t have to create the next viral video for the medium to be effective. By focusing on their audience’s needs and expectations, video can become a valuable marketing component that increases both engagement and conversion.
The most often-cited challenge for marketers seeking to incorporate video in their marketing efforts is the cost of creation. While longer, professionally produced videos can become pricey, short videos such as testimonials, product reviews and tutorials and tips deliver powerful results at an affordable price.
Marketers using video in emails can achieve significant engagement with recipients. In one study of marketers using video in opt-in emails, 55 percent achieved higher click through rates, 44 percent saw an increase in the time subscribers spent with an email, and 41 percent showed an increase in the sharing or forwarding of emails.
Social Media
B2B marketers that leverage the visual aspects of social media find it to be an effective way to engage with their audience. The important thing is to remember that while you may categorize them as prospects, they are actually people who want timely, interesting content that hits on key pain points.
Marketers who incorporate visual content see significant increases in their blog traffic, social media engagement and lead conversion rates. In fact, Adweek found that Tweets with images receive 18 percent more clicks, 89 percent more favorites and a whopping 150 percent more retweets.
The use of visual marketing will continue to accelerate in 2016 to meet the information consumption needs of an ever-busier audience. For B2B marketers, it should become another tool driving engagement and interaction as part of an integrated communications plan.
This article was syndicated from Business 2 Community: Will 2016 Be The Year Of Visual Marketing?
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