The Power of Images in Marketing

Do you remember being fascinated with the colorful illustrations in children’s books when you were a kid?

And when reading a manual on how to construct your new bookshelf, how much do you rely on the visual representations of the steps?
Has an image on the news or a work of art ever brought you to tears?
Images have the power to spark our interest, increase our understanding, and invoke an emotional response.

Pictures, videos, and graphics used in marketing materials are no different! A well-written blog post or web page could go unread if the images on the page don’t support your content. In fact, articles with images receive 94% more views than articles without them. With stats like that, we hope you never let a page of content go without marketing images again!

But if you still need a little more convincing, here are 4 reasons why you need to incorporate visual marketing into your website and social media now.

4 Reasons Why You Need to Use Visual Marketing

1. Images attract more attention to your marketing content.

Are you or a member of your team creating articles, press releases, and other content for your business? Then it’s essential that this content features images that keep readers interested and give them a better understanding of the piece.

In 2018, it has been estimated that 84% of communications were enhanced by visuals. Most people that are searching online are not looking for a novel, but rather information or entertainment that is easily accessible. Images not only support the purpose of your content but help keep web users interested in your content.

For 2019, the power of visual marketing shows no sign of slowing down, with video expected to attract 80% of all online traffic. Plus, posts that include video attract 3x as many links as posts with text alone. More backlinks to your content signals to Google that users are finding your content useful, meaning your page will rank higher.

Additionally, including pictures, videos, infographics, and other types of marketing images can keep users on your page for longer, giving you more time to earn that new client.

So, why not try all of these different content mediums?

2. People are more likely to retain information when it is combined with images.

About 65% of people claim to be visual learners or people that benefit from the use of graphics, charts, diagrams, and other images used in studies. This makes sense considering images have the power to increase the retention of information and encourage greater understanding of a subject.

According to some studies, words are processed by our short-term memory and images are processed by our long-term memory. So, when information is presented with images, people tend to retain 65% of that information compared to the 10% they would remember without images.

The brain also processes images 60,000x faster than it does text. This means that pairing your written content with relevant images enables you to transmit your message more quickly.

If you’re hoping to make a lasting impression on potential clients or educate your followers on social media, then start using graphics and video on your website and social channels.

3. Make a great first impression with professional images.

Science says that it only takes people 7 seconds to form a first impression. This can occur even more quickly online, with many people making a judgment about a website within 50 milliseconds. Yes, that’s only 0.05 seconds!

So how do you make sure that the initial first impression is a good one? We suggest using professional images or video on your website and social channels to enhance your credibility and give potential clients a glimpse into your business.

High-quality, professional marketing images help build a sense of trust between you and your clients before they ever visit your office. Photos or videos of your providers, staff, office, and location will show clients exactly what they can expect when they visit your practice.

This also gives you an opportunity to show off you and your staff’s personality or special equipment you have in the office.

4. Increase engagement on your social media channels.

Are you likely to scroll past a long rant on your Facebook feed? Or click out of a text-heavy graphic before you finish reading it? If this sounds like you, you’re not alone! Many people prefer posts with images of some sort. 
So there is no wonder why image-based posts receive 650% more engagement than posts with text alone.
On Facebook, posts with images receive 2.3x more engagement than those without.

Video has recently eclipsed the popularity of photos or graphics, generating 1200% more shares than texts and images combined. It’s no wonder YouTube has become the second-largest search engine in the world.
Youtube isn’t the only place to share video, though. Increase your reach on Facebook by 135% by using reposted and custom videos on your page.

Harness the power of visual marketing

Don’t get us wrong, text content is great! It should be valuable, well-researched, and thoughtfully presented. However, this content you’ve worked so hard on will definitely garner more attention and shares if it is combined with images or video.

For information on our custom content, photoshoot, video shoot, and social media management options, please give us a call. We can help you begin using the power of images at your practice!

Need more helpful resources? Check out these articles.

Is Your Outdated Website Costing You Clients?
SEO Tags and Video Marketing
Debunking 5 Common Content Marketing Myths
PGNlbnRlcj48ZGl2IGRhdGEtaWQ9Ijk4ZGQ2MWYzOGQiIGNsYXNzPSJsaXZlY2hhdF9idXR0b24iIG9uY2xpY2s9InBhcmVudC5MQ19BUEkub3Blbl9jaGF0X3dpbmRvdyh7c291cmNlOidtaW5pbWl6ZWQnfSk7IHJldHVybiBmYWxzZSI+PGEgaHJlZj0iIyI+PGltZyBzcmM9Imh0dHBzOi8vaW1hdHJpeC5jb20vd3AtY29udGVudC91cGxvYWRzLzIwMTgvMDUvbGl2ZS1jaGF0LWJsb2ctMS5qcGciIGFsdD0iaU1hdHJpeCBMaXZlQ2hhdCIgd2lkdGg9IjgwMHB4IiBoZWlnaHQ9IjIyNXB4IiBib3JkZXI9IjAiPjwvYT48L2Rpdj48L2NlbnRlcj4=