Eye candy pictures sweet rewards
Let graphics build on the tale you want to tell
Visual content catches the eye. It’s the hook that lets content reel in readers to create engagement.
Joe Martin is the go-to person for all things visual as head of social analytics at Adobe. He talked with Winnie Sun, one of the financial industry’s most sought-after professionals, about creating eye-catching visual content.
“Visual content draws the viewer and reader to the post,” Sun said. “Many people prefer to watch their content. Just look at the success of platforms such as YouTube and Instagram, among others.”
If there’s a tale to tell, let graphics build on the experience.
“Visual content adds a story element to your post,” Martin said. “It creates a separate way to engage with your content and can help evoke an emotion. It’s literally worth a thousand words.
“My old team at Adobe Insights has been showing usage data since 2013,” he said. “It reveals visual content is more engaging than just text posts.”
Too many images look like they came off of assembly lines, which they probably have. They’re the visual equivalent of Muzak — uninspiring and lifeless.
“Quality always matters,” Sun said. “Whether it’s flat images or video, we have an opportunity to invest the time and effort in making attractive visual content. Our community deserves it.
Not all visual
How well the images apply also matters.
“Relevance and frequency,” Martin said. “Just because images and video are the most engaging doesn’t mean every post should be littered with visual content.
“Try to find a mix that optimizes your engagement with your audience,” he said.
Tap into intuitive apps and websites to create eye-catching images.
“We are big fans of the Adobe Premiere Pro suite, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Spark and the various social media native tools to help our content look sharp,” Sun said.
Saying he’s “not a homer,” Martin also endorsed Adobe Spark.
“It is by far my favorite way to create visual content with a design filter,” he said. “It’s easy to use, and I am a huge fan. Also, it’s free and integrates with your Creative Cloud account — if you are a subscriber.”
If you have no expertise or experience doing graphic design, hire an expert. If you try to do it on the cheap, the final product will look like it. If you see good examples of graphics, contact the companies that created them.
“It’s more of a question of how much content you produce and what monetization comes from your visual content,” Sun said.
“Many tools such as Adobe Spark and Canva can accomplish many of the things you would normally hire a graphic designer to do,” she said.
Lead after lead
Martin added that size counts.
“It’s a matter of resources if you are a small business,” he said. “If you have a good stable of leads coming in, salespeople to fulfill those leads and marketing to continue growing your pipeline, why not add a staff or agency designer?
“Bringing on a designer to a company who needs it is kind of like adding a drum to Neal Peart’s collection for Rush. It can only make things better.”
Not a visual expert, Sun was taken aback by visuals’ strength.
“The most surprising thing we’ve learned from visual content is just the incredible power of images and quality video,” she said. “The engagement is so substantial versus traditional written content.”
Martin, the expert, takes graphic aspects more in stride.
“Visuals are certainly open to interpretation,” he said. “If you are a brand, make sure your visuals stay on brand message and couldn’t be misconstrued.”
Just as for writing, have an editor or second opinion about graphics. You might not be the most objective judge of poor taste or insensitivity.
“When designing your visual content, ask yourself, What’s the goal of that image?” Sun said. “Why do you enjoy it? Does it excite others in a way that you want? Would others enjoy it? Most importantly, does it align, highlight or fit your brand message?
“Keep it on brand,” she said. “If you’re a positive person or company, the images should reflect that. If you’re in a quiet business, your imagery should reflect that.”
“Define how you are as a brand, and try to stick to that space,” Martin said. “Visuals should be a way to support your overall message and provide context to the content you are putting out in the space.”
He touched on the latest trends in visual content and how they’ll continue to evolve.
“Cisco projects that global internet traffic from videos will soon make up 80 percent of all internet traffic,” Martin said. “I’m even surprised at how much video has exploded in the last two years.
“I used to report on over-the-top trends for Adobe Insights years and years ago,” he said. “I remember when a video was first starting and it had zero share of market with no ad inventory. Crazy how it’s exploded.”
Consistency throughout
Know what your brand stands for. Your vision, mission and messages are key influences for the appearance of your visual content. Your branding should be consistent to give you a clear identity across all platforms.
“We try to be really smart with our time, which is our most valuable commodity,” Sun said. “So, we prefer video over anything else.”
Martin reiterated that all elements should mesh.
“The color palette, the wording, the design — they should all feed into how you are as a brand,” he said. “Your content and images should support what you are trying to portray and what clientele you are trying to capture. “
Visual content marketing influences the spirit of written, audio and video content. It reflects the soul of your personality.
“Most online articles now include visual content in the form of images, pictures or videos,” Sun said. “It brings the story to life.
“It should be the same for most everything in your business,” she said. “Websites, brochures and so on need imagery to draw in the reader and tell the story.”
Done well, the result is a monstrous product.
“They all form together to become the Megazord of content,” Martin said. “Each one provides an important structure and engagement piece to the overall strategy.”
Sun and Martin peered into the future to predict how visual content marketing will continue to change and grow.
“There will be more and more visual content,” Sun said. “We’re just going to have to get smarter and better at creating better, meaningful visual content.
“Filming on a smartphone isn’t going to cut it long term,” she said. “Posting bad photos with bland font needs reconsideration.”
Martin keyed on trends.
“In 2016, HubSpot reported that 43 percent of consumers wanted to see more video,” he said. “I would expect that has continued to increase each year.
“I could see brands getting into longer form video content somehow, a brand related series on Netflix or something similar,” he said.
Attractive bits and pieces
Practically anyone can create bite-size visual content.
“Take your video and have it cut into small ‘snackable’ mini-teaser videos,” Sun said. “Just look at the success of Instagram stories to see how this works.”
Not particularly artistic, Martin succeeds with tools.
“Embrace what you are good at,” he said. “I use Adobe Spark mostly because I am not a designer. Me using Illustrator would be a lot like Rocky being known for singing and dancing.
“The thing I love about Adobe products like Spark or Creative Cloud is that they give anyone the opportunity to produce great images,” Martin said. “I believe we are going through a creative renaissance right now with too many great images to name.”
Well-crafted images draw attention to your brand. Potential customers need to know you exist before you have any hope of producing revenue.
“Brands need to align with influencers on social channels,” Sun said. “The images are just one way of delivering content. It’s that teamwork that can help you drive revenue.
“Now with Instagram allowing you to sell, that’s even more exciting,” she said.
The best images also enhance your worth.
“They support a brand message and give intrinsic value to a product,” Martin said. “They can also have a way of creating pride of ownership or loyalty to a brand.”
About The Author
Jim Katzaman is a manager at Largo Financial Services and worked in public affairs for the Air Force and federal government. You can connect with him on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
