The 4 Most Important Types of Visual Content for Marketing Departments

When 90% of the information we take in comes to us through our eyes, it’s no wonder why great visuals lead to great marketing. But not all visuals are created equal, and there’s an opportune time and place for each format. Rather than relying on any old photo or silly .gif to connect with your audience, check out our list of top visual types and find out where and why they work, below. 

1) Infographics

Everyone loves a good infographic. They’re colorful, informative, and easy to digest— all the things you need to make a splash on your social channels. In fact, infographics are shared on social media 3X more than other any other type of content, making them perfect for expanding your audience base. 

Next time you set out to build a great infographic, make sure the topic is widely accessible, you’ve got the data to back it up, and your narrative doesn’t require too much explaining. Need more advice? Our friends at Infogram make building infographics a breeze, whether you’re just starting out with dataviz or looking for ways to refresh your current charts and graphs. 

2) Presentations

Gone are the days of relegating presentations to the boardroom. Similar to infographics in design and color, modern presentations are a great way to offer your audience more in-depth information without sacrificing good looks. 

Whether you’re presenting live or sending out follow-up content, platforms like Prezi allow you to deliver an asset that adds interactivity to your visuals. It’s a combination that’s sure to grab, and keep, your audience’s attention.

Bonus: check out some of our favorite marketing presentation templates to help kick-start your creativity, or learn how you can easily repurpose presentations like these into additional assets for more content marketing magic. 

3) Video

A whopping 73% of consumers are more likely to purchase a product after watching an online video. This can mean a huge increase in sales for companies— so long as those videos are discoverable. Instead of putting your content on a YouTube channel and hoping for the best, be sure to include them on one of your landing pages. A study from EyeView Digital found doing so can increase conversion rates by up to 80%. 

You should also explore ways to incorporate videos (or at least the mention of them) into your email marketing game. Consider these fun stats from Syndecast: using the word “video” in an email subject line boosts open rates by 19% and click-through rates by 65% — and reduces unsubscribes by 26%.

4) Images

You know what they say – a picture is worth a thousand words. But have you ever wondered why? Science tells us visuals are more engaging—and work faster—than words, partly because it only takes about 1/4 second for the human brain to process and attach meaning to a symbol. By comparison, it takes us an average of 6 seconds to read 20-25 words.

Using photos to catch people’s eye can keep them on articles and blog posts longer. There are multiple great websites you can use now to find free stock images. Try Upsplash or Pexels for a great selection of pics you are free to use. 
There you have it: the 4 most important types of visual content you need to have in your marketing arsenal. Want to learn more about how data visualization can help you grow your business? Click here to save your seat at our upcoming webinar happening Wednesday, April 12th with Infogram’s Marisa Krystian.