Visual Content on Social Media – A Feast for All Eyes
Visual Content on Social Media: What Makes It Great?
FIRST, social media will continue to be one of the key playgrounds for businesses.
In the article about The Future of Content Marketing, social media and video are in the top 3 content trends of the 2020s.
A global survey featured in the 2020 State of Marketing Report of Hubspot stated that “74% of global marketers continue to invest in social media marketing”. And one of two most often used content marketing metrics is social media engagement.
Part of the reason for this trend is because so many users are active on social media, offering various business opportunities (and challenges). And that’s why “4 million businesses use Stories ads every month” to capture as many opportunities as possible.
Also, this is a great place to “tempt” users to visit your site by posting some “teasers” of your great blog posts or infographics.
SECOND, of all types of content posted on social media, image/photo and video are considered the most engaging, which means visuals rule for this channel.
Visuals are just so good at promoting your brand. They are a great way of storytelling, and easy to digest and share.
LAST, you can boost revenue by shoppable visual content on social media. This is a trend in 2020s visual content marketing.
In conclusion, there is no reason to disregard the importance of visual content on social media. The question now should be “How to make the best use of it?”
Visual Content on Social Media: Which Type for Which Platform?
There are so many types of visual content, each with their own strengths. Let’s take a closer look at the top 3 popular types and the most suitable platforms. The analysis is based on the features of popular platforms and their main users.
Do you know that Facebook and company website are two channels that receive the most content created by businesses?
Photo / Image
Photos or images have the widest application as you can use them for any purpose and post them anywhere. However, to reap the highest benefits, pay attention to the best types of images for each platform. Here are some examples:
Best for product images and real people photos such as employees, customers or fans of the brand.
Have you ever tried “blog headers as an image”? Instead of a link to your new blog post, you will add a relevant image and caption to attract attention and ultimately increase your site traffic.
The banner image on your company page is very important. It tells others who you are and what you represent. Consider adding a logo and a tagline for a unique, longer lasting impression.
Twitter is known for in-the-moment updates and you can’t have an essay-long tweet. That’s why many choose to add an eye-catching photo to attract attention to their tweet.
Don’t forget that you still have many other platforms like Pinterest, Tumblr, Snapchat, etc. to post brand images.
A research by Hubspot has found that the majority of users prefer watching Facebook Stories. But there’s a tweak: the study surveyed all age groups. Had they only focused on Gen Z, Instagram might have been the winner.
In short, the right social platforms for you are where your target audience are gathering, and it often varies with demographics and geographic. For example, when it comes to social media in Vietnam, Facebook is the first choice, and the runner-up may be Zalo – a local social platform.
Infographics
Compared to blog visitors, social media users aren’t as keen on reading infographics.
The “problem” with infographics is that they provide so much information. Most of the time, you will need to scroll down to read a full infographic, which is not that convenient on social media.
That’s why some marketers choose to provide a “teaser” to attract users and divert them to the full infographic posted on their blog.
The “teaser” can be a visual snippet or an intriguing data visualization that provokes curiosity and stimulates sharing.
So, as you may have guessed, one of the best social platforms for infographics is Facebook.
But no matter which platforms you choose, don’t try to provide the full infographic by “cutting” it into screen-fit chunks.
One of the benefits of infographics is that it provides a one-stop information hub for people with relevant concerns. Infographics help you measure their level of interest and engagement. Cutting an infographic into smaller images will defeat this purpose.
Video
Video should be as welcomed as images everywhere, except for the fact that not all platforms are made to host long videos, and you can’t even negotiate. For example, an Instagram video can’t exceed 60 seconds.
If YouTube is the first name popping up in your mind when it comes to “posting video”, you’re not alone. But it doesn’t mean video will fare badly elsewhere.
Video marketing is a strategy that optimizes and utilizes all types of video of all lengths for marketing and business purposes. And because creating and managing this type of visual content generally takes more time and resources, many companies opt for a reliable digital marketing agency with all-inclusive content and social media services to take care of the whole process.
Others
Apart from the top 3 popular types of visual content, we also have:
- Slideshow: LinkedIn is your best bet.
- Memes & GIFs: Facebook and Twitter. You can also utilize the GIF library of Twitter.
- Quotes: Instagram and Twitter.
- User generated content (UCG): Except for LinkedIn (B2B platform), any other can serve the purpose.
All in all, no matter which types of visuals you choose for social media, remember to:
(1) “Brand” your work. Sharing is the nature of social media, so don’t let your visuals become “public assets” after several rounds of sharing. A logo in a corner will do just fine, as long as it’s noticeable but in no way obtrusive.
(2) Size your images. Each platform has their own recommended specs, adhere to them.
(3) Track the reaction. You need to know which visuals work and which don’t to adjust as quickly as possible.
Visual Content on Social Media: 3 Do’s and 2 Don'ts
DO follow your well-designed plan
Here we are talking about your digital marketing plan or in specific, your content and social media plan.
One common mistake is running after trends because of FOMO (fear of missing out). The actions in those cases are very likely to be impulsive and sub-optimal. Smart businesses know how to take advantage of FOMO on social media instead of being controlled.
`To avoid this, follow closely your original plan.
Exceptions are allowed of course, but there must be rules to follow. One example of such rules is brand image can’t be compromised in any case, or any mention (explicit and implicit) of controversial topics should be left out of all brand messages.
Also, prepare a code of conduct to keep calm and act wisely when things go sour, such as when your visuals are misinterpreted in a negative way. The community there can get very emotional with just a ‘wrong’ like, share or post from the brands they follow.
DO follow the golden recipe, with a tweak
Discussed in detail in the article “How To Create Effective Visual Content”, the golden recipe can be summarized as follow:.
Effective Visual Content = Consistency + SEO + Time-Resistance
But it is a bit different with social media, specifically:
- Consistency
It’s still recommended to follow closely the brand guideline to ensure your visual content is branded with unique identifiable elements, such as your logo or brand color.
- SEO
Each social platform has their own Search function, and the way it works is more or less different from Google. Do your homework and adjust your SEO strategy accordingly.
- Time-Resistance
Some may argue that this element is unnecessary because social media prefers speed to sustainability.
While the fact about social media is correct, do you know that “longer lifespan of your posts” does help with SEO on social media? And imagine how misleading or wasteful it would be if you change your banner photos, slideshows or infographics once every few days.
Do hasten your pace on this special channel, but do it with class.
DO promote your posts
Social media is known for its ability to make things go viral very quickly, but it needs momentum. If you don’t care for your posts, no one will.
Take one extra step to promote your posts, for example:
- Share to relevant groups and communities at different times after adapting the message to each group.
- Schedule your post multiple times.
- Share a snapshot of your intriguing infographics in special interest communities such Quora, Reddit, Medium, etc.
Make sure these actions are well-planned so you can’t forget or skip them.
And prioritize your PR efforts for different posts to get the best ROI. But no post should be left to grow on its own.
DON’T apply one-size-fits-all
One-size-fits-all just doesn’t work across channels. You will have to adapt the following elements:
- Format
Follow the requirements of specs of each platform, but try to keep them consistent within that platform.
There’s no rule to say you can’t be different once in a while, but do it with intention to avoid undermining the brand image.
- Content
The life cycle of content is shorter on social media than on other channels, which puts a mounting pressure on marketers to produce “new and newer” posts.
But you don’t need to start from scratch every time. For example, you can repurpose your well-researched article into an infographic or multiple data visualizations, then schedule for posting over a week or more.
- Timing
Never post the same thing at the same time on every channel. Think about when your target audience is most active and choose the best times to post on social media.
DON’T be on your own
On social media where connections mean everything, you can’t cut the noise by going solo. Tap into the power of communities (and influencers) to boost your reach and impact. In short:
- Don’t just focus on your visuals, share others’ too.
- Don’t just watch the reactions, react to and with them.
- Don’t just post what you create, think of ways to utilize UCG.
- And last, don’t hesitate to ask for help from experts, as there is no omnipotent business that can reign in every single field.
Conclusion
Social media is a fertile land. And visual content is one of the best ways for businesses to cultivate this land.
Creating visual content for social media may be more complicated as there are many platforms with their own features and “quirks”. But once you get the hang of it, your business can enjoy a great boost in digital results and even revenue in a shorter time.
With expansive experience in various content marketing projects across industries, On Digitals is proud to be your partner on this mission. Contact us today for free consultancy on the best visual solutions tailored to your business.