Once You Go Visual, You Never Go Back
We have a winner! The gloves are off and images trump blocks of text hands down. Enter the dawning of the new image-sphere as original visual content “floats like a butterfly, stings like a bee” when it comes to likes, shares, and driving online traffic. Research reveals levels of engagement are much higher when images dominate social media marketing (receiving 53% more likes on Facebook alone), so why fight it? ANSWER: You shouldn’t.
There’s good reason why the old cliché “a picture’s worth a thousand words” rings true. Images evoke immediate emotional connections that inspire, educate, entertain, and persuade. (Didn’t the shot of Muhammad Ali in his heyday make you smile while bringing back memories? We love how that happens.) Statistics prove 90% of all information transmitted to the brain is visual (that’s what makes the advertising industry tick), with only 20% of text information remembered after reading. Ouch.
The buzz that social media has “evolved” to its current visual-centric status is quite ironic — society has communicated via pictures for centuries, dating back to prehistoric times. Are Facebook walls subliminally equivalent to the caveman’s modus operandi? That may be a stretch, but isn’t it interesting how ancient hieroglyphics actually resemble some popular social media icons?
All that’s really changed from our predecessors is the speed at which we convey messages. Thanks to smartphones and micro-blogging platforms like Twitter, Pinterest, Vine, and Instagram, we’re able to tell stories instantly without writing a single word. Question is, how can it work for you?
Every company has a story, but the images posted across social media can potentially distinguish brands from the pack by providing unique insights about key products or services. Consider utilizing art, photography, infographics, illustration, and typography with emotive elements sure to resonate with your target audience. Which format has experienced the most explosive growth? Online videos.
Social videos are the most effective medium available as one minute of video is equivalent to 1.8 million words. Any idea how long it would take to write 1.8 million words? (I guarantee it’s longer than the entire video production process.) Out of the 60 hours of video content uploaded each minute, 700-plus vids are shared on Twitter within that same 60 seconds! As Facebook vids are shared 12 times more than link and text posts combined, doesn’t it make sense to get those cameras rolling?
On a final note, words are all around us. Obviously, written text won’t be flying off the grid completely any time soon. Once an image reels audiences in, there needs to be a sweetly succinct explanation as to why you’ve got what they want.
That said, consumer-faced writing should be absolutely flawless. FUN FACT: for the record, typing isn’t writing. Many business owners delegate the task of writing bios, press releases, web content, or collateral to assistants, interns, and even adorable Aunt Alice — just because she won a crazy Haiku contest back in 1963. Think about it. If you wouldn’t allow a butcher to perform heart surgery, why trust anyone but a professional writer to tout your talents?
In addition to original video production and photography (do we hear executive headshots and product placement?), Splinkink creates written web content that’s clear, concise, and clever. If there’s anything we know how to do, it’s tell a story. Generate buzz. Drive engagement. (Okay, that’s three things, but who’s counting – need we continue?) Give us a shout and take your business plan from status quo to status WHOA.
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