9 Types of Visual Content You Can Use Besides Infographics

Regardless of your industry, it's becoming increasingly difficult to gain and keep an audience's attention online. You have mere seconds to capture their interest, so it's critical that you create engaging content. While we all understand the value of content marketing, how you develop your content is just as important as what you actually put out there. Providing consistent, interesting content will boost traffic, which will increase brand recognition, engagement and (eventually) sales. Related: How to use content to super-charge your brand's visibility But, how do you provide engaging content in a world where everyone is fighting for the attention of the consumer? Answer: Include visual assets in your marketing campaign. The human brain processes visual information quickly, and people remember more of what they see than what they read. One popular way to visually present information is with an infographic. But now, everyone is using them, making it harder to stand out from the crowd. The infographic is far from dead, but if you want to think outside the box and find new ideas for visualizing your content, here are 9 suggestions. 1. Incorporate video It's estimated that adding video to a marketing email can improve click-through rates by a whopping 200-300%. Need more proof? Additional research indicates that 73% of adults in the U.S. are more likely to purchase a product or service after watching a video that explains what it is. Videos can be used to evoke emotion, explain how your product or service works, or introduce your company. It helps potential customers put a face to your name, which makes your company more relatable. The keys are to keep it under 2 minutes (even 30 seconds might be ideal for certain social channels), optimize it for mobile, and ask a question or tease the content in the caption. 2. Create a gifographic Speaking of using video, you can also upgrade a static infographic by incorporating animation. Gifographics are still relatively new, which means your content will stand out. While some marketers worry that gifographics might be difficult to make, it's worth the effort to present your information in a way that's more engaging and dynamic. 3. Use quality photos with text overlays Using compelling photography is a strategy that should always be in your back pocket as a marketer. Images make content more interesting, and it's easy to overlay a quote if you have a quality image to start with. Photos with quotes or callouts are super shareable and can gain traction on social media very quickly. Using high-quality images is obviously important if you're creating campaigns for Instagram, but it's also effective on Twitter. Tweets with photos are 150% more likely to be retweeted than those without pictures. If you're concerned about your ability to create shareable pictures on your own, don't worry. Plenty of companies like Lucidpress have templates you can use to create clear, engaging visuals for your next post or status update. 4. Incorporate comics or memes If you're looking to bring a little humor into your marketing strategy, creating a comic or meme is one of the best ways to do it. Memes—like those tweeted by restaurant chain Denny's—offer excellent social engagement if you do it right. Watch out, because you'll have to take care to not overstep your brand. Comics are also easily recognizable. If humor isn't part of your brand voice, comic-style fonts and formats lend themselves to a more lighthearted vibe and make it easier to explain complex products or topics. 5. Present information in a tool Making content interactive is another way to engage with potential customers while demonstrating the value of your product or service. This runs the gamut from tools that help readers figure out which streaming services they want to bandwidth speed-test calculators. The benefits here are two-fold: you can garner a lot of traffic on the main tool page itself, and you can also include smaller widget versions of the tool on other pages to inspire readers to act. Clickable graphics that link to your tool can also grab the attention of readers who are scanning another article or blog. 6. Develop a quiz or checklist As a marketer, your job is to convert leads into sales. Use a visual quiz or checklist to help prospective customers figure out what they already have, which services they need, and how your product can get them to the next step. You can also use interactive graphics to gather email addresses and create custom ad targeting. For example, if someone takes a home security quiz, they'll likely be interested in follow-up information about how they can fill in the gaps to keep their family safe. Then you can provide that info and, eventually, lead them to a sale for a product to meet that need. 7. Go back to basics with charts and graphs Charts and graphs are a quick and simple way to visualize information. They make complex information very easy to understand and are regularly shared because it saves other people the effort of creating a graphic to explain the original concept or statistic. Just make sure you don't sacrifice clarity for style. If your reader is short on time, clear and direct charts are often the best way to go. 8. Leverage screenshots If using screenshots in your content sounds easy, that's because it is. Include screenshots to show client testimonials, create step-by-step tutorials, or introduce a new feature in your product. Screenshots provide clear context if you're talking about something that people can customize (like a toolbar), making your point easier to understand. 9. Try flowcharts A lot of online content deals with complex and sometimes confusing processes. In those cases, try simplifying concepts with a flowchart. Breaking down an idea will give your readers insight into the bigger picture—and where they fit into it. Don't be intimidated by building a flowchart on your own. There are plenty of tools out there that can help you create clear, customized charts to take your ideas from start to finish. Key takeaway To keep up with other brands in 2018, it's imperative to incorporate visual design into your marketing strategy. The key is to do it purposefully so that your content stands out from the rest. If done well, we're confident you'll see a great return on your efforts. Learn how Lucidpress can streamline your brand's content marketing and keep your whole team on the same page.