Have you ever pinned an interesting infographic on your Pinterest page? Do you often share funny memes on Facebook? Has a YouTube video caused you to laugh out loud? If you’re like most of the population, you’ve done all three. That’s because on the Internet, visual content is king.

Why? Ninety percent of information transmitted to the brain is visual, and visual content is processed 60,000 times faster in the brain than text. In other words, our brains respond more effectively to communication that includes visual stimuli. It also means that you can communicate more value to an Internet user that’s simply skimming the page. And these days, businesses are taking notice—and taking action by hiring a web content specialist.

 

Top Benefits of Using Visual Content in Your Online Marketing Strategy

Visual content is easily shareable.
More than 80 percent of visuals on social media is shared content. When you share useful posts from others with your target audience, you’ll be seen as “in the know.” Create your own content, and you’ll be seen as an expert! Partner with a content marketing agency to create original content, and you’ll likely increase visibility and grow your business (Source: Ragan)

Businesses who use infographics increase website traffic by 12 percent more than those who don’t.
Ask any local content marketing agency and they’ll tell you that the most successful businesses are including visual content in their online marketing strategy. 2013 saw a 55 percent increase in business budgets for digital communications like infographics. In fact, the number of people searching for infographics on Google has seen an 800 percent increase in the last two years. (Source: Invodo)

Stunning visuals make the right impression on visitors.
When it comes to discerning the credibility of a company, 46.1 percent of people say a website’s design is the number one criterion. (Source: Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab). Retail site visitors who view video stay two minutes longer on average and are 64 percent more likely to purchase than other site visitors. (Source: ComScore)

Visuals drive engagement.
Just one month after Facebook introduced its timeline for brands, photos and videos saw a 65 percent increase in engagement. Posts with visuals receive 94 percent more page visits and engagement than those without. (Source: Simply Measured)

Video is on the rise.
Over half of 25 to 54-year-olds share video online, and 51.9 percent of marketing professionals worldwide cite video as the type of content with the best ROI. (Source: eMarketer)

 

With statistics like these, it’s easy to see why nearly every content marketing agency and web content specialist includes video and visual content in their online marketing strategy. But before you start working with a professional, there are steps you can take today to increase your website traffic and visibility with visuals.

 

Nine Easy Ways to Drive Website Traffic With Visuals

1. Add text to your photos.
2. Use keywords and good descriptions for your image’s filename.
3. Use images in your social media posts.
4. Encourage others to share images with your business in the form of a contest, or simply enjoying your products or services.
5. Share complex information with a simple infographic.
6. Include “pinnable” images in your blog posts and on your website.
7. Optimize your photos for easy load times and easy viewing.
8. Share reviews by taking a screen shot and posting the image.
9. Quotes are highly shareable. Find some to post that relate to your business or industry.

 

As a brand, using visual content on social media and Internet communications is a surefire way to increase engagement, inspire sharing and build a viral online marketing strategy. Need some help getting started or maintaining momentum? Start a visual conversation with your audience today by partnering with a local web content specialist. When it comes to ways to increase website traffic, you’re sure to see a difference.