The visual format can be used in so many different ways to improve user engagement that any blog or website that is ignoring it in 2017 is missing out on a lot. Even from a simple marketing point of view, in order for the audience to become interested in viewing the actual content, the ads must be visually appealing enough to attract the user. Integration of visual content in blogs on the other hand is even more important as that’s what creates a lasting impression in the minds of your target audience. Visual content is also more popular in social media as well. In order to understand how you can improve your own blog by incorporating images, videos, animations, GIFs, etc. the following tips should prove to be valuable.
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The Self-Explanatory Visuals
An image, an animation clip or a live action video that speaks for itself is the best kind of visual content you can use to popularize and familiarize people with your company, product, blog, etc. This is where successful companies like Spiel Studios come in with their experienced team of visual content creators who concentrate on telling inspiring stories with images and animations which attracts, engages and peaks the interest of their client’s user base. Such content is extremely effective in both marketing campaigns and actual content generation for the parent sites and blogs.
High Quality Original Images
When you use an original image, your blog’s prestige will increase. If you are in doubt as to why it would be so, consider a scenario where you are browsing a travel blog and you come across some pictures that you have seen many times before. Wouldn’t that signal that the blogger has not actually been to those places and is merely using second hand information and media? In order to avoid that negative impression, you should use your own high resolution images where you can. Alternatively, you can utilize free to use stock photos from sites such as Flickr or Pixabay. Just to make sure that you are making the most of your images, also consider the following points:
- Edit the titles, file names, alt texts and descriptions to include relevant keywords for SEO purposes
- Don’t make the images too small or too big to avoid low picture quality and high loading times respectively
- The images must be relevant to the actual content and theme of the post
Don’t Ignore the Power of Emotions
Human beings are emotional creatures and that fact is valid in business as well. A successful blog is a blog that has managed to connect emotionally with its readers on some level. On social media, for example, likes and shares are given most to visual content that has some sort of emotional appeal to them. There are some very specific patterns however, which you should be aware of while creating, merging, incorporating or dealing with any sort of visual media:
- Light red, orange, yellow and green evoke positive emotions in people
- Black, dark red, dark tan and darker colours in general makes the theme of the post serious
- Close ups shots make a personal connection with the reader
- Far away shots are reclusive but more formal
- Asymmetry in any visual content is to be avoided as it creates a sense of unrest within the viewer
- Symmetry is preferred and should always be the choice by default
To summarize everything, the basic idea behind creating or incorporating any visual content is to make them appealing, original, suited to the theme and emotionally connectable. If you are missing anything mentioned here, be sure to make use of your new found knowledge and you should see some significant improvements in terms of user engagement.
