Looking at the evolution of any company or media platform, there’s a clear trend that’s developed over the past few years. This trend is a notable increase in visual assets, particularly in the ways companies market themselves and communicate, either internally with their employees or externally with current or potential customers. It’s become more and more about imagery and video online, specifically on social platforms. Platforms such as Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat and YouTube all rose to popularity quickly and have included limited text. So why is it useful for organizations to include visual media in their online marketing initiatives?
Social Media Today recently showcased some interesting facts and statistics about why visual marketing resonates so strongly with consumers and more importantly, why businesses should really be using it in their marketing strategies. Here are some of the highlights from the piece.

What does this mean for construction companies?

Use visuals throughout the website

If a company’s website is too text-heavy, it’s not going to resonate with today’s prospective buyers. In fact, 81 percent of people skim content and want the ability to get information quickly without the trouble of reading through a lot of text to get to the point. Too much text and elaborate or technical language essentially buries the pertinent information the company is trying to convey. Consider the different ways for businesses to project their message in a more interesting and engaging way than just text; is it possible to capture the customer’s interest enough for them to take the next step and reach out about products or services?

Include photos of product

Including a company’s own photos of their product not only helps give the customer a better idea of what they’re receiving, but it is also reported to help boost results. In one instance in the article above by Social Media Today, a real photo generated 35 percent higher results than a stock photo. Customers want to see what they’re really getting, and showcasing real photos of business’ product adds an element of transparency, therefore setting the business-customer relationship off to a nice start.

Include staff photos and/or videos in emails

In one scenario, adding photos of their staff to the customer service phone number increased conversions for one company by 21 percent. People want to know whom they’re working with so having employees, whether it be salespeople or the customer service team, include their headshot in the signature of their emails could make a difference. Another suggestion is to consider filming a quick video instead of typing out an email to the prospect. A decent amount of computers nowadays have camera capabilities and, if not, cell phones do. Companies should consider filming quick videos that can be passed along via email. It’s also a great option for when a prospect is unavailable for a phone call but the business still wants to show some face (pun intended) and highlight the ability to go above and beyond what the competitor can offer.

The human brain is wired to process and recall visual information more so than text. The brain only retains 10 percent to 20 percent of information read, but this retention increases to 65 percent if paired with an image.