Graphics and Illustration in Content Marketing: What They Are and How to Use Them

What are Graphics and Illustrations?

Graphics and illustrations are visual representations of ideas or products. They can be used to communicate complex concepts in a simple way or to make an otherwise dull topic more interesting. Graphics and illustrations can also add personality to your content and make it more memorable.

Why Use Graphics and Illustrations?

There are many reasons you should start using graphics and illustrations in your content marketing. For one, they can help improve engagement by making your content more visually appealing.

Additionally, graphics and illustrations can help boost product performance by making it easier for customers to understand what you're selling. And finally, graphics and illustrations can also help build trust with potential customers by conveying professionalism and expertise.

Here's a complete list of what you can get if you start using high-quality graphics and illustrations on your website.

Grabs Your User's Attention

Graphics and illustrations are essential since they can help break up large blocks of text and add visual interest to your content. This is important because it can help grab your reader's attention and keep them engaged as they scroll through your page.

High-quality graphics and illustrations can boost your site's credibility by making it look more professional and polished. This is especially important if you're selling products or services that require a lot of trust.

Here are some qualities of high-quality graphics:

• They're original
• They're well-designed
• They fit with the overall tone and style of your site

Make sure that any graphics or illustrations you use are high quality, or you risk damaging your credibility.

An excellent example of this is that, according to statistics, tweets on Twitter with images get 150% more retweets than those without images. You can read the full article here.

Images are Easier to Understand and Comprehend

Unlike blocks of text and long paragraphs, illustrations are often easier for people to understand. This is because our brains are wired to process images 60,000 times faster than text.

This means that you can use graphics and illustrations to communicate complex ideas quickly and easily. All you need is a single image to get your point across.

This makes graphics and illustrations perfect for social media, where users quickly scroll through their feeds and don't have the time or patience to read long blocks of text.

To further supplement this, Hubspot mentioned in this article that around 90% of the information transmitted to the brain is visual, and visual content is processed 60,000 times faster compared to text! Beat that!

Highlights Important Parts of Your Text

Long texts are often considered an eyesore, which is why you should use graphics and illustrations to highlight the important parts. At times, users get bored when they just see a lot of text, but when they see engaging visuals, they are more likely to stick around and read what you have to say.

This is especially effective if you're writing a how-to article or tutorial. You can use visuals to highlight the steps in your process so that users can easily follow along.

Including graphics and illustrations in your content marketing strategy greatly improves engagement and boosts product performance. Please make sure they're high quality and add value to your content. If you do, you'll see a significant increase in your website's traffic and conversion rate.

Demand gen report's article about the power of visual content suggests that using infographics can help grow your traffic by 12% and generate 200% more shares than posts without infographics.

Enhances Your SEO Efforts

Another reason to start using graphics and illustrations is that they can actually help improve your SEO efforts. How?

Well, when you use keywords in your alt tags (which is the text that appears when someone mouses over an image), you're more likely to show up in relevant search results. For example, let's say you have a blog post about graphic design trends. You could include an illustration with the blog post's title and use relevant keywords like "graphic design trends" or "new graphic design trends" in the alt tag.

This is a great way to get more eyes on your content and improve your SEO simultaneously.

Makes Your Content More Shareable

Graphics and illustrations can also make your content more shareable, which is crucial if you want to increase your reach and get more people reading your content.

This is because visuals are more likely to stop someone as they scroll through their social media feed. And when something catches their eye, they're more likely to share it with their friends or followers.

Plus, when you include an image with your blog post or article, it's more likely to appear in Google search results. And if your content is being shared and read by more people, you're likely to increase traffic and engagement.

Creates an Emotional Connection

Graphics and illustrations can also help create an emotional connection with your audience by evoking certain feelings or memories. For example, if you're targeting new parents, you might use illustrations of babies or families in your content to connect with them on an emotional level.

This is a great way to create loyalty and build relationships with your readers or customers.

Makes Your Products or Services More Memorable

People are more likely to remember something if they can visualize it. That's why graphics and illustrations are so important in marketing because they can help make your products or services more memorable.

People can remember visual information more easily than text, so if you want your customers to remember your product or service, include a graphic or illustration. According to this article by Brainrules, visual information can be remembered 6x better compared to when users have read or heard the information.

A picture is worth a thousand words, and when it comes to marketing, that couldn't be more true. Graphics and illustrations are essential in content marketing because they're attention-grabbing, easy to understand, and shareable. Plus, they can actually help improve your SEO efforts. So if you're not using visuals in your content marketing strategy, now is the time to start.

Types of Visual Content

Images or Photos

Images are one of the most popular types of visual content because they're easy to consume and can be used in various ways. You can use images to break up the text, highlight key points, or add some personality to your content.

Just make sure you're using high-quality images relevant to your topic. Otherwise, you risk turning people off from your content.

Illustrations

Illustrations come in all shapes and sizes, from simple line drawings to more complex illustrations. They can be used to add some personality to your content or make a complicated concept easier to understand.

Videos

Another popular visual content that you can use in your content marketing strategy is a video. Videos are great because they're engaging and can be used to show off your products or services in a more interactive way.

Plus, videos are easy to share on social media and more likely to appear in search results.

The article about the annual internet report of Cisco Visual Networking Index mentioned that around 78% of all data traffic in 2021 will consist of videos.

Infographics

Infographics might just be the perfect blend of visuals and information. They're designed to communicate complex information in a visually-appealing way.

And because they're so shareable, they're a great way to increase your reach and get more people reading your content.

GIFs

GIFs are a fun and engaging way to add some personality to your content. They can also be used to highlight key points or illustrate a concept.

For example, if you're writing a blog post about the benefits of using graphics in your content marketing strategy, you could include a GIF of a person nodding their head in agreement.

Or, if you're writing an article about the different types of visual content, you could include a GIF that shows all the different types of visuals.

Just make sure that your GIF is relevant and adds value to your content. Otherwise, it will just be a distraction.

Memes

In recent years, memes have been gaining popularity since they're easy to consume and share. And while they might not seem like a serious marketing tool, they can actually be used to promote your brand or product.

For example, you could create a meme that features your product or service and share it on social media. Or you could create a branded meme that's relevant to your industry.

The key is to make sure that your meme is funny or relatable so that people will want to share it.

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Screenshots

Screenshots are often used to show off a product or service in action. They can also be used to highlight key points or features.

For example, if you're writing a blog post about using a particular software program, you could include screenshots to show people exactly what to do.

Graphics and illustrations are essential in content marketing because they help make your content more visually appealing, easy to understand, and shareable.

Comics

Comics can be a great option if you're looking for something more engaging. They can be used to tell a story or make a point more creatively.

For example, you might create a comic that features people using your product or experiencing your service. Or you could create a branded comic that's relevant to your industry.

The key is ensuring that your comic is entertaining and adds value to your content. Otherwise, it will just be a distraction.

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Quotes

Quotes are a great way to add some personality to your content. They can also be used to highlight key points or illustrate a concept.

For example, if you're writing a blog post about the importance of visuals in content marketing, you could include a quote from an expert in the field.

"Visuals are essential in content marketing because they help make your content more visually appealing, easy to understand, and shareable."

Quizzes

Lastly, there are quizzes. Quizzes can engage your audience and get them involved in your content. Plus, they're a great way to collect data about your audience.

For example, you could create a quiz that asks people about their preferences or opinions on a particular topic. Or you could create a quiz that tests people's knowledge of a specific subject.

No matter what type of quiz you create, ensure that it's relevant to your content and adds value to your readers.

Graphics and illustrations are essential in content marketing because they help make your content more visually appealing, easy to understand, and shareable.

Start Using Graphics and Illustrations Today!

Visual content is more appealing and beneficial than regular content; however, it should be thoughtfully implemented in content marketing strategy.

We suggest the following tips to start working on your visual content marketing strategy:

• Set your goals and objectives first
• Make a research of your competitors and see how they're using visuals in their marketing strategy
• Choose channels of communications (social media platforms)
• Decide which types of visual content you're going to use
• Brainstorm visual content ideas
• Produce and distribute, track metrics, and make improvements based on how your target audience reacts.

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