How to use visual content to boost your traffic #contentmarketing

Every day, bloggers and companies alike are producing tons of new content. So it’s only natural that your blog or website is up against some stiff competition.

Mark Schaefer was also one of the first to claim that we are facing a content shock, and that standing out amongst the crowd is almost impossible.

One tried and tested strategy that will help you to attract more readers to your website is visuals.

Many studies have shown that posts, tweets and shares featuring visual content are much more appealing to people. In fact Hubspot’s in-depth post on the topic showed among other things that:

So I wanted to give you some tips to help you visual content on your website, blog or marketing materials and boost your traffic as a result.

Use The Correct Image-to-Word Ratio

The image-to-word ratio in your blog post, article or any other content type is a factor that can make a huge difference.

Adding images to your text-based content can instantly increase the traffic, but how many images do you need to make the most from this strategy?

A recent study conducted by Buzzsumo revealed that posts which feature one image for every 75-100 words were more likely to receive a greater number of views than articles which followed a different ratio.

Too many images in one post won’t work in your favor either, so stick to this recommended ratio and enjoy greater traffic as a result.

Visualize Your Data

Users are attracted to content which is supported by strong data from a reliable source. To make your content even more attractive, you should delve into the art of data visualization.

Tables, charts and graphs are all attractive elements for your posts to incorporate, and will help you relay a more credible image to your audience. Blogs which use statistic-based data visualizations to deliver practical insights usually drive high traffic too.

And last, but not least, these kind of features are also highly shareable on social networks like Pinterest.

Incorporate Screenshots

The vast majority of blogs that ask for guest posts provide potential authors with a set of clear-cut instructions. Among them you’ll often find a requirement for screenshots and high-quality images.

A how-to guide will lose a lot if it’s not accompanied by practical screenshots detailing every step of the process.

Screenshots are easy to make and help users better understand your topic. If you’re about to write a how-to post, it’s a good idea to add lots of instructive screenshots.

Feel free to modify them too – add arrows and lines to provide visual guidance to users, and clearly state the intention of every screenshot. Your readers will thank you for it.

Create Infographics

Infographics are among the most popular kinds of visual content – they’re engaging and present lots of valuable insights about a topic. Publishing an infographic on your blog or website is an excellent way to drive a larger number of users to your platform.

If you’re planning to write a step-by-step tutorial, or even an expert roundup, presenting your expertise in the form of an infographic is an excellent idea. It will make your blog post much more shareable.

Instead of writing a long post, you can provide your audience with a simple guide featuring some essential labels and concise, informative content. By making your guide visual, you’ll stand a better chance of engaging a much wider audience.

These visual guides don’t need to be designed with detail in mind – they just need to solve the problem or present step-by-step instruction. Users really like shortcuts, and most of them are too restless to have the patience required for reading a long post. An instructional graphic enjoys far more shares on social media (in particular Pinterest), and can be easily bookmarked.

Integrate Visuals Across Platforms

For optimal engagement, you should make sure you post coherent visual narratives across different platforms.

The place for your most important content is on your blog, given that all roads lead from social platforms back to your website. However, having strong visuals to share on social media is crucial, as this brings more clicks and as a result, more visitors back to your site.

Among your strongest traffic-driving images there should be at least two image shapes –

• square
• landscape
• and/or portrait.

It’s a good idea to create images in batches, where possible.

Try New Mediums

When sharing your visual content, try to spice it up and reach outside your usual channels. One of the most interesting alternatives is SlideShare.

Create a well-designed and inspiring presentation – if it’s really engaging, your work might make it to the SlideShare homepage or become one of the SlideShares of the Day.

Who knows, it might also be featured in the Trending in Your Network section. All these amazing opportunities offer the potential for a huge boost in traffic.

Create a picture list post

Image lists or posts are one of the most powerful visual strategies to help you gain lots of shares in a short amount time. This is the main method behind the highly shareable content posted by Buzzfeed.

Whether entertaining or educational, image lists can work wonders.

When creating your posts, try to tell a story through your pictures to make an emotional connection with your readers.

If you’re opting for a smart tutorial, make sure you compile practical tips to create a hands-on guide that will help users solve real life problems.

It’s also a great idea to serve your audience a post filled with quotes, thought-provoking images or design ideas.

When used wisely, visual content can easily become your secret weapon for boosting user engagement with your brand and product.