We already published several blogs about how great content is necessary for your inbound marketing success. But what does that really mean? A fantastic blog, or any piece of content, is more than just a well-written essay. With more competition in the digital landscape than ever before, design and visual communication is needed to effectively reach Buyer Personas of all ages and backgrounds. Need more convincing? Just take a look at these recent statistics:
#1 40% of people respond better to visual information than just plain text
Want to get your blogs read, shared, and favorited? Make them visually appealing! In the digital, social and mobile age, visual content matters. This can be anything from stock photos to vidoes to infographics. Even if you have a great topic they’re interested in reading and a title that pulls people in, if they open a page to see thousands of words looking back at them and nothing else- they probably won’t stick around to read it.
#2 Infographics can improve website traffic by 12%
Not all of your content has to be in blog form. If you recently came across some exciting statistics or completed a survey you want to share with people, an infographic is a much more engaging and visually appealing way to present them to your audience. In order to use infographics to their best ability, you need to have a clear idea about what you are trying to achieve and who you are talking to with each piece of content.
#3 80% of what your visitors read is retained
No matter how great your content is, your reader won’t retain 100% of it. That’s just an unfortunate reality to how our brains work. If you have a phrase or statistic you really want to stick with people, you’re better off having your graphic designer make it into a visual rather than plain text. This will help boost the chances of it staying with them long term and getting some social sharing.
#4 Conversions increase 86% when videos are used on a landing page
Landing pages are great for conversions, and videos are great for engagement. If you put videos on your landing pages, you’ll be doing great! Because the information gained from a landing page is what is used to create and score a Lead, the importance of getting landing pages to convert can’t be stressed enough. Your videos don’t have to be hollywood-level to be effective, so create a script, ask some of your charismatic staff to help, and get filming!
#5 Only 20% of words on a page are read by the average user
This statistic is a little depressing for content marketers. If people aren’t reading every single word on your page, then why bother? For one, great content with relevant keyword phrases is a big part of SEO and getting organic visitors to your site in the first place. Also, there are certainly people who do read every single word and you don’t want to gain an unprofessional reputation by ignoring them. Be sure to use bullet points and numbered lists to get the important information across to your reader.
#6 Landing pages with videos are 40% more shareable
Landing pages aren’t only there to serve as a funnel between a piece of content and the deliverable. When done correctly, they can actually serve as their own piece of content to be shared socially and enjoyed in their own right. The truth is that you never know exactly where a visitor will enter your site, so it’s best to optimize every page as best as possible.
Content marketing produces three times more Leads per dollar than traditional efforts, so putting the time in the develop your strategy that extends beyond the written word will pay off in the long run. If you’re ready to get started but not sure how, download our free eBook The Beginner’s Guide to Inbound Marketing today.