If you’re chasing the Millennial audience, you must understand that this group absorbs information in the blink of an eye and makes instant decisions based on what they’ve seen or read.
That’s why you need to invest heavily in visual marketing to attract Millennials, because this type of marketing appeals to their sensibility more than any other type of content. If you’re not implementing visual marketing, here are three reasons you should jump on this fast-moving train.
1. Visual Marketing Targets Social Media Sites Where Millennials Hang Out
While Facebook remains popular with Millennials, several other platforms have emerged to challenge its king-of-the-hill status.
According to Statista, the five most popular social media sites among teenagers and young adults, include:
- Snapchat – 79 percent
- Facebook – 76 percent
- Instagram – 73 percent
- Twitter – 40 percent
- Pinterest – 31 percent
Even a cursory glance at these social media sites should tell you that four of the five platforms have something in common: they are all image-driven or focus on short content.
That means that when you create content to reach Millennials, you need to conform to the dictates of these platforms, which are all about short, entertaining videos, funny pictures, and brief, actionable blog pieces with infographics.
2. Visual Marketing Helps Brand Your Business
Branding is another key benefit of visual marketing, because your visual content is a direct expression of your company’s values and goal.
And multiple studies have shown that Millennials respond to branding if it is perceived as an attempt to explain why a company exists, instead of what a company is selling.
You should include things such as your business logo and company tag line in all your visual marketing, but more importantly, the look and feel of your videos, images, infographics, and games should be consistent, so that your target audience quickly begins identifying that content with your company.
When creating visual content, the first question you should always ask is: What message does this video/photo/graphic convey about my business?
If that message is not consistent with the reason why your business exists, it should not be used as part of your visual marketing strategy.
3. Visual Marketing Helps Your Content Get Shared
Millennials are among the most active group of consumers to share things they love. And sharing isn’t just valuable because it exposes your content to another group of people, it’s also valuable because it means that your audience found your content worthy enough to pass along.
Sharing is a multiplier that cannot be overstated. Whether it’s a humorous video that takes users behind-the-scenes at your workplace, or a funny meme, Millennials like to share visual content much more than text-based content.
And another truism is that pictures, videos and memes generate more comments and likes than any other type of content, largely because images create instant engagement, and if that engagement is positive, users will share and talk about that content with enthusiasm.
Choose Your Visual Content Wisely
When implementing your visual marketing strategy, always choose content that expresses the ‘why’ of your company instead of just the ‘what.’
For example, if your business sells a product that locates lost remote control devices, you could create a short, funny video showing the myriad ways people lose remote control devices, instead of a video that explains how your device works.
Incorporating visual content can help you properly target your Millennial prospects, and turn them from just interested bystanders into long-term buyers.