Platforms host a massive community of consumers and enable interactions between businesses and these members. But in this new age of instant gratification and an influx of content all vying for an eyeball on these platforms, what can marketers do to brand their online profiles and command attention? An astute financial marketer must know what captivates their prospect’s interest and spark engagements on these sites. According to Venngage, 71% of marketers claim that they rely on visual content in their marketing strategy, and we rightfully think you should too! In this article, we explore:
Why visual content?
Firstly, visual content better captures the short attention span of your audience amidst the influx of information. 65% of people are visual learners, and the brain processes visuals 60,000 times faster than text. Naturally, humans gravitate towards imagery. Next, images and videos engage the audience with various elements and, when done well, also stimulate emotion within the audience and leave a stronger imprint. Brain Rules claims that people remember 65% of a piece of information three days later when it includes a picture, compared to 10% if it were just auditory.
For financial marketers, providing visual content helps people materialise your business’ intangible offerings. When prospects can visualise and associate your brand with real, concrete rewards, it helps them picture themselves with your product/service.
Guidelines for creating visual content
While selecting the right visual content for your marketing strategy, keep in mind that you should consider:
1. Audience
Understand your target audience -- learn their communication styles, interests, and concerns. You wouldn’t use slangs in your assets to a 60-year-old prospect. 2. Narrative
What is the main message you’d like to communicate? What’s one piece of information, feeling or association you’d like your audience to walk away with? With the goal in mind, craft a story around it. 3. Timing
Is this content still relevant today? Are there any significant events or holidays that you can leverage? Plan ahead and have a stack of visual content available. Be ready and responsive to changes in trends. 4. Brand image
Think of your brand voice, the colours and illustrations used. Create a mood board and mix and match different assets to see what suits the brand’s tone best. Consistency is key, so it’d be wise to consult your company designer or refer to a style guide. 5. Platform
Different channels suit different types and styles of content. How would you structure your post on Seedly and LinkedIn? The device also matters. Adapt your content to form varying layouts and designs and familiarise yourself with platform measurements. You may use a tool like Canva for simple editing or Figma if you require more flexibility.
11 types of visual content
Here are visual content suitable for your financial product/service.
1. Introductory videos
Evident as it is, introductory videos introduce your product/service to prospects. They are the most common form of videos among financial businesses, possibly because of the nature of products and services sold.
Introduction videos give an overview of the product/service and briefly mention the features and benefits that users can expect. These videos are most appropriate when you’re launching a new product/service or just reaching out to prospects at the top of the funnel to create brand awareness.
2. Brand Videos
Brand videos share your company’s values, history, and what’s at the heart of the brand. Check out this video by Adam Khoo Learning Technologies Group, highlighting Adam Khoo’s journey to success amidst the steepest market crash in history.
Brand stories often evoke emotion and inspire people to share similar visions. Connect with your prospects and build brand trust when you tell your story. Get creative with your brand video and use the images, text and sounds to attract your prospects.
3. Memes
Memes are GIFs or images that ride on a persistent theme or trend. Circles.Life consistently uses memes like the one below on their social media.
Memes are an inexpensive resource that creates camaraderie with your audience. They make your brand seem more authentic, honest and relatable to the community, especially if you’re targeting the pool of millennials or younger. Memes are time-sensitive assets, and you must be up-to-date on the latest trends, so you promptly respond to a cultural phenomenon. It’s also crucial that your memes are consistent with your branding to remain authentic and still hold a unique personality.
4. Thought-provoking videos
Capture your prospect’s attention when you present them with a question or challenge common notions.
The Systematic Trader does this by taking a stand against the traditional teaching of trading and then offers his opinion with examples and rationale. Thought-provoking videos are most suitable for businesses who want to correct misconceptions or dispel myths. When done well, such videos can command a strong following and build brand trust. However, it’s crucial that you approach the subject tactfully and empathise with your viewers or risk losing more.
5. Testimonial videos
Nobody is a better advocate of your brand than your customers. Strengthen your social proof with testimonials and show how happy your customers are with your product/service.
In this video, customers relate to the audience by mentioning common misunderstandings of CPF, their emotions, and opinions of the product. Endowus also used the recordings to their advantage by repeating their customers’ comment about the easy, three-step process of setting up the account to drive home the point about convenience. Even though some platforms like Facebook and Seedly may already host reviews, it’s always more engaging and genuine for prospects to see and hear it directly from your customers.
6. Behind-the-scenes documentaries
On a daily, consumers face your businesses’ refined and orthodox side. While it’s even more vital and significant for financial companies to maintain their professional image, sharing a behind-the-scenes video may help humanise your brand. Such a documentary will also help your prospects understand your business’s ins-and-outs better and materialise your offer’s financial products/services.
7. How-to videos
New to your business, it’s common for prospects to be intimidated by processes such as signing up, or they may be unsure of how to use or optimise your product/service. Guide them through the details and drive them to complete a sale with how-to videos.
8. Infographics
If you have statistics to share with your audience, bring them to life with data visualisation tools.
Infographics help to translate data and analysis into readable and digestible visual content. Make information more appealing by structuring a layout, adding shapes and colours and stringing them altogether with a strong narrative.
9. Informational videos
Informational videos aim to educate the audience about your product and deep dives into whys and hows. They are handy for prospects in the consideration stage who are seeking more information to make a decision.
In informational videos, you should be transparent about your business offering, demonstrate how to use your product/service and allay any fears and doubts that your prospects may have. Informational videos are usually lengthier due to a large amount of content and are usually conducted in webinars or short series. A tip for financial marketers is to break the long video into bite-sized content so you can repurpose them for other campaigns.
10. Promotional Banners
It’s pretty direct. Promotional banners serve to advertise an exclusive deal on images.
Promoting an exclusive deal helps to convert prospects into customers. Pique your prospects’ interest when you exclaim the great reward/savings that they stand to gain with your exclusive deal.
Read this post if you need some ideas for a sales promotion.
11. Call-to-Action Images
Call-to-Action (CTA) images prompt your prospects to take an action. The CTA copy always contains a verb and some common ones are "find out how", "learn more", "sign up now".
Unlike videos, images may host a link and redirect prospects to a landing page. Ensure that you always remember to attach a destination URL so the image will seamlessly direct prospects to the relevant sign-up or purchase page, where they can complete the purchase journey. If that may not apply to your audience, you may also direct them to download an e-book or whitepaper or even have them subscribe to your mailing list.
When marketing to people, appeal to their innate attributes and consider their needs. If executed well, visual content helps prospects comprehend your business offering, enables you to forge real connections with your prospects and encourages sign-ups and purchases. Customise your Seedly Product Page with any of the 11 visual content ideas! We recommend that you embed an informational video and complement it with a promotional banner. Speak with us to learn more.