Let’s be honest: as content marketers, we lean heavily on what we know—text.
Blog posts, emails, case studies, reports—words are our comfort zone.
But here’s the reality: Today’s audiences don’t consume information the way they used to. Attention spans are shorter. Competition is fiercer. And scrolling thumbs move fast.
Text alone—even brilliant, SEO-perfect text—isn’t enough to grab attention anymore. You risk being ignored or forgotten if your content strategy doesn’t embrace visuals.
The brands winning today are those that combine compelling storytelling with strong visuals—creating content that’s quicker to absorb, easier to remember, and more fun to share.
As Marcus Sheridan put it in The Visual Sale, “Video is a fundamental part of the buying process, and yet most businesses don’t seem to know how to deal with the shift.” And honestly, it’s not a new phenomenon.
Giovanni Sartori, in his 1997 book Homo Videns, explained how modern humans are becoming increasingly visual beings—shifting from a “reading society” to a “seeing society.” He predicted that to influence, educate, and sell, we would need to speak in images just as fluently as in words.
Visual content isn’t a trend.
It’s science.
So let’s dive into how to build a smart visual content marketing strategy that helps your brand grow—without getting lost in the noise.
What is Visual Content Marketing?
Visual content marketing is the strategic use of images, graphics, videos, infographics, and other visuals to engage audiences, communicate ideas clearly, and drive marketing goals. It enhances brand storytelling by making messages more memorable, easier to understand, and more likely to be shared. Instead of relying only on text, visual content connects faster with audiences and plays a critical role across social media, websites, ads, and email marketing.
Types of Visual Content for Marketing
Visual content marketing isn’t one-size-fits-all. Here are the major types to consider for your brand toolkit:
- Photographs: Lifestyle shots, product photos, event recaps—great for websites, ads, and social.
- Videos: Animated explainer videos, product demos, interviews, brand stories. Video is one of the highest-converting formats.
- Infographics: Simplify complex data or processes into digestible, eye-catching visuals.
- Illustrations and Graphics: Custom icons, hand-drawn elements, and branded visuals make your content memorable.
- GIFs and Memes: Quick, playful ways to boost engagement, especially on social platforms.
Knowing when to use each format depends on your goal: educate, entertain, inspire, or sell.
Why Video Deserves a Bigger Seat at the Marketing Table
Think about your habits for a second: We’re watching videos all the time.
Scrolling through Instagram. Comparing products on YouTube. Learning how to fix things through quick explainers. Video has quietly (or not so quietly) become the most natural way we consume information—and that has huge implications for how brands need to communicate. Let’s take a look at some stats:
- 82% of consumers say they’ve made a purchase after watching a video.
- Adding video to a landing page can boost conversion rates from 80% to 300%.
- People spend about two minutes longer on websites that include videos than on those that don’t.
When it comes to visual content marketing, video is a powerhouse because it does two important things really well:
👉 It helps people understand your product or service faster.
👉 It helps you build trust with your audience.
Humans are wired for storytelling—it’s how we’ve made sense of the world for thousands of years. Video taps directly into that wiring. It combines visuals, sound, narrative, and emotion all in one medium, making it incredibly powerful for creating connection.
And that connection matters. Trust is at the heart of every buying decision.
A great video can:
- Make a brand introduction feel personal and relatable
- Compare products or services clearly without feeling “salesy
- Support the sales process by making your team more approachable before the first call (imagine your salesperson sending a Loom video before a demo—suddenly, the buyer already knows them)
- Deepen loyalty by showing the real people and stories behind the brand
Video isn’t just a marketing tool—it’s how buyers want to learn today. It meets people where they are: busy, curious, and skeptical.
It makes your brand feel more human. And in a digital world where attention is scarce and trust is everything, that’s a big deal.
Creating a Cohesive Visual Content Strategy
Throwing random visuals into your content won’t move the needle. You need a plan. Here’s how to create a cohesive visual content strategy:
- Align visuals with brand identity: Choose colors, fonts, styles, and image treatments that reflect your brand personality.
- Set clear goals: Every visual should have a purpose—whether it’s to drive clicks, generate leads, or build awareness.
- Think cross-channel: Your visuals should look and feel consistent across your website, social media, email campaigns, and ads.
- Focus on storytelling: Great visuals don’t just decorate—they move people emotionally. Build narratives that guide your audience through a journey.
Consistency isn’t boring—it builds trust. And good business only comes from trust and real connections.
Tools for Creating and Managing Visual Content
You don’t need a Hollywood studio budget to produce great visuals. Here are some accessible tools marketers love:
- Design Tools: Canva, Adobe Creative Cloud, Sketch, Visme
- Video Creation: Animoto, Adobe Premiere Pro, Camtasia, Vyond
- Stock Image Resources: Unsplash, Pexels, Shutterstock
- Infographic Builders: Venngage, Piktochart, Canva
- Digital Whiteboards (for visual brainstorming): Miro, Mural, FigJam
Social Media Management: Buffer, Later, Hootsuite (for scheduling)
These tools help you stay nimble, creative, and on-brand—without always needing a designer.
Analyzing the Performance of Visual Content
Posting visuals is only half the job. Tracking how they perform is where the magic happens. Here’s what to monitor:
- Engagement Metrics: Likes, shares, comments, saves
- Traffic Metrics: Click-through rates, page views, bounce rates
- Conversion Metrics: Signups, downloads, demo requests, purchases
- Time on Page: Are visuals keeping visitors interested longer?
- Video Metrics: View completion rates, drop-off points, replays
Pro tip: Use A/B testing to experiment with different thumbnails, video intros, or graphic styles—and let the data tell you what resonates best.
Remember: Visual marketing is an art and a science.
We Can Help You Go Visual
Visual content marketing isn’t just about “making things pretty.” It’s about making messages stick. The brands succeeding today aren’t necessarily the loudest, but the ones using images and videos to tell better, clearer, faster stories.
You don’t need to abandon writing—you just need to add visuals to your arsenal. Because when you combine powerful words with powerful images, your content stops blending into the background—and starts leaving a mark.
If you’re ready to elevate your visual strategy, The Sketch Effect is here to help. From animated explainer videos to live graphic recording and custom visual assets, we make complex ideas clear, compelling, and downright unforgettable.
👉 Let’s bring your message to life with the power of visual content.
