“One could say that a [picture] is worth a thousand words, and that a video is worth a thousand images,” writes serial entrepreneur Paolo Gaudiano in WIRED magazine.
One could, Paolo, and many have. Whether pictures really are worth a thousand words, and videos a thousand pics, is another question entirely.
Let’s suppose that this is indeed the case, that pictures are inherently more valuable than prose, and videos more valuable still. What does this mean for your business’s marketing spend?
You don’t have to look far for hints. Dollars to donuts, your competitors are furiously snapping, ‘gramming, and pinning their way to marketplace visibility. If you’re not yet invested in a concerted visual marketing effort, you’re behind the curve.
Catch up by posting pics and vids on these six high-visibility platforms where brands and consumers meet.
1. Instagram
Instagram is the grand-daddy of visual marketing media. It’s also one of the least advertorial platforms on this list. Those two characteristics — Instagram’s ubiquity and authenticity — make for a powerful combination for brands seeking that native-ad edge. Use your company’s Instagram account to post photos that wouldn’t make it into display or TV ads: employee candids, stylized product shots, even semi-unrelated subjects like sunsets from your office roof.
2. Pinterest
Pinterest merges the best features of a visual-first marketing platform with those of popular business directory sites like Manta. (But it’s way cooler than any mass market business directory, don’t worry.) The Pinterest page for Bixler University, a Vermont-based officially licensed jewelry manufacturer, is a case in point: an informative, well-categorized inventory of the company’s signature products. Pinterest is the perfect place to create and share your photo collages, art, and marketing materials.
3. Snapchat
For a mobile-first platform whose average user barely legal drinking age, Snapchat ads are surprisingly sophisticated. But you shouldn’t limit your business’s Snapchat account to overtly advertorial content. Like Instagram, the real value here lies in serendipity. The goofier your snaps — within reason — the more eyes you’re likely to catch among an elusive but increasingly deep-pocketed demo.
4. YouTube
Think of YouTube as a visual-first Wikipedia: an educational repository for brand loyalists and casual comers alike. For instance: peruse the dozens-strong library of YouTube videos from Salesforce, the CRM giant, and you’ll find a host of frankly boring how-to narratives that, for better or worse, are probably really clutch for the marketers and account managers who regularly use Salesforce’s solutions. Make this your model — not retreads of your company’s TV spots.
5. Imgur
Think of Imgur as a looser version of Instagram: a no-frills visual platform where (almost) anything goes and bonus points accrue to the artful. Don’t be shy to strut your creative stuff here — while you’re unlikely to get Instagram-level impression volumes, your audience’s savvy and engagement will more than compensate. It's also a great place to promote content without regulation such as gambling, sports betting NZ, vaping, cryptocurrency, network marketing, or adult content without the stifling restrictions of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. It's kind of the Wild West of online visual platforms so take advantage while you can.
6. Flickr
Flickr is another “Instagram lite” platform that’s a bit more community-oriented than Imgur. Again, this won’t be your standout visual platform, but it might just attract a dedicated following off whom you can bounce ideas that do make it into your digital marketing mainstream.
See Promotion Differently
You don’t have to be a visual learner to appreciate the importance of visual-first advertising. Look at it this way: if a picture is worth a thousand words, and a video is worth ten thousand or more, investing in visual marketing is a great way to conserve vats of ink and reams of paper. Or, you know, their digital equivalents.
Additional Options
Just because the above platforms are the best, doesn't mean that you can't share images and videos on other sites. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Reddit, Quora, Medium and Google+ (until it closes in August 2019) can still get plenty of image and video results for your business.
Also try out other top options like Tumblr, Google Photos, Shutterfly, Snapfish and Photobucket!
I hope you enjoyed this article about how to utilize top visual platforms for building business brands.
Interested in more articles about visual marketing?
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