As a content creator and content marketer, I must confess that I read Emily Harper’s article “6 reasons why visuals should rule your content marketing strategy” with a wee touch of alarm. After all, words are my stock in trade, and anyone who reads my posts with any regularity knows that I revere them.
Still, Ms. Harper, though she occasionally lapses into a slightly preachy tone, has something to say. Her major thesis, which is backed up by research, is (IMHO) is that visuals are far more effective than words in conveying a message in these attention-starved times and that marketers had best not get caught short, as happened to buggy-whip manufacturers.
Here are her thoughts, in her own words.
- “Visuals give consumers something to snack on.” Interesting image, eh what? Ms. Harper notes, “Understand that people have millions of choices … give them something they can consume now, not save for later.”
- “Storytellers must show, not tell.” Harper wants marketers to create a “user experience with stories told through visuals.” The Budweiser Clydesdale commercials do one of the best jobs of this I’ve ever seen—though the stories are more about commitment, dedication, and the man-horse relationship than Bud, which I consider a pretty anemic brew.
- “Images are the new headlines.” As Ms. Harper points out, advertising genius David Ogilvy said “five times as many people read the headlines as read the copy.” I agree, but I still think that a well written headline sets some pretty important context.
- “Images are social-media friendly.” Yup.
- “Visuals are audience magnets.” Again, yup. (Which is why each of my posts opens with an image at the top.)
- “Visuals appeal to emotions.” Duh. (I can get lost for hours in dog- and cat-rescue videos on YouTube.)
So here’s what I have to say. I grant Ms. Harper all her points. I totally get how busy and impatient people are and how we marketers must seduce them into giving us the time of day. I applaud the work of advertisers whose videos keep us riveted during the Super Bowl. And I understand that movies, which I love, are typically 60% visual.
Yet, I believe that words have a place in the world of marketing. “Content” is a package of words and images. Yet, even though words may play a smaller role than before, they are still important. As Ms. Harper puts it, “The challenge is finding the right blend of visuals, words and design to make your content memorable.” Amen. Parting shot: One of the readers of Ms. Harper’s article noted rather wryly, “Could have strengthened this article with some visuals.”
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