The rise of mobile applications such as Instagram and SnapChat has confirmed that digital culture is becoming increasingly visual. Across social media platforms, search engines and email, marketers are looking for ways to incorporate compelling, quality imagery that will drive consumer interest and convert online visitors to returning customers. A recent report from WishPond explored the reasons why focusing on the visual appearance of Web content will pay off for businesses in the long run.

People respond to the power and simplicity of images
Wading through paragraphs of text can be tedious, and many of today’s email recipients have little patience for long-winded messages. WishPond revealed the science behind this trend, explaining that visuals account for 90 percent of all information transmitted to the brain. Images are also a fast way to get important ideas across to recipients, as visuals are processed by the brain 60,000 times faster than text. While marketers should not forget about including written content in their messages, visual elements are not to be overlooked.

WishPond also mentioned video as an effective online marketing technique that can help convert interested consumers. According to the news source, conversion rates on landing pages increased by 86 percent when a video was included among text. A similar increase was seen when marketers implemented photographs, but companies with the extra budget room should try including links in their emails that lead browsers directly to a video.

Crossover potential with social media platforms
Nearly every successful marketing campaign these days incorporates some element of social media into its strategy. Thankfully, much of the visual content used on social networks can be recycled in email newsletters and vice versa. WishPond stated that online posts featuring a visual component receive 94 percent more views and better rates of engagement than their image-less counterparts. This figure should be taken to heart by any marketer who wants to fully capitalize on an email distribution list.

Implementing visual elements into email marketing campaigns doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated, but according to The Next Web there are ways that strategists can better optimize their imagery to maximize consumer engagement. Marketers must first understand their demographics and segment email marketing lists to make sure they are sending the best possible images to their audience. Rigorous testing is also necessary to discover which visuals are most successful in drawing people in. Remaining adaptable and creative is the key to perfecting the art of compelling visual implementation in email newsletters.