Image for every buyer

An Image for Every Buyer Journey

Visual product content for brand manufacturers has come a long way. From the artist renderings of the early 20th century (drawn by hand, of course), to today’s almost unbelievable VR-compatible digital imagery, brands now have the ability to bring the essence of their products into the homes, offices, cars and palms of every savvy shopper. As consumer expectations continue to increase, businesses need to use images that resonate with different consumer demographics and in different stages of the purchasing funnel.

“For the last ten years, every brand worth their salt has made visual content a key component of their marketing strategy. Research has shown that our brains process visual content a staggering 60,000 times faster than the written word. And as 90 percent of information sent to our brains is visual, we clearly need to see to believe.” – Victoria Greene, whichPLM

What is considered A+ visual content? Why does it matter?

Right now, the standard bearer for measuring the best online content is Amazon’s self-appointed grading system. To get a virtual A+ by the retail powerhouse, sellers and vendors are highly encouraged to make their listings as visually captivating as possible, with text being a much more minimal part of the experience. This cue from such a big leader in sales has caused thousands of manufacturers to rethink their entire content strategies and incorporate high-definition pictures, videos, GIFs and even virtual reality components. At this point, it is much more difficult for brands to realistically succeed without conforming to online trends in visual content.

Good visuals are one thing, but connecting with people is everything.

Every consumer is different, especially when it comes to the different stages of the buying process. To truly make an impact, brands need to break down and analyze the many nuances of their target audience. This includes demographics like age, region and culture which help personalize the product discovery experience. It also means including specifics images for different stages of the process.

Think of it like this: Someone who is new to photography verse someone who is advanced in photography, both researching the same camera. Each buyer will look for different details when making the decision to buy the same camera. Understanding that scenario, there is no one image or video that can apply to every shopper. Because of this, brands need to diversify their media throughout their marketing landscapes, offering more imagery in effort to reach more buyers.

“There are digital and end user experience monitoring tools in the market today, that measure the actual experience a customer is having at home or in the store. This allows retailers to make network adjustments that optimize customer-facing apps and digital services, which ultimately helps to drive more purchases and improve customer satisfaction.” Subbu Iyer, Riverbed

How do you start?

Look to your consumers. Research your user-generated content such as ratings and reviews and questions and answers to see what shoppers need when making the decision to buy your products. Often times, buyers will post images and video of the product to help other shoppers make the decision. They’ll even engage by asking and answering questions about the products. This data is key when modifying your product descriptions for a successful content strategy.

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