Why are graphics and videos important for social media campaigns? 

Digital and social media campaigns have so many moving parts. From preparing paid ads to hashtag research, nailing copy to regularly reviewing analytics and tweaking strategy, it’s all too easy to focus on one element of the process at the expense of the other.

While we’d never recommend overlooking any part of the package, graphics, videos and visuals are an increasingly vital part of making successful online campaigns.

In this blog, we’ll be exploring exactly why this is, and breaking down some easy ways to ensure your campaigns are as efficient and effective as possible.

Social media algorithms favour video and images

Whether you like it or not, all social media platforms have algorithms – and many of them are heavily weighted in favour of posts containing images and videos. Some of these are immediately obvious. TikTok and Instagram, for example, are entirely visual, and won’t let you post without a video or image. On these platforms, your visuals are your content.

But other platforms have increasingly moved in this direction over the last few years too. When was the last time you saw a Facebook post in your timeline that didn’t contain an image or a video? There’s a reason for that – the Facebook algorithm is heavily weighted in favour of those types of posts, and filters out purely text-based content.

It’s a similar story on LinkedIn, too. Both of these platforms have begun deprioritising posts including links to external platforms, especially so on Facebook, where news articles have become downgraded content, meaning they are less visible in newsfeeds.

This is where video and images come in to save the day. By hiding your links in the comments, you can then insert killer visual content into the main body of the post, playing into the algorithm’s hands as best you can while opening up a new avenue to showcase your brand aesthetically. Whether that’s a carousel summarising the key points of the article you want to share as a teaser, or a video covering the same ground in a punchy and direct way, you’ll be able to give your content the best possible chance on these platforms with this approach.

Good visuals elevate your brand’s aesthetic

A strong visual identity is crucial to the way your brand is perceived, online and elsewhere. The likes of McDonald’s have been able to get to where they are in part because of their exceptional branding, with graphics and videos alike all having strong aesthetic unity. On the other hand, there’s no shortage of otherwise good campaigns that have been torpedoed by amateurish visuals. Consciously or otherwise, people gravitate towards things that are pleasing to their eyes, and avoid what isn’t. Make sure your brand falls under the former.

You don’t have to be an Adobe Suite wizard to make good visuals. Websites such as Canva make it incredibly easy to make high-level imagery using their broad range of templates, while if it’s videos you’re after, apps like CapCut make editing a breeze. It’s now easier and quicker than ever to upskill to a very competent level in these fields, and a few hours playing around with programs like the ones above will bare plenty of fruit in the long term.

Using graphics and videos to create an emotional response

Many successful campaigns work because they’re able to provoke an emotional response from the audience, that in turn prompts an action – a click, a purchase, whatever the goal of the campaign is. That emotional response isn’t always an easy thing to generate, especially with so little time to capture your audience’s attention (see below).

Many people find a reaction is more easily – and more quickly – provoked from something visually stimulating, and that’s where imagery comes into play. An image of a cute animal is going to generate a certain kind of response, as is a fast-paced video with lots of bright red colouring. It’s not always going to work, but it gives you far more chance of getting those conversions than you’d have without it.

People have limited attention on social media

How long do you give a social media post to capture your interest before scrolling onto the next one? Chances are it’s no more than a handful of seconds. That’s how long your content has to make an impression on your audience. One tiny window, and if you miss it, you’ve lost them.

It’s much easier to make a splash with a video or a knockout graphic than with text. That’s not to say you can’t do it with copy alone, but if you’re scrolling through walls of text, a captivating visual will stand out a mile. Use this to your advantage, and ensure your key points are included in the visuals. Whatever it is you most want your audience to take away from seeing your content, make sure it’s included here for maximum saliency.