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What is visual content?
Visual content is all the visual information that accompanies text: photos, drawings, diagrams, videos, graphic designs, logos, and more.
Visual content is the first thing a reader pays attention to. Then they look at the captions to the images, the headlines, and the text. Studies prove that visual information is perceived by our brain 60 times faster than text.
Types of visual content:
Photos
Photos, be sure to be high quality, informative, and work for reputation.
Video
A short video is often a great way to sell a product. All it takes is 15-60 seconds to tell potential customers about a new product or service, to get them interested, to announce a future product, to show unusual ways of using it...all the more so because this is the 2021 trend.
Screenshots
Screenshots can be used to show the functionality of a program, customer feedback on a product or service, a funny or unusual situation. For example, the game "screenshot-prediction" often gets a lot of comments.
It is important that the screenshot is readable and contains all the necessary information.
Infographic
If you want to add some color to a long-winded text about your company's success or give some useful advice, just show your statistics in a graph, possibly with a picture. This kind of visual content + a short text summary will deliver the info you want.
Comics, memes, pictures
A good way to cheer up your subscribers. It's best if the entertaining content is consistent with the overall theme of the account and builds on a recognizable site for subscribers.
You can be inspired by a cool reference, but don't copy it - it's important to adapt the picture to your brand.
CHOOSING A CONCEPT
Your profile is your calling card, your image. It's what lets the user know how you can be useful, how interesting you are. Don't forget, Instagram has to match reality - that's what subscribers appreciate today.
Now we'll take you to step by step to "build" your profile from the ground up:
CONCEPT: SHOWCASE
Description: a photo of the product on a monotone in a single style (this is the perfect sales pitch).
Suitable for: online shops, beauty/nail studios, cosmetics shops, home décor shops, jewelry stores, sweet shops, flower shops.
+ Minimal cost for the shoot
+ it's easier to combine the images in the profile
+ need to come up with a unique idea because there are many such accounts
- it is important to periodically change your approach to surprise your subscribers, e.g. color scheme
CONCEPT: INSPIRATION
Description: A profile where, in addition to the product, you have to post photos that create an atmosphere and reflect the overall mood and philosophy of the brand. Such an account is suitable for services and products in the premium segment, conveying a certain lifestyle.
+ can partially use ready-made photographic content
+ ready-made photographic content can be used
- difficulty to maintain a consistent style
CONCEPT: MAGAZINE
Description: a profile that combines photos, text layouts, quotes, picks, announcements.
+ layouts draw the user's attention to the posts
+ Easy to navigate content
+ layouts create a unified style for the feed
+ Such a profile is easier to promote through informative content
- difficult to design a layout
- a holistic feed is anti-trend, you need to create "distinctive" layouts
CONCEPT: AN ACCOUNT ON BEHALF OF THE BRAND AMBASSADOR
A well-known personality will run the brand's account in their name, talking about a product or service. Suitable for brands, services, and products that are entering the market and want to make a name for themselves.
+ high visibility in the shortest amount of time
+ subscriber loyalty to the brand through opinion leader
- high cost
- selection of a blogger who has not previously had a product and has not worked with competitors
CHOOSING A COLOUR SCHEME
When choosing colors, you need to consider the preferences of your audience. What color scheme will help attract your potential subscribers? Analyze the color schemes of the accounts your consumers are subscribing to.
BASE COLOURS: WHITE AND BLACK AS PRIMARY COLOURS
Basic colors are chosen primarily when creating a minimalist account.
+ Base colors emphasize the product
+ Simplify the shooting process.
PASTEL TONES
Naturalness, the so-called Parisian style, is at the peak of popularity right now. Pastel tones are about lightness, tenderness, inspiration. This option allows the eyes 'to rest'. Working with such a color scheme, it's easier to create photos, combining the product with accessories and locations.
NATURAL HUES
Colors found in nature: Green, brown, and their hues. Such colors convey a feeling of freshness, lightness, tranquillity, and association with a healthy and proper lifestyle.
#Lifehack
Add nature photos, use plants, rocks, sea salt, twigs as accessories to your profile grid. Suitable for brands representing products made from natural materials, eco-products, and, of course, from the beauty and health sector.
WARM COLOUR SCHEME
A warm color scheme creates a sunshine effect in any photo. This color scheme is often used in the Fashion industry and is associated with premium and luxury brands. The right sunny effect can be achieved in processing - increase the 'temperature'. When making a grid, you should analyze the photo primarily from a color perspective.
Each time, arrange the photo in your head in terms of colors (design-seeds.com or Adobe Capture CC can help you with this at first)
CHOOSING A VISUAL STYLE
You need to define a visual style that suits your brand. In other words, you will choose a certain type of photo that you will later use in your account. Let's break down the most common ones:
MINIMALISM
All photos are taken in monochromatic light tones with no unnecessary details or objects. There's a lot of 'air' in the pictures and the focus is on one/two subjects.
DETAILS
Photos are full of detail which you want to look at. Well-made photos keep the user's eye longer. The focus is on the product in close-up, with its details easy to see.
REPORTS
Live-shooting implies minimal intervention from the photographer and content processing. Every profile picture is 'live' as if it was accidentally taken, giving a natural look and feel.
PORTRAITS
Portrait visual style/portrait photography: the person, his face, or the subject is in focus. Ideal for showcasing make-up, beauty products/hair care products.
VINTAGE/PARADISE STYLE
The exact opposite of the reportage style:
- processing;
- staged photos;
- Presets (pale, brown, and beige tones, film effect, noise, and aged photos);
- popular subjects with retro and film references.
FORMING THE GRID
We're almost at the end of our perfect ribbon, it's just a matter of doing what's right for us. To achieve a coherent visual design, you need to stick to the basic rules when creating the grid:
CHECKERBOARD
One of the most common grid patterns.
Alternating the same elements:
- colours (e.g. light / dark)
- Plans (general / close-up).
A sense of visual order is created by repeating similar photos one after the other.
DIAGONAL
Where similar photos alternate diagonally. For example, one diagonal row contains pictures with the product in focus, the next one contains pictures with atmosphere, inspiring pictures that convey the mood.
ROW SEQUENCE
Frames with the same concept are arranged in horizontal rows of three. The disadvantage of such a grid is that you have to put three photos in a row at a time for the profile to be harmonious, otherwise the visuals will "move off".
LINE IN THE MIDDLE
Pictures with their own story, such as quotes on a white background, are placed in the middle, or b/w photos that convey atmosphere. Here too, you'll have to place three photos at a time for a perfect profile.
FRAMES
Borders/frames will help to create a harmonious ribbon. You can experiment with their size, color, shape, and placement.
PUZZLE
Several separate fragments create a coherent picture.
The main disadvantage of such a grid: The posts get a smaller coverage, as the individual photos, which appear in the feed-in puzzle pieces, don't carry any information.
The puzzle grid is best used if you don't plan to run Instagram regularly, but want to use the profile as an informative page where users can get an idea of your company's activities.
Following trends isn't hard, but following them is much harder. Of course, not all examples from the article will be suitable for you. You should choose a profile concept that you can implement and maintain at all times.
We recommend not copying, but training your eyesight and creating something of your own - content that other users will retain and repeat.
Instagram is one of the best promotion channels, use it to its full potential and make your brand recognizable. Have fun promoting and working with your account🙌