#visual content strategy

A strong, cohesive visual content marketing presence goes a long way toward strengthening and enhancing your brand’s social presence as a whole. The first step in building your visual content marketing is using images in your social posts to their full potential.

So with that in mind, we’re sharing a series of quick tips.  Got questions or something we missed? Find us on Twitter @UnionMetrics.

Decide on a few common design elements you want to keep your visual branding consistent with across social media. Not sure where to start? Spend a little time researching design and visual branding elements. You don’t have to go super in-depth, but learn a few basics to help your visual branding become identifiable by your fans, followers and target audience. You want to work toward your brand style being easily recognizable by those groups.

Some quick ways you can start doing this immediately:

Use consistent filters when available

Use consistent fonts

Use consistent branded colors

Make sure your whole team is on the same page with these visual elements and knows where your style guide lives and how to access it when they have questions or want to double-check their work.

A strong, cohesive visual content marketing presence goes a long way toward strengthening and enhancing your brand’s social presence as a whole. The first step in building your visual content marketing is using images in your social posts to their full potential.

So with that in mind, we’re sharing a series of quick tips.  Got questions or something we missed? Find us on Twitter @UnionMetrics.

Look at your profiles as a whole- Instagram, the media section of your Twitter profile, the photos section on Facebook- and see if things tie together well or not. It’s okay if they’re not cohesive right now, but do pick out the visual elements that stand out to you that you’d like to keep in your visual content marketing going forward and which you’d like to avoid or edit. Keep concentrating on enhancing the former and working on the latter as much as possible.

A strong, cohesive visual content marketing presence goes a long way toward strengthening and enhancing your brand’s social presence as a whole. The first step in building your visual content marketing is using images in your social posts to their full potential.

So with that in mind, we thought we’d share some tips for using images in your social posts. Got questions or something we missed? Find us on Twitter @UnionMetrics.

Does your brand have a style guide? Either refer to it to see what it says about visual content marketing for your brand, start updating it to include this information or start building one from scratch. You can always formalize it later if you’re on a very small team now and just want to outline some basics.

In a world ruled by screens, content is king—but visuals are the crown. Whether you're running a YouTube channel, growing a small business, or building your personal brand, the truth remains the same: what people see determines what they do next.

Today, with attention spans at an all-time low, creators and entrepreneurs need more than just ideas—they need visuals that speak louder than words. From compelling thumbnails to bold Instagram posts, every piece of your visual content plays a critical role in defining your online identity and performance.

So how do you make your content stand out in a digital crowd? The answer lies in strategic, professional design.

Visuals Are the New Language of the Internet

Scroll through any platform—YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook—and you’ll see one pattern emerge: visuals drive engagement. People don’t stop to read unless something first catches their eye. That's where professionally designed visuals come into play.

Whether it’s a thumbnail that sparks curiosity or a bold graphic that demands attention, these visual cues are the difference between someone clicking or skipping, engaging or ignoring, buying or bouncing.

YouTube Thumbnails: The Game-Changer for Creators

Let’s start with thumbnails—arguably the most underrated but essential part of YouTube content. Imagine spending hours scripting, shooting, and editing a video, only to slap a low-quality thumbnail on it. You may have created a masterpiece, but no one will see it if the packaging doesn't sell it.

Great thumbnails:

Create curiosity that leads to clicks

Clearly communicate the video’s subject

Stay consistent with branding for recognition

Outperform titles in grabbing attention

Professional thumbnail design isn’t just about slapping on text—it’s about understanding contrast, emotion, spacing, subject focus, and platform optimization. It’s psychology meets art.

Social Media Graphics: Your Digital Business Card

On platforms like Instagram and Facebook, your visual design is your identity. A clean, modern, and consistent aesthetic tells followers that you’re not only creative but credible.

Here’s how quality graphics support your goals:

✅ Boost engagement with scroll-stopping visuals

✅ Increase followers by reinforcing visual identity

✅ Drive traffic through strong calls to action

✅ Improve storytelling across posts and reels

From banners and story highlights to post templates and profile aesthetics, having a designer who understands your niche can dramatically change your growth trajectory.

Branding Through Design: Why It’s More Than Just a Logo

Many think of branding as a logo and a few colors—but it's so much more. A brand is a visual experience that connects with your audience on an emotional level. Every graphic you use either strengthens that connection or weakens it.

Elements of strong branding design include:

🎨 Logo that’s scalable, memorable, and meaningful

🎨 Consistent color palette and typography

🎨 Design templates for content, presentations, and ads

🎨 Brand guidelines that bring coherence across platforms

When someone lands on your Instagram or website and sees consistent visuals, it builds trust instantly. It says: “I’m serious, and I’m professional.”

The ROI of Good Design: It Pays Off

Still on the fence about investing in design? Consider this: brands with strong design outperform their competitors in nearly every measurable way. According to multiple marketing studies:

Businesses with consistent branding see 33% higher revenue

People judge the credibility of a company within 0.05 seconds based on visuals

YouTube videos with custom thumbnails get up to 154% more views

The return on investment is clear. Design isn’t just aesthetics—it’s a growth engine.

What Happens When You DIY Your Visuals?

Designing your own graphics can be fun, but unless you’re trained, it’s often inefficient and ineffective. Here are some common issues that arise with DIY graphics:

❌ Unbalanced layouts that look cluttered

❌ Text too small or too large for mobile viewers

❌ Colors that don’t match your brand or message

❌ Inconsistent visuals that confuse your audience

❌ Generic templates that make you blend in, not stand out

Even the best ideas can fall flat without the right visual presentation. That’s why many successful creators and brands outsource their design needs to experts.

What a Good Designer Brings to the Table

A professional designer isn't just someone who knows how to use Photoshop—they’re problem solvers. They help you communicate your message clearly and beautifully. Here’s what a great designer does:

Understands your brand and target audience

Delivers custom, original designs

Follows trends while staying true to your identity

Offers guidance on layout, colors, and typography

Helps you build a visual library for long-term use

Whether it’s a single thumbnail or a complete brand kit, hiring a designer ensures you get on-brand, high-impact visuals every time.

When Should You Hire a Designer?

If you relate to any of the following, it’s time to stop DIY-ing:

You're growing a YouTube channel and want more views

You manage an Instagram page but engagement is low

Your content feels inconsistent or amateurish

You don’t have time to design graphics yourself

You want your brand to feel premium and professional

By partnering with the right creative professional, you’re investing not just in visuals—but in results.

What Makes a Great Thumbnail or Graphic?

Here are the hallmarks of high-performing visuals:

🟢 Clear focal point – One subject that draws attention

🟢 Readable text – Even on small screens

🟢 Emotion or action – Expressions and colors that provoke feeling

🟢 Strategic contrast – Using dark/light or color differences to pop

🟢 Alignment and spacing – Clean, uncluttered design

These elements are subtle—but they separate a good design from a great one.

Tips for Working with a Designer

Once you find the right person, here’s how to make the most of the collaboration:

Be clear with your goals – Share your niche, style preferences, and platform specs.

Provide examples – Reference thumbnails or graphics you admire.

Give honest feedback – Designers value input to refine their work.

Plan ahead – Order designs in batches to save time and money.

Build a relationship – The more a designer knows you, the better the results.

A designer who understands your brand vision becomes a long-term creative partner.

Visuals Aren’t Optional—They’re Essential

If Instagram isn’t already part of your visual content marketing plan, you may want to reconsider based on its growth and projected growth. 

Instagram Continues Double-Digit Growth [eMarketer]

Image source: The Found Animals Foundation.

Friday Reads | A quick collection of the best things we’ve been reading recently. This week it’s all about visual and video content marketing. 

In case you need a reminder that visual content marketing is important, Neil Patel has one for Content Marketing Institute entitled Visual Content Strategy: The New ‘Black’ for Content Marketers.

“Content in general – your blog, your website, your articles – demands images, too. Content with images gets 94% more views than content sans images. It doesn’t matter what industry, topic, niche, or specialty, images matter.”

Emphasis added. Click through for more tips on execution, etc.

And if you’re well into visual content and conquering video, you may be left wondering YouTube vs. Vimeo: Which Is Better for B2B Content Marketing? In which case that piece from Wendy Marx for Business2Community was practically written just for you.

Incorporate Visual Social Media in Your Content Strategy | Spin Sucks

Here are some important steps for brands to take when crafting a visual social media strategy.

Define your brand visually. Don’t just think about your products. What colors, patterns, and images represent who you are as a brand? Make sure the images you use tell a story of either the brand or the user.

Think broadly about your visuals. Not every pin or Instagram photo has to be (or should be) focused on your brand. Capital One and American Express both maintain pinboards for brides, world travelers, and bucket-list creators. These images are inherently shareable, regardless of a user’s affiliation with the companies, which makes it easier for the brands to spread organically.

Use segmentation to your advantage. Segment your audience by demographics, interests, and values. Each of these categories can provide insight into the types of visuals your audience prefers and where it likes to see them. For example, users who are into “beauty” might also follow certain celebrities that you can incorporate into your campaign. Users who are “green” might appreciate holistic health advice or eco-friendly gift ideas. Use segmentation to branch out and go broad, as mentioned above.

Pay attention to top content for your audience. Through content tracking, you can also discover what kind of content your audience is sharing and publishing most, then create visuals around that content. Infographics are a great option here, putting information into an easy-to-understand yet still visually appealing format.

Know your grassroots influencers. Also called brand ambassadors, these are the people who are naturally spreading the word about your brand. Target these influencers by creating more of the content and visuals they love, but also by engaging with them personally. These people are the ones who will convince less enthusiastic users to love your brand, so make sure you love them.