Venngage, a provider of graphic design tools, surveyed over 300 online Marketers to find out how visuals influenced their Marketing strategies in 2016. One thing is clear from the survey’s results: Visual content is here to stay.

Here are some notable statistics from the study:

• When asked what percentage of content published in 2015 contained visuals, 77% of respondents said 71% to 100% included visuals. This percentage jumped to 83.5% in 2016. Fewer than 10% of marketers integrated visuals under 50% of the time. From 2015 to 2016, the use of visuals in content increased 130%.
• The type of visuals used most frequently were stock photos and original graphics such as infographics and illustrations. In 2016, 35% of respondents said they used stock photos, 30.4% produced original graphics, 15.2% used videos and presentations, 14% incorporated charts and data visualizations, and finally 5.4% integrated GIFs and memes.
• The survey delved into the performance of the different visual options. The top performing visuals in 2016 were original graphics. Of all study participants, 41.5% said original graphics, such as infographics and illustrations, delivered the best results. Although stock photos were the most frequently used, only 7.6% of marketers stated that they produced the greatest impact. In the other visuals categories, 25.7% of marketers said charts and data visualizations performed best, 20.2% said videos and presentations, and only 5% ranked GIFs and memes the highest.
• Marketers face several challenges when creating engaging visuals. When asked to share their biggest struggles in 2016, 36.7% of marketers said consistently producing impactful visuals, 29.1% indicated creating well-designed visuals, 24.1% stated reaching wider audiences, and 10.1% said sourcing reliable data.
• Adding visual content was an integral part of marketing strategies in 2016. The survey asked if this trend would continue in 2017. A large percentage said it would. Specifically, 60.8% of marketers stated that visual content was an absolute necessary component of their marketing strategy. Of the remaining respondents, 31.7% said visual content was very important, 5% said it was important, only 1.3% claimed it was somewhat important, and just 1.3% said it was not important.
• The survey asked marketers to indicate the percentage of their marketing budget spent on producing visual content in 2016. Of the responses, 31.6% of marketers said they spent 0% to 10% of their budget, 25.3% stated that they spent 11% to 20%, and only 1.3% claimed they spent 91% to 100%.
• The survey also asked marketers about their projected spending for 2017. When considering what they planned to spend on visual content, 21.5% of marketers said they expect to spend 0% to 10%. Another 21.5% plan to spend 11% to 20%. Still another 21.5% predict spending 21% to 30%. The remaining 35.5% anticipate spending over 31% of their budget on visual content.

These survey results confirm that marketers understand the value delivered by visuals. By incorporating visuals into your marketing strategies, you help captivate your audience and keep them interested in your content. Integrating quality visual content also enhances the memorability of your brand.

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