The curious case for measuring visual content impact

In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, visual content reigns supreme. Whether it’s a striking image, an engaging video, or a cleverly crafted infographic, visual content has the power to capture attention, tell a story, and leave a lasting impression.

But in a landscape teeming with endless scrolls and fleeting attention spans, how do brands ensure that their visual content isn’t just seen but also remembered, engaged with, and, most importantly, converted into tangible results? The answer lies in the metrics.

Without clear data, how do you know if it’s effective or a waste of space? Tracking the right metrics helps you assess content performance and understand audience preferences to optimise strategy and ROI.

Why bother with metrics?

Simply put, metrics provide the feedback loop necessary for growth. They help you understand:

• What’s resonating: Is that behind-the-scenes photo shoot driving likes and shares, or is it the product demo video that’s getting the clicks?
• What’s converting: Are viewers just window-shopping, or are they adding to the cart after engaging with your content?
• What’s worth it: Are your resources being well spent? Is that high-budget production delivering a worthy ROI?
• Without this intel, you’re essentially playing a game of darts in the dark, hoping to hit a bullseye but more likely missing the board entirely.

There are some key metrics to gauge visual content success. Leading the pack is engagement metrics, which is like digital applause. These likes, shares, and comments demonstrate active audience participation. However, the numbers, although encouraging, only scratch the surface.

Likes, shares, and comments are the bread and butter of engagement metrics. Likes and shares show content success, but comments foster community and sentiment. 

Next up is click-through rate (CTR), which tells you how many people are compelled enough by your visual content to click through for more information. If your CTR is low, it might be time to rethink your call to action (CTA) or the relevance of your content.

Then there is social media reach: it shows how far your content spreads across platforms. It’s not just about how many people saw your content, but also how far it travelled beyond your immediate audience.

Follow the traffic lights

While engagement metrics show how well your content is interacting with users, traffic metrics tell you how effective it is at driving users to your desired destination—be it a website, landing page, or online store.

A case in point is page views. It is a straightforward way to gauge interest by counting how many times your visual content pages are viewed.

Keep track of the number of distinct individuals or unique visitors viewing your content. A high number suggests your content is attracting fresh eyes.

You can also use referral traffic to track your visitors. Did that Instagram post send a flood of traffic to your site, or was it the newsletter that did the trick?

An aye for conversion metrics

Conversion metrics track the percentage of your audience who take the desired action after engaging with your content—whether that’s signing up for a newsletter, purchasing a product, or downloading a whitepaper.

Conversion rate is the reason why someone wants to be in business. How many people did what you wanted them to do after seeing your content? If your conversion rate is low, reconsider your CTA or content alignment.

You can also focus on lead generation, which tracks how effectively your content turns viewers into leads, measuring the number of new leads generated directly from your visual content.

The other holy grail of metrics is sales. It basically measures visual content’s impact on sales. If that product demo video isn’t boosting sales, you might need to reassess your strategy.

It’s not just about getting people to view your content—it’s about keeping them engaged long enough to make a difference. The time on page metric illustrates the time visitors spend on pages that contain your visual content. If they’re bouncing quicker than a kangaroo on caffeine, you might need to rethink your content’s relevance or design.

Also keep an eye on bounce rate. It measures the percentage of visitors who leave your site after viewing just one page. A high bounce rate could indicate that your visual content isn’t compelling enough to keep viewers engaged.

Actionable strategies for optimising visual content

So, you’ve got your metrics, but how do you use them to move the needle? There are some tried-and-true methods that continue to thrive in the business world.

Start by setting clear objectives. Before you even think about metrics, you need to know what you’re aiming for. Clear objectives will guide your content creation and measurement efforts.

Never underestimate the power of a good old-fashioned A/B test. Experiment with different types of visual content—videos, infographics, images—to see what resonates best with your audience. An iterative approach always helps in honing the content strategy for maximum impact.

Metrics are not just about what’s happening now—they’re about spotting trends over time. Regularly reviewing data will help you identify what types of visual content perform best and when, allowing you to capitalise on emerging trends. Engage directly with your audience through surveys or comments to gather qualitative feedback on your visual content.

The final word on visual content metrics

Don’t just set it and forget it. Regularly report on your visual content’s performance to track progress and adjust your strategy as needed. The whole visual content strategy is a Ferris wheel; an ongoing process that is key to staying ahead of the curve.

In the end, the success of visual content goes beyond aesthetics; it lies in its ability to drive engagement, conversions, and ultimately, ROI. By leveraging a comprehensive set of metrics and analytics, brands can gain actionable insights into how their visual content resonates with audiences, drives engagement, and contributes to overall brand performance.

So, the next time you’re mesmerised by a sleek ad or a captivating video, remember: behind every pixel is a data point waiting to be measured. And in the world of digital marketing, what gets measured, gets managed—and what gets managed, gets improved.

-Ritu Bain, senior vice president-revenue, Magnifi.