Forget sourdough starters and Zoom fatigue – 2023 was all about reinvention and rediscovery.
Brands ditched the digital dust bunnies and polished their online presence, while creators found their voices and audiences found solace in scroll-worthy stories. And through it all, one truth became crystal clear: visual content reigned supreme.
But did 2023’s visual trends just scratch the surface? What awaits you marketers in the exciting digital landscape of 2024?
Fear not, for Venngage has done the legwork (virtually, of course) and our annual survey is back with insights hotter than a freshly-minted meme!
Dive in with us as we explore the visual content jungle, where rebrands bloom brighter than ever, video continues its coronation (with everyone invited – royalty-free, of course!), and new trends like the reign of AI emerge.
Get ready for some fascinating insights and a glimpse of visual content marketing in 2024 and beyond, buckle up and I’ll lead the way!
See this year’s results:
- Visual content marketing statistics to know for 2024
- A stat by stat breakdown of 2023’s survey results
Explore results from previous years:
- Visual content marketing statistics to know for 2022
- Visual content marketing statistics to know for 2021
- Visual content marketing statistics to know for 2020
- Visual content marketing statistics to know for 2019
Visual content marketing statistics to know for 2024
Here’s the scoop: take a look at this infographic that breaks down how marketers worldwide used visual content in 2023. And, get a sneak peek into what they’re thinking for 2024.
Note, Venngage welcomes sharing! You have permission to use this infographic on your blog or website. Simply copy the HTML code below to add this infographic to your site. Or, if you’d like to reference a specific statistic or fact, please include a link to this blog post as a source.
<img src="https://venngage-wordpress.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2023/12/LONG-FORM-16-Visual-Content-Marketing-Statistics-2024.png" alt="16 Visual Content Marketing Statistics to Know for 2024 [Infographic]"/><a href="https://venngage.com/blog/visual-content-marketing-statistics">16 Visual Content Marketing Statistics to Know for 2024 [Infographic]</a> created by <a href="https://venngage.com/">Venngage Infographic Maker</a>
A stat by stat breakdown of 2023’s survey results
This time around, things are spiced up with the emergence of new trends like AI and more
Let’s zoom in on how brands rocked visuals in 2023 to snag and keep online attention:
Note: Some respondents may have selected more than one option for questions marked *
1. It’s no surprise that most marketers have pivoted their visual content marketing strategy in 2023.
This year, more than 60% of marketers have revamped their visual content strategy. Many of them are jumping into the world of video, experimenting with trendy content styles on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.
In a world where attention spans are shorter than a sneeze, bite-sized content like TikTok videos and IG Reels grab and hold audience focus way better than long-form videos. In fact, with IG Reels, you could score a whopping 22% more engagement, as a result, getting more Instagram followers compared to your regular video posts..
Aside from that, marketers have also shared that they are focusing on mobile-first design to prioritize a seamless and enjoyable user experience on smaller screens.
“With the majority of our audience accessing content via smartphones, we optimized all our visual content for mobile. This meant rethinking layouts, ensuring fast loading times and ensuring all visuals were clear and engaging on smaller screens.” — Anonymous respondent
*2. Visual content continues to play an important part in content marketing strategies.
Approximately 21.9% of marketers reported that over 75% of their content this year was all about visuals. Additionally, 34.3% disclosed that visual content made up at least 20-50% of their overall content marketing strategy.
With that, it’s crystal clear that visual content is a powerhouse in content marketing strategies across industries, proving to be 43% more persuasive than text alone. So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to dive in and create more captivating visual content for 2024.
*3. In 2023, data visualization charts take the lead as the most prevalent and widely used type of visual content.
We all know by now that data visualization content, especially charts and graphs, tends to capture and retain attention more effectively than lengthy textual descriptions.
That is because more than 65% of us are visual learners who are naturally drawn to visuals, and incorporating charts into your content can increase engagement levels.
Hence, a remarkable 52.22% of the 105 respondents declared that charts and data visualizations take the lead as their most frequently utilized type of visual content in 2023. Following closely are stock photos at 46.67%, with videos and presentations at 44.44% and original graphics at 42.22%.
When aiming for B2B audiences, data visualization charts become your ultimate ally. In business and marketing, decisions are often data-driven. Charts provide a clear overview of information, supporting decision-makers in making informed choices based on the presented data.
Even when you’re all about the business stuff, don’t overlook the importance of design. Stats have revealed that information with visuals like charts, graphs, photos and color design improves by a whopping 80%.
But don’t worry if you’re no designer, Venngage’s user-friendly interface makes designing eye-catching visuals a breeze. Simply browse through our collection of professionally designed templates and pick one that best suits your needs to get started!
*4. Marketers found original graphics, like infographics and illustrations, to be the top performers while stock photos were considered less effective in the visual content scene.
Original graphics like infographics and illustrations, stock photos and videos and presentations are among the top 3 best performing type of visual content. Well, no shocker here! Not since infographics are 30 times more likely to be read than a written article.
Research also found that, at the start of their buying journey, about 72% of B2B consumers prefer infographics. It just goes to show, they’re a solid asset for grabbing the attention of B2B audiences.
If you’re new to creating infographics, here’s an easy 5-step guide on how to create simple yet engaging infographics. Once you’re well briefed, browse through our collection of infographic templates and get started right away!
While 34.29% of marketers considered stock photos to be their top-performing visual content, 39.05% reported that stock photos performed poorly for them.
Stock photos can sometimes miss that real, authentic vibe that people appreciate. Viewers might see them as a bit too generic or staged, which can weaken the connection between the content and the audience.
But here’s the scoop – even with these challenges, the deal with stock photos is that their effectiveness can swing in different directions. It all boils down to the context, industry and who you’re trying to reach.
Some brands pull off using stock photos like rockstars. They just pick visuals that match their vibe, brand identity and the message they want to get across. Just remember, the success of these visual tricks depends on who you’re talking to, the vibe of your brand and what you’re aiming to achieve with your content game. Stay true to your style, and you’ll find the right balance.
5. On average, marketers spend 10-15 hours each week producing content.
Among the marketers polled, 34.29% revealed that they spend an average of 10-15 hours a week producing content.
Surprisingly, a substantial 20.95% of marketers invest more than 20 hours weekly in producing content. Excluding weekends, this would translate to an average of 4 hours per day dedicated to content production each week.
Generally speaking, different types of content would require varying amounts of time to produce. For example, producing a well-researched blog post or video may take more time than crafting a social media update or a quick graphic, but with the aid of an AI video generator, the process can be streamlined and made more efficient.
6. Artificial Intelligence (AI) emerged as a game-changer for marketers in 2023.
There’s no denying that Artificial Intelligence (AI) has changed our lives in 2023. Hence, it’s not a big surprise to see about 61.54% of the 105 marketers we checked in with are using AI for their content game this year.
As a matter of fact, it’s safe to say that AI isn’t just a new hype and is here to stay for 2024 and beyond with 35% of companies using AI in their business.
If you’re thinking about stepping up your content strategy game with a little help from AI in 2024, here are some guides worth checking out:
- AI and Design in 2024: Cutting-Edge Trends to Watch
- How Can AI Use Data to Predict Design Trends?
- Best AI Design & Art Generators You Need to Know [2024]
*7. In-house designers aside, marketers create visual content with the help of online design software and online tools.
While 50.48% of marketers get help from in-house designers when creating visual content, most marketers (51.43%) take it into their own hands to design visual content using advanced design software—such as Adobe’s suite of design tools.
On top of that, a solid 40% of marketers opt for the simplicity of online tools or graphic makers, like Venngage, to create visuals effortlessly.
For smaller businesses and teams who prefer to get their hands dirty, Venngage’s real-time collaboration tool is the solution for you.
Made for teams on the go, real-time collaboration lets you fine-tune your design with your crew in the moment. Drop comments on each other’s work, stash all your designs in one shared folder. It’s like passing the design baton—get feedback from teammates, have your boss give it a look, or hand it off to your colleagues hassle-free.
*8. Up to 50% of marketers struggle with finding the right design layout for their data, statistics or copy.
When asked about their biggest blocker when it comes to producing engaging visual content, the marketers listed finding the right design layout, producing consistently and creating great designs as their primary concerns.
Producing engaging visual content involves a combination of creativity, strategy and an understanding of your audience. Familiarize yourself with your target audience, grasp their preferences and identify what truly resonates with them. That way, you’ll be able to customize your visual content to directly address their interests and fulfill their needs.
A great tip here is to stay updated on design and visual trends. Incorporating current trends in your visuals can make your content feel fresh and relevant. Additionally, don’t forget to tailor your visuals for specific platforms. Different social media platforms may have varying image size requirements, so optimize your content accordingly.
9. Many marketers allocate 20-50% of their budget to visual content, with an additional 9.5% planning to increase this in 2024.
When asked about their marketing budget allocation, 45.71% of marketers disclosed that they allocate a substantial 20-50% towards the creation of visual content. Moreover, there’s a notable 9.5% uptick in marketers intending to dedicate 50% or more of their budget to visual content production by 2024.
In a survey carried out by SEMrush, 44% reported that enhancing the quality and value of their content contributed to their success, while 40% mentioned that producing additional visual and video content played a key role in improving their content marketing.
Investing more budget in quality visual content can offer several significant benefits for your marketing efforts. Not only do you increase your chances of being seen, but visual content, when strategically used, can contribute to higher conversion rates. Whether it’s through compelling product images or informative infographics, visuals can guide your audience through the buyer’s journey more effectively.
*10. Budget-wise, a solid 56.2% of marketers invested the most in tools and software.
It’s noteworthy that a significant majority of marketers, accounting for 56.2%, prefer allocating the lion’s share of their budget to tools and software.
This budgetary emphasis underscores the pivotal role that these resources play in the creation of visual content. By investing heavily in tools and software, marketers aim to equip themselves with the necessary means to generate high-quality visual elements, be it stunning graphics, engaging videos or other visually compelling materials.
11. On average, marketers gave a robust rating of 7.0 when assessing the challenges of consistently producing visual content.
It’s no secret that regular content posting keeps your audience engaged and active. It helps maintain a consistent online presence, making it more likely for your audience to see and interact with your content.
However, of the marketers polled, it seems like most of them are facing challenges in producing visual content consistently. This is understandable because producing visual content consistently can be challenging due to the time, resources and ongoing creativity required, often hindered by competing priorities and the need to adapt to changing trends.
12. Auto-branding, real-time collaboration and design generation tools are among the tasks that marketers wish to simplify or automate most when creating visual content.
When asked about what they wish to simplify or automate in the visual content creation process, the top 3 tasks that marketers picked include auto-branding (29.52%), real-time collaboration (28.57%) and design generation (25.71%).
Venngage understands your needs and offers east-to-use design solutions such as:
- My Brand Kit on Venngage makes it easy to add your visual branding to your designs. In just a click, you can customize any template using your logo, brand color palette and fonts.
- Real-time collaboration tools designed for agile teams that require synchronization. Easily gather feedback from teammates, request design reviews from your boss, or smoothly pass on designs to colleagues.
- AI infographic generator that allows you to create the perfect infographic with just a click.
Making the visual content creation process simpler and automated is a game-changer. It saves time and hassle, keeps things top-notch, and lets marketers roll with the punches in this fast-paced digital world. Some tasks you can consider automating include:
- Template creation
- Data visualization
- Social media scheduling
- Image editing
- Branding consistency
- Collaboration feedback
- Content distribution
- Image alt text generation
- Storyboarding for videos
- Thumbnail generation
*13. 56.2% of marketers said that visual content plays a very important part in their marketing strategy.
Since 91% of consumers prefer visuals more than plain text, it’s no wonder 56.2% of marketers see visual content as a big deal in their game plan. Another 23.8% even feel their strategy is nothing without visual content.
But considering the platforms that marketers post the most content on, it’s no shocker that visual content is essential in most marketing strategies. Keep scrolling to dive into the details.
*14. YouTube, Instagram & LinkedIn are the top 3 platforms that marketers created the most visual content for.
Out of the 105 marketers polled, the top 5 platforms that they created the most visual content for in 2023 would be YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and TikTok.
They are mostly visual driven platforms that contain visuals as users are 30% more likely to send payment when visuals are involved with your marketing.
In the context of B2B businesses, SEMrush’s respondents identified creating and posting more content (52%) as one of the primary tactics for increasing organic traffic to their websites.
But the million-dollar question always goes back to this — How often should I post on social media?
A research by Hootsuite looked into the ideal number of times a day (or week) to post for each platform and here’s the gist:
Instagram: Post between 3 and 5 times per week.
Instagram Stories: Post 2 times per day.
Twitter: Post between 2 and 3 times per day.
Facebook: Post between 1 to 2 times per day.
LinkedIn: Post between 1 to 2 times per day.
TikTok: Post between 3 and 5 times per week.
Pinterest: Post at least 1 time per week.
Google My Business: Post at least 1 time per week.
15. About 42% of marketers churn out up to 10 pieces of visual content each week.
So, how often do marketers actually publish visual content? Well, close to 42% said they post somewhere around five to ten visuals a week across platforms. Coming in second, 36.2% revealed that they post two to five visual content a week.
For the rest of the marketers, 13.3% went for less than twice a week, and 8.6% were the super-active champs, posting a whopping 10 times or more each week.
But in general, combining the top two answers, 78.2% of marketers put out visual content somewhere between two and five times a week. Now, that’s a solid and consistent rhythm!
16. By the end of 2024, most marketers think that up to 50% of businesses will heavily depend on visual content as an integral component of their marketing strategy.
As we mentioned earlier, visual content is a big deal in marketing strategies these days. Therefore, it’s no surprise that 40% of marketers foresee 20-50% of businesses heavily relying on visual content by the end of 2024, followed by more than 50%, as predicted by 31.43%.
But check this out, a solid 16.19% of marketers think that over 75% of businesses are all about visual content in their marketing game. Once more, these findings match up with the growing trend of using more visual content everywhere.
And finally, the keyword for 2024? You guessed it — AI tools.
Last but definitely not least, we threw a question at marketers, asking them to share what they think is gonna happen with visual content in 2024.
No prizes for guessing it right, but you’ve likely nailed it – turns out, most marketers are itching to see how AI tools immersive content like Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) will shake up the visual content game in 2024 and beyond.
“The trend towards immersive content will continue to grow. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual
Reality (VR) will become more mainstream in marketing campaigns. Brands will use these
technologies to create engaging and memorable experiences, driving deeper consumer engagement.” – Anonymous respondent
So, looking ahead to 2024 and beyond, the integration of AI tools and immersive content like Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) is expected to revolutionize the visual content landscape.
AI can enhance content creation with advanced automation, personalization and even predictive capabilities which can be further enhanced through the help of knowledge graphs. On the other hand, AR and VR technologies offer immersive and interactive experiences, transforming how users engage with visual content.
Together, these advancements are likely to bring about a dynamic shift, offering more dynamic, personalized, and engaging visual experiences for audiences across various platforms.
Start creating stunning visuals with Venngage — no design experience required.
