Introduction
Page 2
Executive Summary
Page 3
Facts about Marketers
Page 4
Visual content deemed important by marketers
Page 5
Facebook almost as significant as the company website
Page 6
Customers have their say on Facebook
Page 7
Leveraging sales from the company's own website
Page 8
Dedicating more time to online channels
Page 9
Cross-channel promotion using the same images
Page 10
Own photography used for promotion
Page 11
Getting owner consent before publishing an image
Page 12
Weekdays are most popular for image uploading
Page 13
The importance of captions
Page 14
Finding our feet in measuring online success
Page 15
Focus on significant business metrics
Page 16
Images sell
Page 17
Individual Users
Page 18
Social Media is popular among locals
Page 19
Locals use Facebook mostly, yet they're experimenting with other channels
Page 20
Facebook is still the most popular social network
Page 21
Different social channels are used for sharing images
Page 22
Pinterest is relatively new locally
Page 23
People predominantly share personal images
Page 24
Visuals are critical for e-commerce
Page 25
Product descriptions & images are key to an online sale
Page 26
Mobile is increasingly being used for instant uploads
Page 27
Competitions on Social Media - Users won't upload images to participate
Page 28
Users are more likely to share images during weekdays
Page 29
Respondent Demographics
Page 30
About the Author
Page 37
About ICON
Page 37
Š 2012 Visual Online Marketing: A Study in Malta
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Visual marketing has been dubbed as the winning trend for 2012, and rightly so, as online channels like Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest ushered in such a fashion effectively. When it comes to promoting products, businesses are learning to show, not tell. The rapid increase in the use of smartphones with high-resolution cameras has also changed consumer preferences of images over text. It is the craving for visual content that fuels our desires for beautiful imagery, photography and astounding design. Images and infographics are being shared with ease online, bringing about a rise in visual storytelling in marketing. So what does this mean for marketers? It definitely shows that businesses need to refocus their approach and make sure that their content stays relevant. International reports and case studies show how big brands are using visual content and image-based social channels as part of their marketing efforts, yet we know little of the local situation. Web and mobile app development company ICON, has looked into the local setting; both in terms of how marketers are making use of images on the web to promote their products and services, as well as how individuals consume and interact with visual content in the digital space.
Š 2012 Visual Online Marketing: A Study in Malta
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This research offers an in-depth glance into the use of images on the web, both by marketers who upload visual content to promote their products and services, as well as users who interact with such content. This report is thus twofold; the first part highlights the use of images by marketers in Malta while the latter focuses on the individual user. In total, 215 individuals participated in this research; 91 are local marketers and 122 are individual users. In summary, this research revealed the following truths about local marketers:
Facebook is the best platform for customer feedback. 64% of marketers agree that they are more likely to get feedback from Facebook than from the company’s official website. Almost 20% of local marketers reported filching images from Google for their promotional material. Moreover, 14% do not bother getting the owner’s consent before publishing an image from their site. Some 43% are still not measuring the success of their visual content, not knowing whether their efforts have been deemed fruitful or not. The vast majority (89%) agree that products with images tend to do better online than those with no images. Coincidentally, those who believe otherwise claim that they are not measuring online success.
This research also reveals the following facts about individual web users in Malta:
Facebook is the number one social platform in Malta. However, people experiment with new media as they set up their profiles on other channels like Pinterest, Google+ and Instagram. Pinterest is relatively new locally – only 9% like it. Similar to the general trend abroad, females are more likely to be hooked to this emerging channel than males are. 90% of local users have never bought anything online that was not supported by an image. Consumers won’t buy online if they do not see an image of the product first. Females are more likely to be influenced by images than males. Men are more likely to give more importance to the product description.
Users do not want to participate in competitions that require them to upload images. Only 17% said that they would consider doing so, depending on the prize offered.
© 2012 Visual Online Marketing: A Study in Malta
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Words can play an important role in online marketing, but visuals are stealing the show! This section offers an in-depth glance into the way local marketers make use of images to promote their products and services on the web.
Š 2012 Visual Online Marketing: A Study in Malta
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