Using visual content when posting to social media sites is a trend that is not going away anytime soon. The old adage that an image is worth 1000 words holds true today more than ever, in the world of fast paced Twitter feeds and oversaturated Facebook pages. You need and want to stand out from the rest. One easy way to do this is to use compelling visuals, photos, infographics and of course, videos.
Too often a photograph or visual is used as an after thought. Take the time and select your visual imagery carefully, use images that have fresh appeal, modern look and feel and if possible, have a clever twist that will add credibility to your social media post or web blog.
Stats for thought *
People remember:
- 10% of what they hear
- 20% of what they read
- 80% of what they see
- 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual
- Larger images increased sales by 46%
- Visual content is shared 3x faster than text
Select images or graphics that complement the article’s title, try not to fall into the realm of clichés and try to find visuals that make the reader reflect a little. A major challenge is to be innovative in your choice of visuals while remaining pertinent, surprise the reader with clever, images with a fresh, modern look and feel.
Here are a couple of thought provoking visuals. Take the image below for example. By itself you think ‘OK, these are markers or directions in a subway’. Now couple it with the article’s title “In B2B marketing, there are no trends, only challenges.” and a new perspective is presented, which is that of the business owner (you), and shows him or her being faced with a decision. Throw in some black & white visual effects and some contrast and you might have created a memorable moment.
Here is another: Instead of simply showing a visual that has a bunch of Google search results, I chose to bring the individual to the forefront, so the reader will interpret this image as either as searching for a B2B service, or finding a B2B service provider. A little twist that one could reflect on
The above two examples are featured images included on a web blog, that ends up being posted to social media sites when shared by readers. They will definitely stand out in a Twitter feed or Facebook post and probably generate new leads from click-throughs, which in the end, is the name of the game.
You don’t have to spend fortunes on images or monthly plans for a article or post that will have a relatively short shelf life, there are several low cost royalty-free image banks out there to chose from.
It’s worth investing a little time in image research that will add visual credibility to support and complement the efforts made in copywriting. So go the extra step and serve your social media followers interesting visuals that will add depth to what it is you are trying to say.
*Source: marketingtechblog.com
