A Picture Is Worth... What Now?
My dog is adorable. He's a white chihuahua, weighs 10 pounds, and has black and tan spots all over. His ears are massive satellite dishes and he is practically fur-less on his chest and stomach.
Now, here's a (albeit blurry) pic of my dog:
What conveyed more information? Does he look like you imagined? More than likely not. Instead, his ears may be larger than you imagined, smaller than you imagined, pointier than you imagined, more rounded than you imagined. His fur may be less black than you imagined, more black than you imagined, more tan, less tan, more white, less white, and on and on and on.
What I'm getting at is that a single picture conveyed more information than my two sentences of describing my dog. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and in marketing your product or services, that is 100% true.
Not only do images convey more information, they also draw more attention than black and white words on a page. People are drawn to pretty imagery and bold colors. They are drawn to striking shapes and minimalist aesthetics. One thing all people can agree on is that a picture is generally prettier (or at least more eye-catching) than text. Engagement has been proven to increase almost 40% just by adding an image.
The entire point of this drawn-out post is that imagery in your social media posts matters. How you craft the image matters. Make a graphic or take a picture that is eye-catching, informative, and imaginative. If you are taking a picture of a product, take it in such a way that the consumer can see the entire product. Even better take a picture of the product being used for its intended purpose. Or maybe even for unintended, but creative purposes!
If you're trying to advertise a service, make your image or graphic stand out. Other companies are making boldly colored, loud advertisements? Don't try to go louder, maybe try a minimalist approach. Other companies are touting their size or reputation? Post about your personal touch and creative approach to problem-solving. There's always a benefit to your business over another, so put those benefits in front of your customers and choose an image that conveys that benefit clearly and cleverly.
Maybe you aren't sure what that benefit is. Maybe you don't know what sets you apart from the competition. In that case, I urge you to engage in self-reflection and find out why you started doing what you do. Once you know why you do what you do, then plaster that in front of your social media audience as clearly as possible.
Once you begin communicating your purpose clearly and with bold imagery, your customers will know what you have to offer them. Isn't that really what you're there for anyway?
Now, here's a (albeit blurry) pic of my dog:
What conveyed more information? Does he look like you imagined? More than likely not. Instead, his ears may be larger than you imagined, smaller than you imagined, pointier than you imagined, more rounded than you imagined. His fur may be less black than you imagined, more black than you imagined, more tan, less tan, more white, less white, and on and on and on.
What I'm getting at is that a single picture conveyed more information than my two sentences of describing my dog. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and in marketing your product or services, that is 100% true.
Not only do images convey more information, they also draw more attention than black and white words on a page. People are drawn to pretty imagery and bold colors. They are drawn to striking shapes and minimalist aesthetics. One thing all people can agree on is that a picture is generally prettier (or at least more eye-catching) than text. Engagement has been proven to increase almost 40% just by adding an image.
The entire point of this drawn-out post is that imagery in your social media posts matters. How you craft the image matters. Make a graphic or take a picture that is eye-catching, informative, and imaginative. If you are taking a picture of a product, take it in such a way that the consumer can see the entire product. Even better take a picture of the product being used for its intended purpose. Or maybe even for unintended, but creative purposes!
If you're trying to advertise a service, make your image or graphic stand out. Other companies are making boldly colored, loud advertisements? Don't try to go louder, maybe try a minimalist approach. Other companies are touting their size or reputation? Post about your personal touch and creative approach to problem-solving. There's always a benefit to your business over another, so put those benefits in front of your customers and choose an image that conveys that benefit clearly and cleverly.
Maybe you aren't sure what that benefit is. Maybe you don't know what sets you apart from the competition. In that case, I urge you to engage in self-reflection and find out why you started doing what you do. Once you know why you do what you do, then plaster that in front of your social media audience as clearly as possible.
Once you begin communicating your purpose clearly and with bold imagery, your customers will know what you have to offer them. Isn't that really what you're there for anyway?