As a writer by trade, it’s not easy for me to utter these words, but I’m not going to lie: On social media, a picture is worth a thousand words.
It’s true. Content may be king, but visuals rule. All the latest studies and statistics suggest that images on social media command more attention than text alone.
If you want more likes, comments, shares, retweets, and clicks, you want to include pictures with your social media posts. You want to be more visual.
As Carla Gates says here on her 3 to 5 Marketing Blog…
“Images used in your social media (and by definition, your blog content) are far more attention-grabbing than text or plain old links, more likely to be shared, evoke emotional reactions in viewers (and emotion SELLS), and can portray a lot of information quickly and more efficiently than text.”
Not to mention the fact that both Facebook and Twitter have redesigned their platforms recently to place much more emphasis on images. So you really have no excuse whatsoever not to be going picture crazy on social media right about now.
Chalk it up to the Pinterest effect.
In the process of optimizing your social media presence with visuals, of course, you need to be mindful of choosing the right sizes and dimensions. Other than those specifications, though, you actually have a lot of great options. For example…
1. The Product Shot. Every business and brand has a product to display. Whether you’re selling ice cream or insurance, software or footwear, you have something tangible to exhibit in your social media stream. Don’t just talk about what it is you have to offer your audience. Show it off in pictures. The more, the better.
Example: Best Buy on Facebook
2. The Team Picture. Did you play organized sports growing up? How many team pictures do you have from back in the day? That’s the idea here. Only, don’t feel you have to wait for a special occasion. Take pictures of your colleagues on a regular basis and share them with your audience. People do business with people, so do everything you can to humanize your brand.
Example: American Idol on Twitter
3. The Spotlight on Your Fans. Everybody likes attention, especially from someone they look up to and admire. Shine the spotlight on your followers and fans. Give their photos a much bigger stage by repurposing them on your own social channels. Retweet them. Tag them. Make it all about them, not you. Give them their 15 minutes of fame and they’ll give you more loyalty in return.
Example: Boston Red Sox on Twitter
4. The Peek Behind the Scenes. Provide your constituents with something they can’t get anywhere else, whether it’s exclusive photos, a big reveal, or something they wouldn’t see otherwise. Take them backstage. Invite them into your inner sanctum. Show them how your products are built. Give them a look at what goes on behind closed doors. You get the picture.
Example: Downton Abbey on Pinterest
5. The Action Shot. While a team picture may be posed, your action shots are of you and your fellow team members actually doing what you do best. It’s doesn’t matter whether you’re speaking at a podium, swinging a baseball bat, or sitting in front of a computer writing the great American novel, it’s still a performance. Capture your people in the act of doing their jobs and share it with your audience.
Example: U2 on Instagram
6. The Graphic. Creating your own visuals from scratch is a great way to add variety to your stream and call more attention to your posts. Use PowerPoint, Photoshop, PicMonkey, and other such tools to add special effects and text to the images you share. You could even go so far as to create your own infographics. A combination of data, words, and pictures is one of the best ways to increase your engagement and reach on social media.
Example: Nordstrom on Facebook
7. The Spontaneous Shot. One of the best benefits of using social media for marketing is the power it gives you to connect with your constituents in real time. Capitalize on the extemporaneous nature of these channels by sharing impromptu, candid shots of you and your team in the moment. What’s happening now is far more credible and commanding on social media than old news or posed pictures.
Example: MTV on Facebook
8. The Moving Picture. No, I didn’t forget about video. In fact, most businesses and brands consider it a must-have ingredient in their content marketing mix. YouTube, Vine, Instagram – each of these channels presents an abundance of opportunities for creating original footage which can eventually be cross-promoted across the social landscape. Don’t worry about going viral. Worry about one watch at a time. If people like it, they will share it. And you’ll have a hit on your hands.
Example: Maxwell House on Twitter
9. The Collage. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a small handful of them is, well, perhaps priceless. Take advantage of Twitter’s new mobile feature and upload up to four photos in a single tweet. Or you can use one of many good photo-editing tools available – such as the aforementioned PicMonkey – to cobble together the quintessential collage.
Example: General Electric on Twitter
10. The Selfie. Last, but certainly not least, there’s the type of visual made famous by Ellen DeGeneres at this year’s Oscars ceremony and most recently Boston Red Sox superstar David Ortiz at the White House. There’s the selfie. Thanks to these two celebrities, the ubiquity of the front-facing camera on smartphones, and people’s seemingly insatiable desire for attention, the selfie is an incredibly hot trend you don’t want to ignore.
Example: The Today Show on Instagram
Note: This post, “10 Types of Visuals to Boost Your Social Media Engagement,” was originally published on ClickZ on April 22, 2014. To read the post there, click here.
