It’s no secret that adding images to certain marketing efforts enhances how well that content piece performs. Still, if you’re only limiting your use of images to social media platforms, you’re missing out on many opportunities to make your content more engaging. Here’s how using images boosts your marketing effectiveness on multiple platforms, not just social media!
Pictures ARE worth a thousand words
The adage, “A picture is worth a thousand words” means to convey that images can communicate more than words can. People have used images to illustrate a point for hundreds of years. A powerful image can communicate a thought or emotion in ways that words sometimes aren’t able to do and can do so with a single image vs. a lot of text. Complex and sometimes multiple ideas can be conveyed by a single still picture, which conveys meaning more effectively than a mere verbal description.
More people comprehend images than text
Here’s an interesting fact about how people consume information: Most people, between 65 and 85 percent, describe themselves as ‘visual learners,’ forming meaning and organizing thoughts based on what they see more so than what they read. If your content is merely text-based, you could be missing out on truly connecting with a substantial portion of your audience. Pictures are the simplest and the most effective way to make sure that the information gets stored as a long-term memory. An article by PR Daily found that online content with good images gets 94% more views than those without. Here are a few more facts to drive the importance of images home when it comes to comprehending information, according to Visual Teaching Alliance:
- Of all the information transmitted to the brain, 90% is visual.
- As opposed to text, visuals are processed 60,000x faster.
- Humans can get the sense of a visual scene in less than 1/10th of a second.
- 40% of nerve fibers are linked to the retina.
- Our brain can see images that last for only 13 milliseconds.
- The human eye can register 36,000 visual messages every hour.
You should use images in all your marketing efforts
Most marketers know the importance of pictures on social platforms such as Instagram and even Facebook, but images should be uses in all your marketing efforts, not just social media! Using images in blog posts, email marketing, social media, print, and other marketing avenues is important to engage your audience. Text is powerful, but adding pictures or other graphics can really drive the point home, regardless of where that marketing message is placed.
Other benefits of using images in your marketing efforts
Engagement and comprehension of content are huge reasons for using images in your marketing efforts, but here are other reasons to leverage images as well.
User-generated content
Marketers can struggle when it comes to creating fresh, new content for their audience. That’s why encouraging followers, clients, etc., to provide images can be a great way to obtain user-generated content. Ask followers to share a photo of your product being used. Encourage people to share pictures that pertain to your product or service. How often do you see images of people holding products and touting how much they love them? It’s common because it works!
Images help SEO
According to a Search Engine Land survey, 60% of consumers are more likely to choose companies who use photos in their local search results. Along with recognition, brand awareness, and encouraging consumers to interact with your company, images are a crucial element of SEO strategy not to be ignored. Images can be used strategically for ranking. They can rank in image search and lead to more visitors. Pictures can also help search engines understand what your content is about.
How to get the most out of images in your marketing efforts
To get the most out of using images in your marketing efforts, you need to follow a few steps. First, find a few good royalty-free image resources that offer you a large variety of photos or graphics to choose from. Here are a few good places to start:
- Pixaby
- Pexels
- Unsplash
- Kaboompics
There are many, many more sites than the four above. Search “royalty-free images” to find a couple of resources that work for you. Of course, if you have photos of your own product, or have pictures of your company, employees, etc., those are great to use too!
You’ll also want the option of doing a bit of editing for these graphics, whether it be resizing, adding your logo, or using text overlay. Try a site like Canva for this; it’s easy to use and free (a paid version is available to offer more features and more storage). Sites like this can help you get creative, creating memes, infographics, and more as you get accustomed to the tool. The possibilities are endless!
While adding photos or other graphics to your marketing efforts takes a bit more time, it’s well worth it and can pay off in better engagement. Using images boosts your marketing effectiveness, so don’t miss this step in your marketing from now on!
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