Four Tips for Making Visuals and Photos Work on Social Media
A picture speaks a thousand words...
Even if you’re not on Pinterest (which you should be), there’s quite a bit of value in posting photos and visuals on your social media sites and website. This is true whether the visuals are branded or not. After all, everyone knows photos are worth a thousand words, and they’re an easy way to grab a reader’s attention.
But how can you use visuals if you’re not selling a product? What photos work best for you? Lastly, how can you find photos without spending a wad of cash?
Encourage them to comment by asking questions about the photo. For example, you post a photo of a beach in Miami. The photo can then include a question like “We wish we were on the beach. What travel destinations are you dreaming about today?” In this case, you’re not only encouraging the user to answer and engage, but with a beautiful, awe-inspiring image, you might just get them to hit share.
Graphics, too, can be used as a wonderful call-to-action, such as “Download a free podcast here.” Last but not least, people love a good quote. Use a good quote from someone in the industry or perhaps get an original quote from the CEO of your company — perhaps about why they got started in the industry, and use that inspiring text over an engaging image.
For example, the best alcohol treatment center isn’t going to do well promoting itself by just showing photos of a group therapy session. Rather, if it offers photos of the beautiful, relaxing property, in addition to photos of happy people playing sports, playing with dogs, and going horseback riding, it’s at once showing the many benefits of their services in a variety of ways. And even better? All of these photos have the potential to engage the viewer.
Courtney Gordner is a passionate blogger with a love for social media and all things internet! Follow her on her blog, talkviral.com and on Twitter!
Contact us on Twitter, on Facebook, or leave your comments below. To find out about social media training or management why not take a look at our website for more info http://socialmediacambridge.co.uk/
Consider What People Will Share
While just about anyone will respond to photos more so than text-only updates on social media, that doesn’t guarantee they’ll hit share or like on the photo. So for starters, plan on finding and creating images for your social media sites that inspire people. You want people to not just click back to your site, but actually engage with the image.Encourage them to comment by asking questions about the photo. For example, you post a photo of a beach in Miami. The photo can then include a question like “We wish we were on the beach. What travel destinations are you dreaming about today?” In this case, you’re not only encouraging the user to answer and engage, but with a beautiful, awe-inspiring image, you might just get them to hit share.
Think Outside the Camera
While photos are incredibly important, they’re not the only visual you can use to engage your followers. Infographics, for one, continue to grow in popularity, as they allow you to showcase your knowledge of an industry while making the information also easily digestible, whether in the form of a how-to or a checklist. Another way to showcase your knowledge is to superimpose a tip you want to share over an image; this way you’re offering valuable info through text but in a prettier way.Graphics, too, can be used as a wonderful call-to-action, such as “Download a free podcast here.” Last but not least, people love a good quote. Use a good quote from someone in the industry or perhaps get an original quote from the CEO of your company — perhaps about why they got started in the industry, and use that inspiring text over an engaging image.
Be Consistent, Offer Variety
Every visual or photo you post should consider your targeted audience. But at the same time, don’t post beach photo after beach photo. All these photos may be pretty, but they could get tedious if that’s all you’re offering your followers. Rather, offer some variety. This is important no matter what your industry, whether it’s service-based, product-based or even personal. After all, nobody wants to see a timeline only of what meals you’ve been eating.For example, the best alcohol treatment center isn’t going to do well promoting itself by just showing photos of a group therapy session. Rather, if it offers photos of the beautiful, relaxing property, in addition to photos of happy people playing sports, playing with dogs, and going horseback riding, it’s at once showing the many benefits of their services in a variety of ways. And even better? All of these photos have the potential to engage the viewer.
How to Make and Find Visuals and Photos
Photography, particularly good photography, isn’t cheap, but that doesn’t mean you have to run out and hire a professional photographer to create beautiful images. Start with what you have, and see what you can do to edit the images through sites like PicMonkey, which even offers some editing capabilities free of charge (upgrades are available as well, of course). PicMonkey is also a site that can make it easy for you to create other visuals, like infographics and quotes.
But also don’t overlook the value of sharing other people’s images. For one, people don’t just want to see your photos. Social media is a community, and as such, share other people’s photos and visuals, and they might just respond in kind.
If you do all that and you’re still hard pressed to find or create an image that conveys what you want, visit sites like Creative Commons on Flickr or Wikimedia commons. Often these sites will allow people to share or use the photos, as long as the correct attribution is used when the image is shared.
Visuals are clearly incredibly important when it comes to a successful social media campaign. No matter what you plan on sharing, there’s a way to make it visual based, and in turn, more engaging.
But also don’t overlook the value of sharing other people’s images. For one, people don’t just want to see your photos. Social media is a community, and as such, share other people’s photos and visuals, and they might just respond in kind.
If you do all that and you’re still hard pressed to find or create an image that conveys what you want, visit sites like Creative Commons on Flickr or Wikimedia commons. Often these sites will allow people to share or use the photos, as long as the correct attribution is used when the image is shared.
Visuals are clearly incredibly important when it comes to a successful social media campaign. No matter what you plan on sharing, there’s a way to make it visual based, and in turn, more engaging.
Courtney Gordner is a passionate blogger with a love for social media and all things internet! Follow her on her blog, talkviral.com and on Twitter!
Contact us on Twitter, on Facebook, or leave your comments below. To find out about social media training or management why not take a look at our website for more info http://socialmediacambridge.co.uk/
Four Tips for Making Visuals and Photos Work on Social Media
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Reviewed by Alex Carson
on
Wednesday, April 02, 2014
Rating:
Alex Carson
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