A picture is worth 1000 words
Images are often neglected on blogs and social media (with the exception of instagram). A Photo can be used to tell a story very quickly. They can be intriguing, stir emotions, even offend, but ultimately… Grab your attention. That is the power of imagery and it’s influence.
The new A.D.D. generation coupled with the rise of new personal and mobile technologies leads to the glaring reality that our world is imagery driven. In fact, a Nielsen study indicated that 40% of social networking consumption in July 2013 was via mobile application or via the mobile web. For the first time this year, Facebook mobile usage surpassed that of desktop, which explains their continued evolution into a more visually stimulating platform for people across multiple devices.
Zuckerberg announced earlier this year that 50% of News Feed content is photos and visual content. Since this announcement, the company has introduced new Shared Links and “Liked Page” story formats which are more heavily focused on imagery. The News Feed now features larger pictures, and brands can do more with cover photos than ever before. Brands and marketers have more creative flexibility to extend their personality within Facebook.
The point is, if you are neglecting imagery in you social media campaigns, you are most likely having very little success.
Here are a few tips on how to draw the most attention:
The Image:
Don’t give away the bank out of the gate: The viewer should not have the opportunity to see what interactive experience awaits. He should be encouraged by the image to “discover” by clicking it open. Picture yourself opening a gift. You can only guess what the gift might be by the shape and the gift wrap. The payoff is when you open it.
Share images that are directly connected to the success of your campaign. The image should be a bold, clear, and eye catching. Use high-res, colorful images, pictures with people or interesting places.
Title and Copy:
The title should be eye-catching and contain a statement that is conversational and addresses the value of the campaign. This plays a big role in your audience’s decision to click on an image. The copy is the major call to action for users to click and interact.
This text should be compelling and highlight the value of the proposition and the reason to click. Try and express the value in the title with action words like ‘win’, ‘now’, ‘see’, and ‘find’. These words tend to get noticed. Then use the copy to underline the value and describe why it is important.
Example
Title: Enter now to win
Copy: You deserve a vacation!
Call-To-Action:
Your call to action can become transparent if the imagery does not stand out. Between the “noisy” News Feed and quick scrolling, viewers must see a clear path.
Large buttons with easy to spot colors, placed in the middle to lower 1/3 of the content are best. Buttons that are obscure or too-small are the top reason for drop-off once a viewer has clicked info the intended information. Place your button so that it’s the final place the eye rests after your creative and copy. Also, tell people to ‘click here’ or “act now” to reiterate your call to action.
Campaign Text:
Most standard social media text is small. So we must initially rely on the image. Once the viewer clicks past the image, more freedom is available, specially if the click through is to your site. Use big, bold, and clear font and “stack” your text towards the call-to-action. The viewer’s eye should naturally fall on the call-to-action button as they finish reading. This text is meant to be read and acted upon immediately. Keep it short and to the point.
Let us help:
If you would like help creating eye catching images for social media promotions, please contact us. We would love to help.