Partner Article

Its 2016 and Image Is Everything

“A picture is worth 1000 words” – we’ve all heard this at some point in our lives; but it’s become more prevalent than ever.

In a time when our lives are faster paced than ever before, content marketing is beginning to turn its back on written content. Black hat keyword stuffing and the outdated word count war has given way to a modern approach that can really pack a punch – it’s turning into an entity that is becoming vastly more visually focused.

We live in an era where we are obsessed with instant gratification; we want high impact, low effort campaigns that pique our interest while providing us with the same level of education that a lengthy blog post can. Our keenness for imagery is even backed up by science – the human brain processes an image 60,000 times faster than it processes text, and it is reported that 40% of us actually respond better to information that is displayed as an image.

When it comes to the impact that images specifically have on content marketing, the stats are impressive;

• Blogs that are posted with images received 94% more views than those articles without images.
• Social Media posts with accompanying images receive 2.3 more shares
• A press release with images receive 45% more views

With the facts laid out, it makes good sense to adopt this into our marketing campaigns, but it seems that many are still struggling to jump on board.

It is time to introduce a strong visual element into our traditional marketing campaigns; whether that it is in the form of blogs, email campaigns, social media or even pages on your website. These images have the ability to increase user engagement, add a personality to the business and create an interest about the business that text struggles to spark.

But if you are new to embracing a visual element, it can be an overwhelming strategy to implement! A great image is a proven way to make an instant connection with your target audience, connecting them with your brand values and philosophy. Images are able to invoke an emotional response and enable brands to build relationships with their audience. With this in mind, it should come as no shock that the quality of the image should be carefully considered.

Images that have had no thought put into them, memes that are widely used or graphics that don’t follow your brand guidelines can confuse your audience and damage a brands reputation. You may come across as amateur, outdated or even worse – simply clueless; not elements that you want associated with your brand and its offerings.

Need a little guidance on embracing visual? Fear not and read on.

Avoid Stock Images

There is no denying that stock images are readily available, with a range of online libraries offering free images. It’s an easy option - however, chances are you will come across images in the libraries that you have seen time and time again.

If you pride yourself on having a unique selling point…imagine the embarrassment when you see a competitor using the same image as you within their marketing efforts also. It will only serve to undermine any USP or competitive edge and cheapen your brand image.

Richard LeCount at USB4Photographers offers some advice; “Good photography shouldn’t be an afterthought, you should embrace photos as brand art and seek a professional who can offer proof of a portfolio so that you know what you’re getting for your money.”

This isn’t a green light to start using images found elsewhere on the internet, and if you are unclear on the legalities then you should read up on IP law. If you have exhausted other options, and need a last minute image, you can always put your own stamp on them by using a filter.

Stay On Brand

One of your first priorities when the business began was so create a set of brand guidelines. This should be a business bible that establishes the standards and ensures that the brands logo, colours, font and values are used consistently in order to build a brand identity. After all, consistency breeds trust and trust converts an audience into loyal customers.

You haven’t created your brand guidelines? It’s time to start, take some inspiration from this article.

So you might not yet have your manual, but the business surely has a mission statement or set of core values? When it comes to the imagery consider the following;

• What message do you want the image to communicate?
• What is your brands personality and how do you want to be perceived?
• What emotions do you want to stir?
• Do you want to be graphics or photography based?

Once these areas have been discussed and decided on, you can create a brief that strictly relates to any images the business uses. This will ensure that regardless of where the image is used, the brand identity and message will remain consistent.

Create Your Own

The main aim of the images is to engage. This is something that stock images often fail to do! We are bombarded with images, advertisements and marketing messages every day and it’s vital that you create images that stand out in all of the noise.

This is why creating your own, high impact images that convey brand personality and appeal to your target audience is so important. Think of the images as an investment that will secure a ROI. By investment, I mean spending money on an experienced graphic designer or photographer.

Graphic Designer, Justin Pointek explains, “We can help articulate your vision with just a little bit of direction. Design really is a lot more than just making things look good. We have to take your idea, cause or problem and devise a solution. Once we come up with a solution we will then creatively put your solution into motion. Business owners have enough on their plate running a business so the last thing that they need is another problem, to solve. With a little creativity we can help you get through to a one of a kind solution that will really make your business stand out from the crowd.”

Of course, choosing a professional to work with your business is a task that should not be taken lightly and it’s critical that you look at the portfolio of work and speak to previous clients before making a final decision.

In essence, selling is dead. It’s pointless taking the time to tell your audience how good your business is when you can take the time to show them using powerful images. By embracing the visual trend your business will look current and on trend, all you need to do is underpin that with impeccable service and a great product!

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Rebecca Moore .