Content may be king, but visuals are queen. Studies have shown that posts containing photos on Facebook receive 53% more likes than text-based posts. Similarly, tweets on Twitter with pictures have twice the engagement rate than those without. The most effective images evoke emotional, mental and social responses from us and these 9 ongoing themes for images have been proven to perform the best for visual storytelling across all social channels.
1. The product
If your brand has something tangible to take a photo of, start snapping pictures to show it off! Make sure you have good lighting and add unique angles to camera shots, like zooming in for a close-up of your product. Include a clear call to action on the image itself or in its description such as a clickable link or a question for your followers so they can respond and further increase engagement.
2. The team
Your consumers like to see who works at your brand, so introduce your team to your audience! Take a picture of each of your team members and add a short caption about who they are, what they do and fun facts about their personality.
3. Live events
Whether you’re attending an industry event or holding an in-store promotion, events provide plenty of opportunities to get action shots of your team and consumers. Remember to include the event hashtag along with your photos for maximum exposure.
4. Behind the scenes looks
Going behind the scenes with exclusive photos or videos gives your followers an intimate glimpse into what goes on behind closed doors. This strengthens the connection you have with your audience and deepens the story behind your brand.
5. How-to imagery
For how-to tutorials, put together a series of step-by-step photos showing how to use your product or service. Use photo-editing apps like Camera+ to splice the imagery together. Be creative and play around, finding funny ways your services or products can be used!
6. Storytelling
Your images need to be relevant, emotionally compelling and tell a story about your brand. As more pictures are published, your story will further develop and take your consumers along on the journey, making them an important part of your narrative.
7. Trending topics
Creating smart and savvy content that stays on top of pop culture trends and memes enables you to reach a wider, more responsive audience that can push your content forward, causing it to go viral.
8. Neighborhoods
Get out of the office and snap a picture of the landscape surrounding you! Add a caption and hashtags and utilize a call to action by asking your followers what their current view looks like.
9. Follower spotlight
Shine the spotlight on your fans by retweeting, regramming and sharing photos of them using your brand’s products. This gives their images a much bigger stage to be noticed on by influencers across the board and further endears them to remain loyal to your brand.
A picture is worth a thousand words, and it’s crucial to include one with every social media post you create. Be sure the image speaks to your audience, ties in with your brand’s identity and story and can be tracked to see how your consumers interacted with it and shared it.