The Ultimate Guide to Using Images in Marketing
Images are extremely important in marketing. They have the ability to convey emotions, tell a story, and capture your audience's attention. With the rise of social media and the increasing amount of content shared online, it is more important than ever to use visually appealing and engaging images. Not all images, however, are created equal. We'll cover everything you need to know about using images in marketing in this comprehensive guide, so your visual content is as effective as possible.
Why Images Matter in Marketing
Images are worth a thousand words when it comes to marketing. According to research, articles with images get 94% more views than those without, and visual content is 40 times more likely to get shared on social media. That's because our brains are wired to process visual information more efficiently than text. Images also have the power to elicit emotions and connect with your audience on a deeper level. You can boost engagement, conversions, and brand awareness by incorporating images into your marketing strategy. Images have the ability to draw attention and convey emotions in ways that text cannot. We are naturally drawn to images as humans, and incorporating them into your marketing strategy can help you connect with your target audience on a deeper level. You can make your audience's experience more engaging and memorable by using images effectively.
Choosing the Right Images
It is critical to select the right images for your marketing campaigns. You want to choose visuals that are consistent with your brand, effectively convey your message, and resonate with your target audience. Consider the tone of your brand, your target audience, and the platform you're using when choosing images. If you're targeting a younger audience on Instagram, for example, you might want to use more vibrant, eye-catching images. You may want to use more sophisticated visuals if you're targeting professionals on LinkedIn. Make sure the images you choose are high-quality and visually appealing. If you need to convert your image files, use a good JFIF to JPG converter to keep their quality. This will aid in ensuring quality and consistency.
Optimizing Images for SEO
Images can also assist you in ranking higher in search engines. You can increase your visibility and drive more traffic to your website by optimizing your images for SEO. Make sure your images have descriptive file names and alt tags that include relevant keywords to optimize them. Additionally, you should compress your images to reduce file size and improve page load times. When uploading images to your website, make sure they are in the proper format (such as JPG or PNG) and are web-sized. You can improve your search engine rankings, drive more traffic to your website, and boost your overall online visibility by optimizing your images.
Using Images in Social Media Marketing
Because social media is a visual platform, it is ideal for incorporating images into your marketing strategy. Whether you're posting on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, using images can increase engagement and drive traffic to your website. When using images on social media, make sure they are the correct size for the platform you're using. Consider adding text overlays or captions to your images to provide context and encourage interaction. To increase reach, consider using hashtags and tagging relevant accounts in your posts. You can increase engagement, drive traffic to your website, and build a stronger online presence by creating visually appealing and engaging images that are properly sized and formatted for each platform.
Measuring the Effectiveness of Your Images
It is critical to measure the effectiveness of your visual content in order to make the most of it. You can determine which visuals resonate with your audience and which fall flat by analyzing the performance of your images. You can monitor metrics like engagement, click-through rates, and conversion rates to see which images are producing the best results. Use this data to inform future marketing campaigns and make necessary changes to your visual content strategy. By analyzing metrics such as engagement, click-through rates, and conversion rates, you can determine which images are producing the best results and make necessary changes to your marketing campaigns. You can also stay ahead of the curve and create more effective and engaging visual content by keeping an eye on the latest trends and best practices in image marketing.
Conclusion
In conclusion, images are a critical part of any successful marketing strategy. You can create a more engaging and effective marketing message by selecting the right images, optimizing them for SEO, and effectively using them on social media. You can create visual content that resonates with your audience and drives real results for your business by following these tips and staying up to date on the latest trends and best practices in image marketing.
Reverse Image Search: easily discover the provenance of a photo!
If you've ever wondered where an image came from or who created it, reverse image search is the answer. This process allows users to find the source material of any digital image.
Looking for the original author of an image? Trying to find similar images? Then the reverse image search tools will be of great help to you.
In this article, we are going to introduce you to 9 of our favorites. But before, we can know what this function is and how it works.
What is reverse image search?
A reverse image search is performed using the image itself instead of a text query as would normally be done. This means that you can find information about an image or locate similar images simply by entering the image into the search engine.
When a photo is uploaded to the Internet, it automatically comes with certain metadata attached:
- the date,
- the photographic device,
- etc
Using this data, we can improve the image and find out where it originally came from or if there are similar images online.
What is reverse image search for?
Reverse image search tools can benefit you in many ways, some of which are:
- With this tool, you can find out where an image first appeared on the Internet. If you are browsing social networks and you come across an image that interests you, this is the method to find out its origin.
- If you find an image used by a professional, chances are you can get a higher quality version of that same image.
- If you want to know where an image came from, or if you're looking for inspiration, searching for a similar image is always a good starting point.
- Don't be another gullible victim of fake news – take charge and run a reverse lookup to verify the photo for yourself. But with a reverse image search, you can trace the photo back to its source and see if it's been retouched.
If you think someone is using your photos without asking, find out if it's true. If your photos are being used without permission, you can find out who did it and what to do about it.
These reverse image search tools can come in handy in a lot of circumstances.
However, if you have already done some research, you should know that there are many different reverse image search engines.
The 9 Best Reverse Image Search Tools
Now that we've explained reverse image search a bit more, it's time to introduce you to our favorite tools:
- TinEye,
- Yandex,
- Google images,
- bing,
- IQDB,
- karma decay,
- Reverse,
- Pixsy and Image Raider.
Let's know more about them...
tineye
If you are looking for the source of an image or a similar image, TinEye is one of the best tools out there. With more than 3.8 billion images in its database, it sure has what you're looking for. Also, if you are concerned about confidentiality, rest assured that TinEye will not save your searches or the images you download.
In short, this is how it works: download an image and TinEye will show you a list of all the places this image appears on the web.
We liked it
- More than 3,800 million indexed images.
- Good for finding the source of an image.
- It does not save your searches or the images you download.
- Free to use
We didn't like it
- Not as easy to use as other tools.
- Slow search speed.
Yandex
If you're looking for a reverse image search engine that does more than just search by image, Yandex Images is a good choice. It lets you search by keyword or phrase, as well as by image, so you can find what you're looking for more easily.
The tool can also help you find websites by their URL.
We liked it
- Object recognition tool that is available as a browser extension.
- Users can get information about the objects present in an image.
- free use
We didn't like it
- It is not as accurate as other tools.
- The search speed is slow.
Google images
If you're looking for the biggest and best reverse image search engine, look no further than Google Images. With over 9 billion images indexed, it's unlikely you won't find what you're looking for.
Just like with TinEye, you can upload an image or enter its web address to start the search. But Google doesn't stop there.
You can also search by dragging and dropping an image into the search box. You can even use your own webcam to search for similar images.
We liked it
- Folk tool.
- Offers advanced search options.
- It is free to use.
- Very easy to use.
We didn't like it
- Not much, the tool is really good.
Bing ImageSearch
Bing Image Search is powered by the Microsoft search engine. As such, it offers all the features you would expect from a tool of this type.
Just like Google, you can upload or search for an image from its original address to start your search. And just like TinEye, it can also check if an image has been tampered with or damaged.
We liked it
- It does not save your searches or the images you download.
- Free to use.
We didn't like it
- Not much either, really not bad.
IQDB
IQDB is an excellent search engine for finding animation related images. It's especially useful for finding fan art and cosplay photos. But it's not just for anime fans.
You can use IQDB to find all kinds of images, including:
- illustrations,
- video game screenshots,
- etc
We liked it
- Search engine designed specifically for anime and manga.
- Free use Limited to anime and manga images.
We didn't like it
- It is not as easy to use as other tools.
- Unattractive interface.
karma decay
Karma Decay is a search engine designed specifically for Reddit. So if you've seen an image on Reddit that you want, this is the tool for you.
To use Karma Decay, you just have to enter the URL of the Reddit post that contains the image and it will show you the results that match your search.
We liked it
- Reddit specific search engine.
- Easy to use.
We didn't like it
- Limited to images from Reddit posts.
- The search is not always accurate.
Reverse
Reversee is a search engine for Apple and Android devices. The application interface is clean and the tool is easy to use.
Just upload an image or enter a URL to start your search.
You can also specify the type of results you want to see, for example “web pages only” or “images only”.
Reverse also allows you to choose the size of the image you want to search for. So if you're looking for a specific size or aspect ratio, this tool will probably work for you.
We liked it
- Simple search engine.
- Clean and easy to use interface.
- Allows you to specify the size of the image you want to search for.
- It can be used on computers (Mac or Windows) and phones (Apple and Android). Search results are not always accurate.
We didn't like it
- Limited search options.
- The application must be downloaded.
Pixsy
Pixsy is a reverse image search engine designed for photographers. It can help you find out if your images have been used online without your permission. And if so, Pixsy can help you get compensation.
To use Pixsy, simply upload an image or enter a URL. You can also search by keyword or phrase.
We liked it
- Designed for photographers.
- It can help you find out if your photos have been used without your permission.
- Can help you get compensation
We didn't like it
- Not as comprehensive as other tools.
- Limited to the images of the photographers.
Image Raider
Image Raider is designed to find images on the web. But it's not just a reverse image search engine. Image Raider also lets you know who is using your images without permission.
To use Image Raider, simply upload an image or photo. The tool will then show you a list of sites where that image appears. You can also see the popularity of the image and its position in Google Images.
We liked it
- Find images online.
- Lets you know who is using your photos without permission.
- Displays a list of websites where this image appears.
- You can see the popularity of the image and its ranking on Google Images. Some features are only available to premium users.
We didn't like it
- The results are not always accurate.
A Guide to Using Stock Images for Marketing Purposes
In today's digital age, visual images play a crucial role in any marketing campaign. Photos can help grab your target audience’s attention, communicate a message, boost engagement, and leave a lasting impression. Considering all these factors, using stock images is vital to all marketing campaigns.
When designing your content for marketing, use stock photos instead of downloading them from random websites. However, getting the right stock images for your marketing collaterals can be confusing with so many terms and conditions to navigate. Therefore, it is essential to understand them to avoid trouble later.
You can use stock images by purchasing the rights to download and use them from a photographer or a stock photography platform. Once you buy the rights, you can use stock images on your marketing collaterals, including brochures, websites, social media posts, and ads multiple times.
However, there are a few things you need to consider before using stock images. With that said, let’s go through this guide on using stock photos for marketing purposes:
Why Stock Photos?
Stock photos are a powerful tool for any marketing campaign. They can help boost engagement and make your marketing materials more visually appealing. Not only this, but stock pictures help you avoid copyright infringement issues.
Using stock images is also cost-effective. Hiring a photographer will be an additional expense if you have a limited marketing budget. A photographer would charge for his time, equipment, and commute costs. So, it would be better to find excellent and relevant stock images online.
A photographer can only offer you a few options. Stock photo platforms provide a wide range of images, making it easy to find the perfect photo for your marketing collaterals. Also, you can view multiple pictures before finalizing.
Here are some interesting numbers that show how important pictures are to marketing campaigns:
- People may expect to remember just 10% of what they hear after three days. But when information is presented with a picture, retention rates may rise to as high as 65%.
- Facebook updates with photos get an average of 2.3 times more likes, comments, and shares than those without images.
- Tweets accompanied by photos receive more engagement on Twitter.
Guide to Using Stock Images for Marketing
Here are a few points that you should consider before using stock images:
Copyright
When using stock photos, it is essential to be vigilant about the copyright. Some stock photo sites offer royalty-free images, which means that you can use the images without paying a license fee. However, there may still be restrictions on how the images can be used. Other stock photo websites demand a license for a specific use, like commercial use or use in a particular area.
It is essential to read and understand the terms of use and licensing agreements for the stock photo platform you are using. And to make sure that you are using the images in compliance with those terms.
It's also crucial to give credit where it's due. Provide the necessary credits if the stock picture source or the photographer requests them.
Choosing the Right Image
When looking for stock photos to use in your marketing collaterals, you must think carefully about relevance, quality, branding, and more. These will ensure that your marketing campaign is visually appealing and can help convey your message.
Here are a few tips which will help you choose the right picture:
Relevance: The photographs you chose should be related to your business or marketing campaigns. You need to ensure that your message comes through clearly. For example, if you design marketing collateral for a gym, you want pictures of people working out. It will help grab the attention of your target audience.
Quality: The photos you choose should be high-quality and visually appealing. They should accurately reflect the values and atmosphere of your business. These images can also help build an emotional connection with the audience. A poor-quality photo will leave a wrong impression on the viewer and may drive away business.
Originality: Don't use tired, overused stock photos. It will help if you search for creative and unique images; after all, you want your brand to stand out. Your pictures should not look like everyone else's—instead, they should grab attention.
Size and resolution: Different marketing platforms and collaterals will need different picture sizes and resolutions, so keep that in mind.
Consider investing: Think about where the image may go in the future. Instead of using a free stock image, consider getting a licensed and unique stock photo for your marketing campaign. Spending money on an original photograph can be worthwhile if you plan on utilizing it often in the future.
Keeping Records
Keeping a record of all the permissions you have obtained for the stock photos you use is essential. It will protect you from legal issues that may arise. Moreover, give proper credit to the photographer or stock photo agency when using their images if possible.
Additionally, keeping records will allow you to find the images in the future quickly, should you need to use them again. In this way, you will also be able to reuse the photos when required instead of purchasing them again.
Conclusion
Stock photos can be a valuable asset for marketing collaterals to boost engagement. Still, it is vital to use them correctly and legally. Carelessly using someone else's work could get you into hot water, both legally and ethically. Being familiar with copyright legislation while working with stock pictures is essential. Since the fair use concept needs to be clarified, caution is warranted while using it.
Using stock photos can provide a cost-effective and efficient solution for adding visual appeal to your marketing efforts while also helping to maintain a consistent brand image.
Doing this may save time and give your marketing materials the same vibe. Now that you know how to use stock images, you are ready to take your marketing campaigns to the next level.
6 Things You Should Be Doing to Improve Your Product Photography
Have you been using the same old photography techniques to show off your products? Maybe it's time to give new ideas a try. You know, see what everyone else is doing and then do your own thing. You might be pleasantly surprised at the results. I
In this post, you will learn six things that can help make you a better photographer and increase your sales.
1. Use the right camera.
The first thing you want to do is invest in a good camera. This doesn't have to be expensive, but it does need to have a decent resolution and features that will allow you to get really close up on your subject. For example, if you're using an iPhone 6s or 7, this is a great tool for getting nice product shots because they have high-quality cameras built into them. But if you're using an iPhone 4 or 5, don't expect these phones to deliver the same quality as newer models.
If you're looking to buy a camera, the best thing to do is go online and research different models. Look at the price points and what features each one offers. Find out if there are any reviews of these cameras. If possible, ask someone who uses one of these cameras how they like it and what they think about it.
2. Light your subject properly.
You don't need to invest in expensive equipment for this step. A simple clamp light and a desk lamp will work fine for many situations. If you're shooting close-ups of jewelry or other small items, use a ring flash as well. The key is to get even lighting across the entire surface of your subject without creating harsh shadows or dark spots.
If you can't get a good light source into the room, try to move your subject closer to a window or open door. You can also use reflectors if necessary.
3. Style your product.
You may not have thought about it, but there are different ways to style a product for photoshoots. If you're selling clothing or accessories, then you'll want to try out some different ideas before settling on one.
For example, if you're selling jewelry, try styling your jewelry with different colors and patterns of clothing, backgrounds and other props. You might even want to buy a few pieces from each collection and see which ones sell best based on sales statistics from previous shoots so that you can use those items again in future shoots for similar products.
4. Capture shots from multiple angles.
You should never rely on just one angle when photographing products. Instead, you should capture shots from multiple angles so you can use them in different ways down the line.
This will give you more flexibility with the images you use on different pages or in different marketing campaigns. And it'll give your customers more variety when they want to look at photos of your products online or in print ads or brochures.
5. Edit your photos to make them look their best.
When people think of editing images, they often imagine making dramatic changes like adding filters or cropping images into squares. But there are lots of subtle ways to improve your photos that don't require any fancy tools or knowledge of Photoshop. You can even do some basic edits with the free tools available on most smartphones these days.
Here are some things to look out for when editing your images:
- Color correction: If your photos are too dark, brighten them up in post-processing by increasing their exposure (lighten them) or decreasing their brightness (darken them). If they're too light, decrease their exposure or increase their brightness.
- Levels/curves/brightness/contrast: These basic adjustments control how much light an image contains — in other words, they're the equivalent of adjusting your camera's exposure settings. Levels lets you adjust brightness and contrast, while curves gives you more fine-grained control over how each color channel (red, green and blue) is affected by brightness levels. You can also use these tools to increase or decrease contrast in your photos.
6. Craft a simple but compelling photo description.
The description of your photo should be clear and concise. Don't try to cram too much information into one paragraph or sentence. The most important thing is that you explain how the product works and what it does for the customer.
You can also include any other information that would be relevant to someone who is interested in buying this item. For example: Is it made out of metal or plastic? Where was it manufactured? Is it waterproof? How much does it weigh? What color options are available?
Final Say
Good, honest product photography is crucial to any business selling products online. Your customers can't get a feel for your items in person, and they rely on photographs to help them make their decision. That's why it's so important to take good photos of your products—and we hope that the above advice will help you out. After all, if you want to compete with other e-commerce sellers, you need to offer better imagery than they do.
Why You Should Prioritize Producing Professional Product Images
Quality is one of the most important things most brands that offer products for customers use to define their product marketing success. Image offers great benefits, especially for brands that depend mostly on online advertisement.
Therefore, presenting a high-quality professional product image on your social media platforms or website can act as a way of increasing sales. Before posting your product image, you need to do some checks to ensure your client will see the quality of the product in the image. One of the essential things to do is to check the background information. You can use photo background remover to benefit from free services and get the best out of your product image.
In return, you will end up with a professional product image. Customers are always drawn to the product's image before they move to the text or description. So, ensure that your product image looks professional, high-quality, and pleasing to the customer.
Below are some of the importance of using a professional product image.
Benefits of professional product photography
1. Product image quality reflects your brand image
Product images can be termed one of the best and long-term investments in your brand recognition campaign. If your product photography is created professionally, it will communicate to your customer that your business is valued, innovative and professional.
Customers will be convinced that your brand cares for their wants and needs, which converts them into loyal customers. Therefore, professional product images will reflect the quality of your products and testifies the credibility of the brand image.
2. Plays an important role in making purchasing decisions
Images can build the first impression on customers since they are visual-oriented creations. In this context, the image speaks louder than text or words. Based on the statistic, 90% of online consumers consider product visual appearance an important aspect in making purchasing decisions.
If you create a product image worth 1000 words, then the product is worth 1000+ web visitors. The professional product image will create a moment of truth whether your clients will continue browsing through the product and make a purchase or leave the site.
People are easily distracted these days. Therefore, they have less patience to read the description or text below the product as they scroll through different platforms. This is the reason you need to use professional product photography to catch customers’ attention.
3. Sets high product quality standard and escalate maximum engagement
Effective, useful, and beautifully taken product images will draw engagement instantly. Everything in your product image, from colors, image quality, and concept to the subject, need to resonate with your crowd. If you intend to build a strong bond and long-term relationship with your online customers, professional product images are the way to get the job done.
When you set a high standard product image, you show your customers that your product is attuned to details, different from the competitors, and promotes a different selling point. Professional images for banners or flyers are another way of advertising brands, especially for offline business owners. A good quality product photography will offer you a window to display your brand and catch the eye of people passing by the store.
Importance of photo editing for modern marketing
It doesn't matter what your business is or what your marketing strategy is - the power of visual communication is a critical success factor. To promote their business, modern marketers use, first of all, visual content. To stand out from the vast array of competitors, you need to express the brand's style and voice in photography.
How much time and effort does a marketer need to spend on selecting visuals? And is the choice of the photo for the post and the header of the letter so critical for sites that accept guest posts?
Let's see the statistics:
- Articles with relevant photos get 94% more views on average than articles without photos.
- A press release with photos gets about 15% more online views than a regular text press release.
- 60% of consumers who use Internet searches admit that they prefer to contact companies whose descriptions include photos.
- Nearly 70% of online retailers claim that the product snapshot plays an important role in the purchasing decision. (Source: MDG Advertising Infographic)
To summarize, your customers (as well as customers around the world) are highly receptive and impressionable. We are hungry for pictures, we need quick information, and as soon as possible. How can you find a tool that will convey your message better and faster than photography and check out this post?
But the whole point of marketing is to convey your value to potential customers. As an example, let's take a look at these two pictures.
Modern marketing is a bit like a big kitchen. How well your photos capture the essence of your business will determine if your customers want to stay with you or if they prefer to contact a company with better visuals. Today we will try to show you what a huge role photography plays in your business.
Here is a list of the reasons why photography plays a key role in modern marketing:
1. Draws attention
A photo alone will certainly not do it, but a carefully curated, periodically updated collection that maintains a constant audience interest is likely to encourage people to join your case. The marketer must do everything in his power to not only attract attention, but also to keep it. This does not mean that you need to constantly use only spectacular, dramatic shots. In fact, sometimes even subtle beauty in a shot can make a more powerful impression.
The conclusion is this: it is the general aesthetics that can bring you new customers. You need to find some attention-grabbing feature, your advantage, and support it everywhere - both on your sites and on social media channels.
2. Conveys a message without words
The human brain processes pictures very quickly. Information that is processed faster, such as in the form of an image, will always work more efficiently. Your choice of photos should always be consistent with your brand, mission and content. Post photos that are supportive, not distracting.
3. Establishes non-verbal communication
Every brand wants to stand out and be remembered by the public. Having clients associate you with certain symbols or even styles of photography is already an achievement. Think about the fact that most of our communication is non-verbal. Therefore, the mission of any marketer is to include visual elements and accompany them with quality text for safe seo promotion. If you want to interest your audience, you cannot do without professional photography.
4. Possesses viral potential
When people see something that catches them, they are imbued with an interest in you and your cause and share that interest with others. If the post is actively shared in the Internet community and in social networks, you can expect a significant jump in the number of visitors. More visitors means more potential customers. Once you've developed a consistent approach, all you have to do is continue to build customer loyalty and trust.
5. Improves brand reputation
You may not have thought about it yet, but the consistently high level of photography really contributes to an increase in the level of trust in your brand. It kind of informs customers that you care even about the little things, you have good aesthetics, and in general a strong brand - since you are so attentive to the graphics that you post.
6. Appeals to emotions
We've talked before about the types of photographs that evoke emotion in the audience. You can be sure that emotions are often the reason for making a purchase decision. And the reaction of buyers to the call of the picture is a very important factor in marketing. Enticing photography, along with the other types of photography we've talked about in the above article, elicit an emotional response. Choose your photos with the end result and your target audience in mind.
7. Encourages action
You've probably already caught yourself more than once clicking on sponsored content because of the picture you like. This principle works on many platforms. If you have a captivating photo and a clear CTA, you have a winning combination. Most internet users will only respond to a call with action if the call is supported by visual content rather than plain text.
8. Increases engagement
Using photography automatically generates more engagement. This is true for most social media, blog posts, and even websites. If you could use an engagement tool knowing full well that it works, wouldn't you use it?
9. Gains trust
The key word here is consistency. It is not enough to have a few cool pictures, you need to ensure their constant flow and strive for consistency of visual materials on all your social media channels and other Internet sites. People form opinions very quickly, so having professional photos that put your case in context can help build trust. If they like what you post, they'll want to see more, follow you, or look at your products.
10. It all boils down to sales growth
When you get organized and use high-quality, professional-looking images (find details here) that are linked together, you immediately see a boost in sales. Successful photographs help potential customers visualize your product or service in relation to themselves, and if they support your business or are interested in what you have to offer, they will immediately want to make a purchase.
Making Your Content Engagement Skyrocket: How to Choose the Right Images
When we think of website content, most of us still think of words. Yes, video and audio are becoming increasingly popular, and more and more websites are using them, but when we’re talking websites, it’s words and images.
And since words are much more difficult to construct, we often make the mistake of forgetting all about the images until we need to publish the page itself. At that point, we might just choose any ol’ image, and sort of hope for the best.
Today, we will be looking at the best way to choose the best images for your content, and why this matters.
Why are images important?
Content with good images attracts 94% more views than content without them. This fact alone speaks volumes, but here is another one. Between 65 and 85 percent of people describe themselves as visual learners, meaning images appeal to them more than words.
It’s easier to capture someone’s attention with an image – even if you format your text well and have your most prominent words stand out, images just work better. They’re also better for capturing our short attention spans, they’re more memorable, and they can tell a story in less space than any amount of words.
Now let’s look at how to choose the right ones:
Make sure they are a match
The images you use for any kind of content need to match the mood and voice of your brand and speak to your target audience. They also need to match the mood of the piece they’re accompanying.
Consider the emotions and thoughts you want to provoke with your piece of content, and what the message you want to drive home is. Then try to find images that match your intent perfectly.
Source: huckberry.com
Huckberry is a great example of matching mood to target audience – just take a look at their website and Instagram, and you’ll instantly see who they are targeting and how. Their images are aligned with their brand and tell some great stories.
Illustrate the product the best you can
If you’re selling a physical product, make sure you use plenty of images of it, both in action and in still shots. The same goes for SaaS products – make sure you add plenty of screenshots that show what the product actually looks like, instead of just talking about it.
When adding product images, always try to use your own photos, as opposed to photos of the same product you’ve found online. This will lend much more authenticity and help you stand out, and it’s also good SEO practice.
This product page from Somnifix is a very good example of a company doing this well. They have many images of their product being used by people in a variety of different capacities. This helps to clearly demonstrate how the product is meant to be used and the benefits of using it.
Use your own images
While we’re on the subject of using your own images, this rule should be applied to all kinds of images, and not just for product ones. Even your blog posts should contain original images if this is possible.
If you’re hiring a designer to do these images for you, try to figure out a way to tie all of the images together. Stick to a similar design and the same color palette, and try to add some branding to them.
For example, look at what Smash Digital is doing – they feature the same character on all of their images, making them instantly recognizable and authentic.
Source: smashdigital.com
Use images throughout the page
You may compose pages you feel don’t need to have images, or where you feel you don’t need to place too many images. However, in reality, you should place images throughout every page, in order to break up some of the text, make the page more visually appealing, and illustrate your points well.
There will certainly be posts for which it’s really difficult to come up with images, but you can always think of something if you try. In fact, you can think about the imagery you could use in the post while you’re writing the copy, and make notes for yourself on the kind of image you will need.
Even review and comparison pages need illustrations to make them work. This review page is a good example from Sleep Junkie because it has images for every section. While the copy would still work without the images, the page is more structured and simply more attractive with them.
Play with emotions
Images are your chance to evoke all kinds of emotions in your audience (after all, they do “speak louder than words). Using them to your advantage can help you immensely.
You will need to do some reading on image psychology and how best to choose different images to make people feel certain emotions, but the actual strategy is straightforward: think about the way you want to make people feel and why, and then find or create images that go extremely well with your desired emotional outcome.
Make sure they work on mobile
Finally, you need to consider your mobile visitors as well, and how you’re going to make your images appeal to them. It may take more than just optimizing your current desktop images for mobile – and you may need to rethink your entire use of images on different devices and different screen sizes.
Source: dribbble.com
Waiting for an image to load, or having to continuously keep scrolling because images keep popping up and moving you up and down is the worst possible user experience. Make sure that:
- The images load properly on a smaller screen (i.e., that they actually fit on the screen in both landscape and portrait orientation).
- They don’t disrupt your text layout.
- They are small enough to load fast.
Final thoughts
It may take you some time to get used to image selection and give it as much attention as it deserves. But once you get the hang of it, you’ll notice how much easier the task becomes, and that you are also spending less time on it.
Don’t just slap any image onto your pages and hope for the best, and don’t forgo adding images altogether either. Take some time to find ones that will go best with your carefully crafted text. As a result of your effort, you’ll notice how your engagement rates start to climb, and your users become readier to convert.
The Importance of Visual Content in Digital Marketing
It is no secret that we are living in an age that is increasingly dominated by social media and online media platforms, and we spend almost every minute of our days being connected online through our PCs and mobile devices. We are receiving unprecedented amounts of information from a multitude of sources from all over the world, and people have become a lot more discerning in deciding what information to absorb and what to ignore.
In the world of advertising, this has obvious implications. On the one hand, we have more marketing resources at our fingertips to reach consumers than ever before, via social media, email, websites and blogs. However, people are filtering out most of what they receive online because they are being overloaded with information. This has resulted in businesses finding it incredibly difficult to make a lasting impression on your target audience and to get your brand noticed.
In addition to becoming savvier in how we process this flurry of data, the truth is that consumers have also become lazier in how they consume information. They are less willing to click buttons and seek out further details, with the expectation being that everything will be presented directly to them for instant consumption. Consumers decide very quickly whether they are interested enough to stick around and hear more or scroll on to the next piece of information online. Including high quality visual content in your online content is, therefore, an obvious necessity in grabbing the attention of your target audience and building your brand's identity.
Guided by Facts
The human brain processes visual information up to 60,000 times quicker than we do written information. This is a pretty staggering number, and certainly an important one when you are considering any digital marketing campaign. It has also been noted that most people decide in less than 10 seconds whether they like a web page or not, and this has obvious effects on sales and user engagement. Such decisions are made purely on the aesthetics and 'feel' of your landing page.
These figures highlight the importance of putting plenty of thought and research into your marketing and presentation, and how crucial it is to make an instantly positive impression on people. Through the effective use of visual content, you can grab people's attention, keep their interest long enough to get your message across and convey the identity that you want for your brand.
Finding the Right Balance
Photo by Le Buzz via Unsplash
Whilst it is obvious that visuals are more appealing than text when it comes to digital marketing strategies, SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) also still requires the effective use of keywords and text for 'true' content. The challenge is to strike the right balance between the use of visuals to grab people's attention, and producing quality written content that is often the actual substance of your online presence and will keep people interested and coming back to you for more. You want people to value the information that you're providing, and to consider you an authority in your niche. It is not possible to do this without providing content with some substance, but you also cannot grab their attention without the strategic use of visuals.
Telling Your Brand's Story Through Visual Marketing
Choosing the right visual content for your digital marketing campaign can add immense value to what you are saying and can project the image that you want for your brand. You can tell your brand's story through visuals, and you are more likely to resonate with your audience if you choose the right visual content for the story you are trying to tell. High quality images are more likely to stick in people's heads than a wordy block of text. The fact is people will initially identify your brand by what they see.
Choosing the Right Visual Content
Photo by Chris Yang via Unsplash
Although we've discussed how effective visual media can be as opposed to pure text, it is still crucial that you choose the right type of visual content for your campaign, and this is where the importance of knowing your market and your intended audience comes into play. You have to identify which visual format is more likely to resonate with your target group and what are you trying to achieve with your campaign. Consider the following visual formats:
- Images – help to break up passages of text, reinforce what your text is saying
- Videos – highly engaging for the consumer, great for product demonstrations & conveying your brand’s ‘personality’, build a rapport with your audience
- Screenshots – excellent for product descriptions, testimonials, offering ‘behind-the-scenes' glimpses into your brand and building trust with your audience
- Infographics – used to convey data & statistics in a visually appealing way
All these visual marketing tools can be used effectively to drive traffic to your website or social media account and generate more meaningful engagement. However, choosing the correct method of delivery for your digital marketing campaign is essential, as it will often determine whether your message sticks with people and stands out in a crowded marketplace.
The Verdict
When used effectively, the right type of visual content can create instant brand recognition and awareness and will ultimately have a tremendous influence on the types of connections that people make with your brand. Mastering the use of visual content in your digital marketing will go a long way to ensuring your brand's longevity and success in what is a competitive marketplace.
As noted earlier, the internet now plays a huge part in most social and business interactions, with the majority of customers first searching the internet when considering the purchase of a new product or service. A strong online presence is essential in the modern business world, and there is no doubt that plenty of well-placed visual content is a vital part of any successful digital marketing campaign. If you can present information that is visually appealing and convey what your brand is all about through a strategic mix of text and supporting visuals, you are already going to be ahead of the game and giving your business every chance for success.
Author Bio: This article was written by Ted Murphy of Ted Murphy Photography. Ted has over twenty years’ experience helping businesses develop their brand through high-quality, professional images. Ted has worked with businesses in a wide spectrum of industries, from real estate to financial institutions for marketing purposes.
5 Simple Ways to Boost Your Rankings with a Visual SEO Strategy
[eafl id="19744" name="Hubspot Default" text="affiliate link"]The digital world has become overwhelmingly complicated, brimming with a greater number of businesses trying their best to rank higher and to get more online visibility. Strategies based on trends, marketing research, and vast scope of diverse content formats are deployed every day in the aim to push a business’s presence into the forefront of digital attention. Alas, none of it really matters if you don’t understand how SEO evolves and introduces new methods as preferred ones. Enter: visual SEO. Although your underlying code, your written content, and your link-building efforts are all still very vital in the chase after better ranking in the SERPs, visuals are getting more relevant every day.
As humans, we love visual stimuli. This behaviour translates into our online habits, and surveys and studies support this. So, based on a single [eafl id="19744" name="Hubspot Default" text="HubSpot"] survey, 58% of consumers expressed a desire to see more video content from the brands they love and support. Essentially, even at this rate, we still want more visual content, no matter how abundant it may be, since we have specialized platforms the likes of YouTube to deliver them daily. How does this work in favour of your search engine ranking? Let’s take a look at several useful strategies to use your visuals to boost your SEO.
Storytelling with visuals
Google’s ever-changing algorithm aside, quality content consistently tops as the most vital ranking factor a brand can produce. No authentic creativity means no reason for users to spend time on your website or social media pages, and poor interest will ultimately push you down the search results well. When you craft content that’s valuable, educational, and trendy, with a unique angle as well, you have a better chance to put your brand on the map.
However, now that content comes in many different formats, your business needs to keep up with your audience’s preferences, and consuming visual content is a significant part of our digital behaviour. With every business publishing high-quality videos and images, you need to make sure that yours are at least on par with those of your competitors.
Now, in addition to diversification and its impact on your web visitors’ interest (and subsequently your ranking), focusing on visual storytelling is also a must since your users will leave your site unless you inspire genuine interest in less than 15 seconds. Capture your visitors’ interest with a brilliant, but brief video introduction, as well as brand-specific images that represent your values. Reduce your bounce rate through engaging visuals, and your ranking will inevitably improve over time.
Localizing your visuals
If you’re a Singapore resident, do you really care that much about a gallery opening in Vienna? As much as globalization has enabled businesses to erase borders, search engines, as well as humans, are intertwined with locations. Your business presence in a region (one that can be confirmed and verified) adds great value to your SEO, so why not enrich your visuals with the same local values that you stick to in your written content?
For instance, if a Texas business wants to garner more local interest and inspire more website visitors as well as more physical store visits, adding a visual approach makes perfect sense. Different strategies should encompass written formats as well as rich visuals such as videos and imagery that reflect the local culture. To make sure their strategy works in the local area in question, more companies are using Dallas SEO services and their specific target markets to deliver unique content relevant to the region. Showcase your Texas offices, your storefront, your local employees during team building, invite your local customers to tag your brand when they’re using your products or services, and the like.
Written content isn’t the only format that can be “localized”. On the contrary, if you give your visuals the same, local-specific approach, you’ll be able to elicit a genuine emotion, connect with your audience, start trending for relevant content, and increase your CTR for the links that go with your videos. All of these efforts combined will translate to greater authority for your brand, and better recognition from search engines.
Repurpose old content in visual formats
For brands that have been in the game for a very long time, you might be wondering how on Earth you’re supposed to produce new content on a regular basis to compete with all the up-and-coming names in the industry, keep it fresh, and stay relevant. Truth be told, it’s very difficult to produce SEO-relevant content that hasn’t already been published in one form or another. Plus, if you’ve been here long enough, you might already have your highest performing blogs that are impossible to surpass.
Here’s where you can actually use videos! You can repurpose your original content to give it a fresh angle, and present it in a visually appealing manner. Plus, video content with subtitles is more easily digestible than several thousand words of text, especially for your modern customers who are on the go, and will most likely enjoy a video on their phones, on their way to work.
As we’ve already established that regular, consistent quality content is the essence of powerful SEO, repurposing your old content is one of the best ways to improve your SEO game and diversify your content. Think about all those studies you’ve done, whitepapers sitting idly in a folder somewhere waiting to become an intriguing podcast, or dry numbers waiting to come to life in an infographic or a video. These will surely inspire more shares, views, higher CTR, and more dwell-time on your website – ultimately skyrocketing your ranking in the SERPs.
Inspire user-generated visuals
Sometimes, it’s not about what you and your business can do in order to drive your ranking, but what you can do to inspire others into taking action that will help you soar in the search results. When your brand is associated with many different visitors, customers, and your digital footprint expands, your brand instantly gains more authority with search engines, as well. Google notices that you’ve managed to garner the interest of your audience by inspiring them to share industry and business-relevant content, and the engine will reward you for your trustworthy behaviour.
But what about content generated by your audience in relation to your brand? If you can inspire and encourage users to showcase using your brand’s products or services online, whether it’s through videos or images, the “shareability” of that content can grow very quickly. This might be the kind of “second-hand” content that’s not fully in your control, but the right marketing campaign or a contest with a giveaway can quickly generate a significant number of visuals that promote your brand, in a context that is relevant for the rest of your audience and potential customers.
Fortunately, Google appreciates and understands such content and chances are that the search engine will get those visuals in front of other people online with similar interests. This is especially easy to achieve via social networks, hence the need to do your best to spread your digital wings with the right visuals – even when you’re not the one creating those visuals. People have already shown a greater tendency to share images and videos than text alone, making this a great opportunity for you to disseminate your brand more effectively.
Pay attention to image optimization
A high-quality image can easily fly unnoticed if you don’t do your absolute best to help search engine crawlers understand its actual content and relevance. Add to that, the image optimization process is yet another step that allows you to implement the right keywords that will help search engines connect the dots and utilize your visual content fully for the purpose of better SEO.
Videos and images actually give you plenty of space to use very specific keywords that will provide crawlers with relevant data. This is especially vital if your business has competitors and content that has already taken the prime Google spots for those more general terms, such as “shoes” or “bags”. Is there a video showcasing the production process of your latest purse collection? Then add a description with keywords and phrases such as “a hand-crafted faux leather purse”. The more specific and detailed you get, the better search engines will be at placing you closer to the top when such a search occurs.
Make sure not to use generic, but catchy and authentic titles, and always keep an eye on your alt tags and header tags, even though they might seem irrelevant, they can help push you even higher on the results page. When a visitor cannot load the image for whatever reason, or if the person doing the search is visually-impaired, the alt description can help them understand the context of the missing image.
While technical SEO and traditional strategies will never wane in relevance, you need to prepare your brand for the constantly growing emergence of new trends that will reshape how you’ll be ranked in search engines. A visual strategy is a clear example of how SEO changes with the times, so give your business a chance to utilize visuals and retain its relevance in this visual age.