Textual posts are more or less dominant on most websites, but visual content is definitely the ruler of social media. The likes of Pinterest or Instagram are almost exclusively visual platforms, but images are also winning over a bit more traditional networks such as Facebook and LinkedIn.
What does it tell you?
Well, brands hoping to grow the number of followers and boost user engagement must improve their visual content strategies. You can do it using many different tactics, but we are here to point out 10 tips that can really maximize the effect of your visual content on social media networks. Let’s check it out!
The State of Visual Content
Is visual content as popular as marketers believe it to be? The answer is obviously ‘Yes’, but we want to prove it with the latest statistical findings. Here’s what reports say about social media content:
- Posts that include images produce 650% higher engagement than text-only posts.
- Nearly a third of marketers say images are the most important form of content for their business.
- Your brain processes visual information 60 thousand times faster than plain text.
- Internet users don’t typically read a page but rather scan it to find visual markers like headlines, bulletins, diagrams, and images.
- Tweets with some visual content are retweeted 1.5 times more than those without images.
How to Perfect Visual Content on Social Media
You are now well aware of the power of visual content in social media marketing, but do you know how to perfect your content creation plan? If you are not really sure about it, keep reading to see the top 10 tips and techniques.
- Use a headshot or logo for profile photos
A profile photo is the first thing social media users will notice you by, so you better make sure to upload a professional image to represent you. Two solutions are fundamental in social media marketing:
- A headshot: This option proved to be the best for personal brands and individuals who run a one-person company.
- A logo: The second solution is widespread among businesses and organizations of all sizes.
- Beware of image dimensions
Beginner-level marketers don’t pay attention to image dimensions, so they end up publishing user-unfriendly content that looks awkward or ugly on mobile devices. Different types of images should come in different dimensions, but here is the general rule of thumb for photo posts across social platforms:
- Facebook 1200 x 630
- Instagram 1010 x 1080
- Twitter 1024 x 512
- LinkedIn 1200 x 627
- Pinterest 1000 x 1500
- Publish professionally-looking content only
This one goes without saying, but we are still surprised to see so many amateurish visuals all over the social networks. It is particularly strange in 2020 when almost everyone can afford a high-quality smartphone with an amazing camera.
If you really don’t know how to shoot and edit images, we suggest hiring a professional agency or photographer to do it on your behalf. It’s like hiring a paper writing service like Superior Papers – content quality is guaranteed.
- Keep it natural and do not over-promote
Way too many brands create generic visuals that look more or less the same, which is why you should take a different approach and keep your images simple and natural. Avoid brand overpromotion and do your best to showcase real people in real everyday situations. This is what most social media users want to see, so you better indulge them and do not focus on your products only.
- Be consistent
Do you know that users share 95 million photos and videos daily on Instagram alone? Beautiful images don’t mean anything to your business if you don’t publish them over and again consistently. We strongly encourage you to create a content calendar and publish new posts at least once a day.
Consistency, however, is not only about scheduling. On the contrary, you need to think about other features as well:
- Using the same or similar filters and color schemes
- Revolving images around the same themes
- Trying to promote certain moods and emotions consistently
- Different networks require different content
Do you publish the same visual content on LinkedIn and Instagram? If yes, you are making a mistake that will make a devastating effect on your marketing strategy long-term. How come?
Jake Gardner, a digital marketer at the best coursework writing service agency, explains that social platforms gather different audiences: “Your job is to think about the target group and segment the fan base according to network-specific preferences.”
- Use the right hashtags
Hashtags are social media keywords, which forces you to add the most relevant hashtags to every post you publish on Instagram and other platforms. The main rule is to combine brand-related hashtags with the most popular or trendiest hashtags in your niche.
Besides that, make sure to filter through your possibilities and add not more than three or four hashtags per post. That way, your social media content will not look intrusive and spammy.
- Add captions to support visuals
Although we are focusing on visual content primarily, let us remind you that a brief piece of text will almost always make your social media posts better and more engaging. This is why you ought to add captions to the posts and give additional information about images. Captions serve as valuable support to the visual content and add a new layer of context to your messages.
- Diversify social media content
You probably don’t need us to tell you that visual content comes in many shapes, forms, and sizes, but we do need to remind you to diversify the content strategy. It will make the account look more attractive while helping you to avoid the monotony trap. Here are only a few ideas on how to diversify social media strategy:
- Publish images, memes, and GIFs
- Use infographics, charts, and tables
- Take advantage of quotes and motivational messages
- Show how things work behind the scenes
- Present new products
- Feel free to experiment
Finally, we believe that every brand should act independently and experiment with fresh and alternative content ideas. Try to build a unique social media presence by thinking outside the box as it will help you differentiate and earn you a whole bunch of new followers.
Up to You!
Social media marketing lives and breathes visual content, so you better make sure to adjust your strategy and impress followers with fresh and exciting photos. In this post, we discussed 10 superior ways to optimize your content creation plan and design better images. Now you know how to do it, so what are you waiting for?
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