Color in visuals catches our eyes. Perhaps you opened this blog because of the colorful postcards displayed in this picture. That’s why image marketing is the hottest marketing trend today. No wonder Instagram and Pinterest are big names in the marketing game these days and for good reason. It’s no secret that humans are visually stimulated, so it makes sense that platforms where you can provide vivid images will help boost brand awareness. When it comes to online marketing for small business, image marketing should definitely be high on the priority list.
- Instagram is growing at an exponential rate. It’s expected to hit a billion monthly active users this year. That’s a billion eyes that could be on your content and recognizing your brand. In fact, brands are already hard at work using the platform, and people are loving it. 80% of Instagram users follow at least one business on the platform, so why not make yours one of them?
- Your audience is on visual social media platforms. Instagram, for example, is biggest with 18-29 year olds, while Snapchat reaches 18-34 year olds. Pinterest users are a mix of ages, with a median age of 40 years old. Men and women use all these sites with Pinterest having a strong leaning toward female users…but 40% of new signups are now men. In short, if you produce visual content, your audience is looking for it.
- Images engage users. Ads have images for a reason. People are stimulated by the pictures and when it comes to image marketing, your photos or graphics tell a story. They can help your viewers imagine themselves in the same situation using the same products. That’s where the power of images comes into play. Once you get viewers to imagine themselves using your products or services, you are that much closer to a sale.
- Image marketing captures attention. A block of text is not attractive or appealing. While people will certainly read a large amount of text to get the information they are looking for, they’re far more likely to do so if there is a photo to pull them in. In fact, articles with images get 94% more views.
- Images clarify what you’re writing about. The photo gives a better idea of what the text is about and can even clarify some more difficult points when you’re writing a how-to article or if you’re discussing a difficult concept. Graphs, photographs, and infographics can all help make your point.
- People respond to image marketing. Articles and social media posts that include images are far more likely to be shared. People will interact more if you have an appealing image, whether it’s on a social media site or a blog. It just makes sense to include plenty of graphics as you promote your company.
- Many people search images to find what they need. Google Images is a popular part of the search engine and can be the main place people look when trying to find a product they need. If you don’t have great photos or images to go with your company, you’re missing out on a great opportunity.
Once you’ve decided that image marketing is the way to go, the next step is to actually implement it into your marketing plan. The exact way to market will depend on your business. For example, a company that sells writing services will have very different images than one that sells health products.
Research what works best for your niche and then focus on that type of image marketing for your business. It could end up drastically changing how you create content. If you’re looking for the best way to start online marketing for small business, this is where to start. Want to learn more? Get started with Online Sales Pro today and check out our marketing guide, Social Media Essentials, to launch your business online.
