It’s no secret that imagery is one of the most important assets when posting social media content. Every post should have an image whether you’re announcing a deal on Facebook or a new product on Twitter. Most marketers would likely agree that including an image is better than not including an image.
There are some subtle differences in how imagery affects your post, how users interact with your post, and consequently, how many people your post reaches. Your fan base or target market can help determine what type of imagery to use in your social media campaigns.
I manage the social media channels for LakeGeorge.com, where we post content about local news, popular events, and of course, great photos of Lake George and the surrounding area. We also promote small businesses in the area – a special deal, promotion, or offer that they would like to spread the word about. (If this interests you, you can learn more here.)
We all know that a beautiful photo does well when posted by itself, with just a caption. So when posting deals and offers on the page, why not use beautiful photography for those too?
The Impact of Imagery on Facebook Post Performance
Below you’ll see two promotions that we ran during the week or two leading up to Valentine’s Day. These were boosted posts, so I set the “run time” for five to six days. Both posts had the same budget, and both posts were for very similar offers. I say these were similar offers because they were both from the same establishment, and were romance themed. One was a lodging offer, and one was a dining offer. These offers also apply to anyone who’s interested in visiting Lake George (because everyone has to eat and sleep, right?).
The first thing you’ll notice about these two promotions is the imagery. Before you even know what the post is about or what the offer is, you’re looking at the image and forming an opinion.
The first photo shows the beautiful entryway at The Inn at Erlowest, fresh snow, the mountains, and a bit of Lake George in the background.
The second photo shows two shrimp, a slice of orange and some garnish. I know that that food is going to taste delicious, but what about someone that doesn’t eat seafood or shellfish? Do you think they are going to react the same way?
The food photo could also be found anywhere. Any dining establishment (in the world) could be serving that dish. The outdoor photo is 100% unique to the establishment. Nowhere else in the world are you going to find that snowy castle except the shore of Lake George.
Check out the results from these two promotions (click the images to read the statistics):
In the interest of keeping this simple, I’m going to use round numbers. That first post reached about 270% more people, gained about 460% more likes, and here’s the real difference maker: generated 700% more click-throughs to the landing page!
Some key takeaways:
- Photography matters!
- Find out what your audience reacts to and loves, and use that photography for deals and offers.
- Try to use photography that is unique to your business or location, rather than a photo that could technically be taken anywhere on earth.
- Experiment! The #1 tip I have for anyone that manages social media business accounts is to experiment. If you try something and it flops, don’t try it again. It’s not going to kill your reach or drown your page, it’s going to teach you what works and what doesn’t!
If you have anything to add to this, we’d love to hear from you. Post a comment below!
