Images are incredibly vital to online marketing. As they say, a picture is worth more than a thousand words, and this is true when you consider this particular application. Online, you are up against the very limited attention span of the users. There is always some distraction or other competitors pushing content to them, basically every minute they spend online. For this reason, it is quite important to immediately make an impact with your content. The right picture can be a cost-effective way to get there, but you really need to play your cards right.
Make sure that the image looks good in various sizes.
Keep in mind that images on social media platforms are often subjected to being resized. These platforms have different size requirements and formatting needs, and things get even more complicated if you consider viewers using different screens, let alone smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices. When selecting your image, it is important to test them and preview how they would look in many different sizes and circumstances. If you pick an image that looks great on your big screen, but then it’s impossible to make out when converted to a small size, you might fail to create something engaging and appealing.
Mobile optimization.
Keep in mind that viewers often access content on mobile devices these days. As mentioned earlier, it is important for an image on social media to stand out on social media platforms. If you can’t find a way to accomplish that, you might risk missing out on a lot of exciting opportunities.
Relevant to your audience.
This might seem obvious, but it’s essential to make sure that the images you select are very relevant to your target audience. The people you are targeting need to connect with the content you provide. This is vital to enhance the likelihood of engagement. To put it simply, people are simply not going to share images that don’t speak to them, and they won’t be enticed to click on your links and check out your content without a stronger visual incentive. Think of an image as a “first impression.” When you go out on a first date, you want to be dressed to match the occasion. You wouldn’t want to seem too uptight or overdressed, but at the same time, you’re going to want to show that you put some effort into looking great and presenting yourself in the best possible light.
In conclusion, these are only three things to consider when picking the right image. The key is to balance these factors, and select pictures that represent your brand, while also being engaging for your audience, and technically optimized to perform as best as possible in a wide variety of screens and formats.