As more of us engage with social media via smartphones, we're discovering that taking a picture "on-the-go" with a high-resolution phone is much easier than typing out a status update on a tiny keyboard. Did you know that visuals are processed 60,000 times faster than text? Content with images attracts 94% more total views on average than content without images, and videos are clicked on 12 times more often than links and text posts combined. So here are five ways to help you incorporate visuals into your social media for more clicks, hits, oohs and aahs!
1. Visually Post on Behalf of the Face of Your Brand
Think about Apple's apple, Geico's gecko and Spotlight's Roxie. Does your company or blog have an identity or mascot who is the face of your brand? If not, now may be the time to create one. Try to come up with an image that corresponds to your brand's identity, whether it is funny, quirky or 4-legged (like ours). Get started by adding the image to the top of every post you make, effectively branding your company across the board and giving a virtual face to your next post.
2. Show and Tell it!
Did you know that 44% of respondents are more likely to engage with brands if they post pictures than any other media? So, whenever possible, use visuals to share your message. If you want to get additional mileage out of the photos you share on your social sites then try adding text to your images. Use captions and descriptions, keywords and #hashtags, or your website URL, so users have a place to go to find additional information.
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3. Turn Ho-hum Numbers and Statistics into Beautiful Graphs and Infographics
To the average person, reading number after number can be daunting. One simple way to protect against number overload is to create a visual graph, and a great source for creating these visual graphs is the site Infogr.am. The site offers a bevvy of different chart styles and colors to choose from, and with the new Pro version you can download your finished chart as a PNG. Another great way to bring life to factual information is via infographics. Check out Piktochart for hundreds of downloadable templates.
Source: Visual.ly
Source: Piktochart
4. Short on Time? Make a Vine Video in 6 Seconds or Less
Heard of Vine? The Vine app is a tool that can be used to create a 6-second video that you can share with your audience using Twitter, Facebook, and via your website or blog. Our attention spans online are incredibly short, and they're only getting shorter, so six seconds works perfectly for Vine fans. Keep in mind that with vine, companies have the ability to capture and share life in motion. If used correctly, this 6-second video app can be highly effective for promoting and enhancing your company's social media presence.
5. Try SlideShare, It's Like YouTube for Slides
SlideShare is just like YouTube, but for your slides! You can use it to upload files as PowerPoint's, PDF's, Keynotes or Open Office presentations. Slide decks can then be viewed on the site itself, on hand held devices or embedded on other sites. Use SlideShare to demonstrate your expertise through visual presentations, encourage people to register to view your upcoming presentations, increase your SEO, and for lead generation.
What visuals do you add to your social posts? Let us know in the comments below.