In the old days (pre-2007) in order to get noticed online, you had to write well. Then (2008-2011), you had to post daily on your Blog or Website. Today, you have to write well, post daily, and you must also have gorgeous, unique and relevant photographs peppered throughout your content.
The visual experience online has been maturing for decades, but three recent events have marked our shift into this new era, according to MDG Advertising in It’s All About The Images.
- The Pinterest Effect. Pinterest is the third most-popular social media and their page views are skyrocketing. More importantly, companies using Pinterest are seeing their own pages skyrocket. We launched our Green Wedding Pinterest page earlier this year and it has become our third largest source of site traffic, after
Google andFacebook . - The Timeline Overhaul. The new Timeline feature on Facebook makes photos larger, and provides a cover photo for greater visual impact. We have posted pictures with defunct links (by mistake!) that have still gotten dozens of “shares.” This situation demonstrates that image alone is enough to get fans to share a post.
- The Billion-Dollar Acquisition. As Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, who just acquired Pinterest puts it: “Providing the best photo-sharing experience is one reason why so many people love Facebook and we knew it would be worth bringing these two companies together.” He is positive that photos are the future of all online experiences — and I am sure we will be seeing even more photo-functionality coming out of Facebook in the years ahead.
Consumers expect a first class visual experience when they shop or browse online, and they are rewarding companies that give them what they want. The numbers tell the tale:
- Articles with relevant photos get 94% more views than articles without images!
- More than 50% of consumers say that an image in the results of a local search makes it significantly more likely that they will contact the company.
- 67% of consumers say that an image is “very important” when selecting a product.
- More than 50% of consumers think a high-quality photo of a product is more important than product information, long description, or rating and reviews.
Video is playing an increasingly important role online as well, but right now social media users still respond to images above all.
Interestingly, the same is not true for press releases. It appears that media professionals prefer video over photography — if they have to choose, but really like a press release with both. When it comes to PR, it turns out that more is more.
No matter which media you are using to market your product or service, the message is clear: great images are essential for getting the most out of you marketing efforts.
Special thanks to MDGadvertising. Their infographic in full can be found at: http://www.mdgadvertising.com/blog/its-all-about-the-images-infographic/
