Promoting your business can be a lot more effective with the right images. They can engage your customers and prospects. Make them curious to read your blogs. And get them clicking on search engine results. So here’s some tips for great pictures that help bring in enquiries.
Why You Should Use Pictures
Combining good images with your written content attracts attention. Hubspot reported that images in a blog increases recall by 55%. For social media, images are essential for improving results. The Content Marketing Institute reported that Facebook posts with images get over twice the number of hits. And on Twitter, a tweet with images gets 1.5 times more readers. Plus, don’t forget all-important SEO. Including images in blogs and web pages can make a real difference to how they rank in search engines. So it’s important to use images in your digital marketing activities.
Get Snapping
The results you can get using a professional photographer really can’t be overstated. They can take brilliant pictures which really are worth a thousand words. Plus, if you plan ahead, you can use their time efficiently and have pictures for multiple articles.
However, sometimes a professional photographer may not be feasible choice. Budget may be too tight, or there are security or health and safety concerns. But there is no reason why you can’t have a go yourself. The technology now contained in typical mobile phones is pretty amazing. And taking a good photo is easier than ever before.
A Few Tips For Great Pictures
Before you get clicking away with your phone or digital camera, here’s a few tips to help make your pictures more appealing.
Stick to the story
Try to keep take pictures that are relevant what you are promoting. Simple is best, so use pictures where possible of the subject matter. That may sound unimaginative. But if you want your promotion to work, ‘imaginative’ isn’t always a great idea. A relevant, well-taken picture that represents the topic will always work.
Right way up
The orientation of your phone when taking a picture is important. In most cases you should take pictures in landscape format. The dimensions for images for social media are mainly landscape in scale (although Instagram is square). So, try to remember to rotate your phone 90° before hitting the shutter button.
Play with your settings
If you’re taking pictures indoors, try experimenting with the flash settings on your camera to reduce dark shadows. Similarly, more recent cameras can alter the depth of field to blur backgrounds. That can be really useful to focus on a subject – or just tone down a scruffy environment.
Give advance warning
If your content is about people then you’ll likely want to include a picture of them. Always give someone at least 24 hours’ notice you’re going to take a picture of them. Give them the chance to look their best!
On the subject of people, never take a picture of someone against a wall. Shadows, bad overhead lighting and stiff posture always makes them look awful. Instead, take the picture where they work. At their desk, on the shop floor, out in the field – someone in their working environment looks far more natural.
Keep it clean
Product pictures can be notoriously tricky to get right. But give yourself a fighting chance by setting them in a clean, white area and make sure it is well-lit to remove dark shadows.
Get permission when required
If you’re taking pictures outdoors then you literally have a whole world at your fingertip. In the UK it is perfectly legal for you to take pictures in public places. But if you are taking pictures of specific people or buildings then you should get their permission first.
Don’t it reflect badly on you
If you are taking pictures of shops or offices, try to take from an angle. Reflections can look terrible and no-one wants to see you taking the picture
“Is that a lampost sticking out of her head?”
Look at what might be included in a picture. A picturesque high street scene shouldn’t include an overflowing rubbish bin for example. And having a sign saying TOILETS in the background tends to detract from the subject!
The alternative view
Always take pictures from different angles and viewpoints. You will be amazed at how one picture you didn’t first consider ends up being your favourite
Flash or no flash?
If the light is a little low, take two pics – one with flash and one without. Sometimes using flash can have dramatic effects on a subject. But it can also ruin a picture. On the other side, a slightly dark image can be improved later,
Get the area as well as the subject
Close-ups are fine but they can also lose context. So take wider pics showing more of the general area too
Don’t hesitate
If there is one big tip we can give it’s this. If you see a shot you think looks amazing, just take it.
Editing photos
Computers can transform pictures. Dull, badly taken photographs can turn into eye-catching images. And the software to do this doesn’t always cost huge sums either. In fact, one or two are free. But a word of warning. Image editing software can take time to use. Plus, they don’t always work well on a basic or old laptop. It’s often cheaper and faster to have images edited for you instead.
Measure The Results
Once you start using photos within your promotional work, you may find over time that some prove to have more impact than others. This can help you to define more closely what pictures you should take and include in your future marketing activities.
Two More Tips For great Pictures
With the right approach, you can have photos that will promote your products and services to customers. And these pictures will greatly boost your digital marketing. Building and maintaining an online presence for your business takes a lot of work. When your To-Do list is already a mile long, it may seem just too much.
That’s where we can help. You can get cost-effective help and support with your digital marketing. From clear copy to professional image editing, we save you valuable time and help build your brand – and sales pipeline.
