The Effect of Images on Your Brand

branding
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In the past, marketing through social media was all about content. Of course, it is still about content; however, it is also about images which truly serve to enhance the concepts of whatever you are sharing with your audience.

Affecting a balance

There are many social media channels (and they are becoming more and more popular) that are completely based on images. The list includes Instagram, Pinterest, and Tumblr. Of course, the other popular social media channels (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter) have image capability and in those cases, it is very simple to combine effective words with effective images. Many people have begun to realize that they need to take their business to the next level and make the images one of the focal points of their message. This works very effectively because many audience members are visual and the images appeal to them a great deal.

How to effectively use images in branding

There are several different ways in which you can incorporate images into your branding to yield positive results. First of all, you need to make sure that whichever images you choose to accompany your content, that people will be able to share them easily. As you are in the selection phase of the images, you will want to choose the images that you feel will touch your audience emotionally in the most profound manner. As you are probably aware, human beings react with their feelings. If you manage to get through to them emotionally, they will respond in a way that you can work with and so that you can start to form a relationship. As you are working on selecting images, it is a really good idea to look closely at your content to figure out which types of audience members you are trying to reach. Your images will be connected to that concept. Once you have been able to identify that, it will be much easier for you. It may also be helpful for you to analyze your metrics to determine what appeals most to your audience so that you have a solid direction in which to go.

Watch carefully

Paying close attention to your online results is extremely helpful and will really take you very far. However, it is important for you to recognize that this may be challenging when it comes to images. Most analytics tools pay attention to keywords, not images. There are companies, however, that monitor the metrics for images and it will probably be well worth your while to use one or more of them. All feedback is essential for your business’s success. You may find that, at times, you learn more from negative feedback than positive feedback. In any case, you cannot afford to ignore the negative just because it doesn’t make you feel good. If you can get past the emotional reaction and really listen to what the feedback is trying to say, you will do well.

Gather embassadors

One of the best ways to spread the word and elicit positive feedback is by getting other people to sing your business’s praises. In fact, other people are the only ones who can do that for you. You will never be able to do it yourself because your word will not come with the same credibility. However, it is completely appropriate for you to encourage other people to praise what you are doing on your behalf. On the other hand, if someone else has taken your images and has altered them for a negative effect, they are infringing on your copyright and you are completely justified in fixing the situation to the best of your ability.

Conclusion

It is still true that “Content is King”; however, images will take your content and make it even better and even more effective. It is extremely important for you, as a business owner, to understand the power that images can have for your business and make sure that you leverage them for all they are worth. You will start to see results and you will not remember a time when you didn’t have them as a part of your brand. Because many people are visual, it is an excellent idea to use your images as a familiar trademark for your brand, including familiar figures and colors in the images. People will remember them and associate them with your business. Sometimes, a picture really is worth a thousand words!

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Author

  • Michael Cohn

    Michael Cohn is the founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of CompuKol Communications. He has decades of experience in IT and web technologies. Michael founded CompuKol Communications to help small businesses and entrepreneurs increase their visibility and reputation. CompuKol consults, creates, and implements communication strategies for small businesses to monopolize their markets with a unique business voice, vision, and visibility. Mr. Cohn earned a Master’s degree in project management from George Washington University in Washington, DC; and a Master’s degree in computer science and a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ.

2 Responses

  1. Chris Thomas says:

    Via Linkedin Groups
    Group: Marketing Communication
    Disucssion: The Effect of Images on Your Brand

    I am pleased the article insists on relevant images that add value – I am completely fed up with scrolling through pages of images that get in the way, because the authors have simplistically believed that they need an image on every social media communication, but don’t have the time/money/resources to find images that have the right mood/content/context. I spot a niche market here in teaching cartooning…..

    By Chris Thomas

  2. Peter Alessandria says:

    Via Linkedin Groups
    Group: Executives Club of New Jerse
    Disucssion: The Effect of Images on Your Brand

    Michael – thank you for this reminder. I would add that quality images are a powerful way to communicate with your customers. Most of my clients sell products on-line and many have told me they saw an increase in sales when they had professional product photography done. We will also be talking in December at the Executives Club regular meeting about how professional headshots can enhance your personal brand.
    By Peter Alessandria