In an era where digital content is as ubiquitous as leaves in the wind, finding ways to truly grab consumers’ attention can start to feel like a Sisyphean task. However, thanks to the constantly evolving state of the online world and the huge numbers of new consumers every year, creating visual content for social media that stops people in their tracks is still very much an achievable goal.
Whether on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or any other social media platform, visual content such as photos, videos, and graphic designs is an impactful way to draw people’s attention to your brand and compel them to investigate your products or services.
The real trick to developing and sharing visual content-driven marketing campaigns is to understand what makes your audience members tick and how you can appeal to people’s emotional sides to forge a deeper, return-worthy consumer relationship.
This article explores a string of strategies for creating visual content worth stopping mid-scroll for, from upgrading your photography game to embracing originality.
7 Visual Content for Social Media Strategies That Will Stop Consumers Scrolling And Start Shopping
The main points to keep in mind when aiming to capture consumer attention on social media or any digital platform are authenticity, quality, and emotional appeal. This can be achieved in a number of ways, especially when using the right kind of visual content.
Below are seven photo-centric strategies that every agency, business, or brand can use to their advantage when trying to drive more traffic toward their social media pages.
Stay on brand with relevant content
The first point to consider when developing visual content for social media is how relevant it is to your target audience. No matter how exciting or valuable your product or service may be, if it doesn’t find the right audience, traction will be an uphill battle.
Make sure that the images and visuals you use overlap coherently with your target market’s interests and needs. The more relevant your content is to an individual, the more likely they are to take your offers seriously.
Utilize high quality photography and video
High-quality photography and video will outperform all other types of visual content on social media in 2024. While infographics and illustrations are gaining steady ground, professionally curated photo imagery is still the best way to connect with consumers online.
This is due to a number of reasons. Premium photography conveys brand credibility, trustworthiness, and success, which motivates consumers to take an interest. Secondly, the clarity and familiarity of photography help people see themselves in your brand identity, which can encourage them to want to integrate your brand into their personal lives.
Thirdly, high-quality photos and videos are popular content forms online. They’re easily shareable, considered top-tier when produced well, and accessible to a wide net of consumers, regardless of language or location. It’s a visual content triple threat.
Observe competitors to help you stand out
Taking notes from other businesses in your industry and similar sectors can be an effective way to learn about emerging visual content for social media trends on the Internet.
Observing and researching the way your fiercest competitors are approaching sales through visual content keeps you abreast of content currents and patterns. Plus, it gives you the knowledge and advantage you need to improve your social media campaigns in every way you can.
Don’t use stock images; be original
The use of stock images is one of the worst decisions you can make for a visual content for social media plan or any other marketing plan in 2024. Stock images are inherently impersonal and generic, weakening the credibility of your brand and limiting the connection you form with consumers.
Additionally, if consumers spot that your images are ones they’ve seen before (perhaps even via a brand they dislike or don’t follow), it can negatively impact how they perceive your brand identity and product quality. If you don’t take photographs that showcase your product at its best, you can hire a professional to create content for you. The investment in original, authentic images will pay off.
Understand who you are creating for
When you buy a gift for someone, you think about what kind of person they are and what kind of gift will make them most happy.
As a brand manager, creative director, or anyone in the greater marketing industry, taking a similar approach to social media content creation can be an advantage.
Think about the people you are creating this content for. What drives them? What sparks their interest? What kind of lifestyles do they lead? What are their pain points? Having this information readily available and frequently updated can help you create content that is irresistible to the masses.
Tell a story with your images
Never forget the power of effective visual storytelling—there’s a reason it has endured for so many centuries of human connection.
When planning or developing visual content for social media platforms, don’t settle for average, one-dimensional depictions of your products or services. Think deeper about the stories, experiences, and moods associated with them to convey a more emotionally resonant story that evokes an emotional response in consumers.
Measure and track your content’s performance
Once you have established a formula that works, don’t make the mistake of setting it in stone. The world of visual content, sales, and social media marketing is constantly shifting, and gathering data as it accrues can help you ride those waves more successfully.
The Meta Business Suite includes powerful insights, interactive reports, and access to your page metrics that can help you to gauge consumer engagement levels on Facebook and Instagram. Use the right tools to measure and track your content’s performance so that it is optimized for engagement on as many platforms as possible.
The Takeaway
Globally, people spend an average of 143 minutes a day on social media. With such high usage and an excess of online content, it isn’t easy to convince today’s consumers to stop whatever else they’re doing online and check out your brand. But with the right visual content for social media strategy, it is 100% possible—and can lead to sustainable growth and sales for your business.
Some key takeaways when it comes to stopping consumers mid-scroll on social media are to keep your images relevant, original, and meaningful while appealing to demographic trends and patterns. The higher the quality of your photographs, the more likely people are to engage. Stay on trend, keep learning, and prioritize quality at every turn.
If you would like to chat more about how we can capture images that help you build visual content for social media, feel free to reach out! We’d love to discuss your project, ideas and goals, as well as how we can help achieve them.
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