The Heart of Modern Marketing is Photography and Here’s Why

What is good photography? Some of you might ask. Although opinions on what makes a good photograph might vary, the undeniable fact that photography is crucial to marketing is a solid, well known fact.

Got that out of the way. Some of you are still skeptical as to how it applies to you. Regardless of your business and your marketing strategy, the power of visual communications can make all the difference. Modern marketers use visual content to promote their businesses. As a result, photography is more relevant and crucial than ever to help you stand out in a pool of competitors.

Stating this fact is easy, persuading you to devote more attention to photography might be even easier (with a few surprising stats) but can we convince you that you can be doing more in terms of being selective with your visuals? Let’s find out.

We promised statistics, so here they are:

• Articles with relevant images average 94% more total views than articles without images.
• A press release with photos gets nearly 15% more online views than a text-only press release.
• 60% of consumers who use online search say they prefer to contact a business whose listing includes an image.
• Nearly 70% of e-commerce shoppers say the product image is very important when making their purchase decision. (Source: MDG Advertising Infographic)

To sum it up, your customers (and customers all over the world) are very impressionate. We crave images, we want quick information and we want it fast. What better medium than photography to deliver your message?

Marketing is all about communicating your value to potential clients. As an example, let’s look at these two images side by side.

In the first image, someone is about to eat something that we can only assume must be delicious. Although it’s a perfectly well composed image, something is missing. Looking at the second image just makes me along with every reader hungry for an English breakfast.

You can see each individual ingredient, it’s well composed and lit in a way that doesn’t distract from the focus. The way it is presented makes me think it’s a sizzling, warm and perfectly served breakfast ready to be devoured. If one had to choose, it’s a  no brainer.

Modern marketing is somewhat of a big kitchen. How well your images translate the nature of your business will determine if your clients stay or prefer the business next door (that has better visuals). No one wants to be left behind, so today we’ll try to show you just how important photography is to your business.

Here’s why photography is so crucial in modern marketing:

1. Gets attention

One picture won’t do it, but a well curated collection that is updated to keep your audience surprised will likely get people on board with your business. Marketers have to do everything in their powers to grab attention and keep it. This doesn’t mean using really dramatic imagery, in fact sometimes subtle beauty in a shot can be more impactful.

The bottom line is that your overall aesthetic is what can bring you new clients. You need to find an edge to attract attention and retain it throughout your websites and social media channels.

2. Delivers a message with no words

The human brain is quick to process visuals. Information that can be processed faster, in the form of an image for example, will always rise above other mediums. Your choice of photographs should align with your brand, your mission and your content. Have supporting images as opposed to distracting ones.

3. Establishes a non verbal connection

Ideally, every brand wants to stand out and be memorable. If clients associate you with symbols, or even photography styles, it’s an accomplishment. Think about the fact that majority of our communication is nonverbal. Including visual elements and complementing it with good copy is a marketer’s mission. You’re looking to capture your audience’s imagination so professional photography (that is also artistic) is a must.

4. Viral potential

That’s right, even a photograph can send your statistics through the roof. People see something that catches their eye, they support you and your cause and share. If something circulates enough in the online community and on social networks, you might see significant increase in visitors. More visitors just means you have more potential clients. If you’re consistent, you just need to keep building that customer loyalty and credibility.

5. Establishes brand credibility

You might not think so right away, but consistently excellent photography does add to your brand’s credibility. It tells clients you care about the little details, you have great aesthetics and you’re generally a strong brand if you are mindful of the visuals you put out there. Consider the fact that photographs can strengthen your message and quickly let your target audience connect.

6. Tap into emotions

We’ve once looked at the types of photographs that evoke emotions from an audience. You can rest assured that emotions are what often trigger a buying decision. How customers react to the appeal of the images is a very important factor in marketing. Captivating photographs, on top of ones that we mentioned in the aforementioned article, drives responses. Choose your photographs wisely always keeping the end result and your audience in mind.

7. Inspire action

A good example for this point is the photo-oriented ads on Instagram. You’ve probably caught yourself clicking on sponsored content based on the image you saw. This principle works for many platforms. If you have a captivating photograph and clear CTA, you have a winner. Majority of online users will follow through with an action if it’s supported by visual content rather than plain text.

8. More engagement

Including a photograph automatically generates more engagement. It’s the same for many social media channels, blog posts and even websites. If you could use the medium to increase engagement, knowing full well that it works, why not get on board?

9. Builds trust

Consistency is key. It’s not enough to have a few great images, you have to keep them coming and strive for coherence throughout all your social media channels and other online activity. People are quite quick to judge, and having professional images displaying your cause in context helps build trust. If they like what you are putting out there, they will be interested enough to see more, follow you or check out your products.   

10. Everything comes down to more sales

It’s true. When you get organized and are using high-quality, professional images that are also coherent, there will be a growth in sales. Successful photographs help prospective clients visualise your product or service in context to them, and if they support your cause or are interested in what you have to offer, they’ll want to make a purchase.

There’s many ways to go about establishing a more coherent visual selection of images. Every week, we put together thematic featured collections to give you a better selection of hand-picked photographs. We also often write on the topic of visuals in marketing and how you can work towards improving your strategy. Of all the visual content you can use, photography is safe but it is also powerful making it (perhaps) the heart of modern marketing as of now.

If you’d like to share your personal tips and or your experience with using visuals in marketing, do share your wisdom in the comments section below.