In an era in which marketing and selling a service or product is done via e-commerce sites and social networks with a single click, the power of visualization is undeniable. People believe more what they see than what they hear or read.
Today, what makes a product attractive and reliable, that one would hesitate to buy without touching or trying it, is a good quality photo or video (or several). With high quality shots properly placed in your content, you can make the consumer live their dreams, but also remind them of a need they didn’t have in mind. Instead of describing the qualities of your products/services with beautiful sentences, you can use beautiful images.
Remember the expression “The medium is the message” by Canadian Marshall McLuhan, philosopher and communication theorist, for traditional media at the beginning of the last century. Today, the image is the message. Having a good consideration in the eyes of the consumer: you can achieve this with the right visuals.
Marketing with images (Picture Marketing)
The term Picture marketing means the set of digital marketing techniques that follow a promotional strategy based on visual content. It is often used in connection with social networks even if it is not limited to them. Thanks to your original quality pictures, you can stand out in search engines (like Google image) and thus increase your natural referencing (SEO).This brings you a new audience. You can also use your photos on your blog, an indispensable part of your website. This will not only encourage your readership, but also increase your visibility on the web.
The images you use make your brand stand out, they should also make the consumer want to try it. The consumer must want to try your product or services, buy it as soon as possible and test it. The right images will bring you a new audience. However, it’s not always that simple, so what do you need to pay attention to in order to achieve your goals and stand out?
1. Image design
First of all, think about how you can visualize the quality of your products or services in a few images. It is essential to empathize with your target customers. To do this, you need to know your target well. Especially emphasize the impressive aspects of your product/service.
Photography is an art of light. With the right light and convincing colors, you can inspire the consumer to act. Your shots should make your target audience want to share them.
The shot you use must be original and reliable. The message must be clear and convincing, while reflecting the reality of your product/service. The photos should add positive value to your company’s image and position you differently from your competitors.
2. Image quality
The format of the images you use is as important as their content.
If you take photos or videos with the best possible resolution, you won’t have problems when using them on mediums where image quality is reduced, such as Instagram. Moreover, you can edit these good resolution photos in the future as you wish.
Adobe Photoshop and other Adobe Creative Cloud products are essential for professional marketing (especially for Picture Marketing). As a Photoshop user for 20 years and a fan of all Adobe products, I can say that you can achieve similar perfection in your photos without editing, if you know how to perfect your use of light.
3. Image rights
In addition to shots of your own products or services, you may also need to use generic photos for an ad or headline on your website or social media accounts. Be sure to check if the content you use for these has free rights. If not, you need to purchase the copyright to use the content. Consider setting aside a budget for your visual productions.
If you are looking to use beautiful royalty-free images, feel free to go to sites like Unsplash, Pexels, Pixabay, etc. Don’t forget to credit the person whose photo you’re using, which can also help you increase your visibility.
4. Image colors
For a good Picture marketing, you need to choose colors that will suit your brand or the field you operate in, and that will create the right message in the mind of your target audience.
The issue of color is an equally important topic in web design. The color(s) you feature in your photographs, logos, and graphics should be consistent across your website, social media accounts, and in your email advertisements. You can get help with this year’s trending colors at Adobe Color et Pantone.
One of the great services Adobe Color offers is the ability to upload the photos you have from the “Create” section and save the color codes you want by browsing the photo. In this way, you use consistent colors for your graphics.
Colors influence our psychology, but also have distinct cultural meanings for different groups. If you determine your target audience well, you will find the colors that will appeal to them.
Research the colors of your most ‘liked’ photos on social media, especially like Instagram. This will give you an idea of what colors you should highlight in the future. The topic of color is a science unto itself. In terms of Picture marketing, it is at the top of the list of factors that attract consumers. So we’ll explore this topic in more detail in the next post: Color marketing: What about web design?
