The English language adage: “A picture is worth a thousand words” refers to the notion that a complex idea can be conveyed with just a single picture that can be more effective than a written description.
This is as true today as it was in the Victorian age of the 1800s when Fredrick Barnard, an English illustrator, caricaturist, and genre painter, first said it.
The power of visual communication has reached an all-time high with the effectiveness of websites, digital, and social marketing for branding and to communicate a company’s message.
Professional photography is more crucial to the promotion of a product or service than ever before. Here are five key reasons why. Photography:
- Grabs your attention. Marketers need to catch the attention of their target audience quickly. Photos process faster in the human brain and, in fact, visual elements increase the willingness to read content by a staggering 80%.
- Improves non-verbal communication. More than 90% of all human communication is non-verbal. Combining visual elements with well-written content is the optimal way to capture the imagination of your target audience.
- Influences emotion. Consumers often allow emotion to influence buying decisions. The use of captivating photographs drives emotional responses regarding a brand, product, or service.
- Increases engagement confidence. Photographs are easier to consume than text. Facebook campaigns generate 65% more engagement and Twitter tweets average 35% more retweets when they include a photograph. A professional appearance, including a well-taken photograph displaying a product or service in context, creates a favorable perception and builds trust.
- Helps drive sales. There is a link between the use of high-quality images in marketing and the growth of sales. Photographs help consumers visualize themselves using a product or service and allows them to imagine it improving their lives in some way.
Photography is powerful. It can be visually stimulating, adding value to the communication of ideas. It is crucial, however, to ensure that the photographs you use in your marketing are professional and high quality. (It is tempting to think that you can easily attain professional results with your camera phone!)
Ask yourself these questions about your own behavior when browsing or shopping online:
- What types of images grab my attention?
- What images get a quick glance, but then I keep on scrolling or move on?
- What images make me think, “I’d never shop here.”?
- Do these photos inspire my trust in this company?
Whether you need product photos, head shots, action images, or vehicle graphics, professional photography is affordable and is fundamental to successful marketing. Enōsis Graphic Solutions offers full-service marketing services, including in-house photography. We’ll be happy to discuss the many ways photography can help to differentiate your company’s branding, online and print marketing. Call us to set up an appointment today.