October 30th, 2022

Why Photos Matter Most in Digital Marketing

Guess where I escape to when digital marketing challenges and life in general give my brain the swirly twirls?

 

Nope
Definitely not social media, nor Crown Royal, not even my music. My number one go-to is looking at pages and pages of photos. I have no idea why this exercise is so calming to me. I notice that when I’m searching for the perfect photo to resonate with a brand, it immediately quiets my soul.

 

Photography is one of those design elements that can be easily dismissed as unimportant in marketing, but that could not be further from the truth. Photo research and selection is just as vital as a carefully crafted logo design. When a business chooses cheap photos, or ones obviously taken with their cell phone, it can communicate an unintentional message to their desired audience: cheap photos equal cheap products or sub-quality service.

 

Quality Matters
One of the first things a quality realtor will take the time to do is stage a home. That same realtor also knows that a successful Open House involves investing in quality photos. When using a wide-angle lens and careful lighting, a photo that evokes the right emotion in a potential buyer can be the selling point of the home. Capturing sunlight on a wall, firelight from a hardwood floor, or a perfectly groomed backyard—all play a huge role in stirring the imagination. In essence, emotion is the springboard of selling anything. Even before a headline or logo, photos are often the first thing to get noticed.

 

The Diminishing Attention Span
The attention span of a person is about five seconds, according to Time Magazine. So if you’ve read this far, consider yourself above average. So proud of you. The five second rule also applies to the time you have to capture an audience, and often without words, sell your service or product. Mere moments to peak someone’s emotion, retain their interest, and get them to buy.

 

According to the dating site Tinder, as of 2021 they had 7.8 million people using their app. Tinder has set up their app in such a way to work with the five second attention span and made it the center point of how the app itself is used. The user swiping through zero-effort headshots is going to continue to swipe left, until given a reason to swipe right. A right swipe, meaning they are interested.

 

A high-quality photo with soft lighting, angles that flatter, a confident expression, and genuine personality, will determine if the user stops long enough to read the bio.

 

Case Study
If you are really going for the gold in marketing your business, you will not skimp on photography. StraightFire was recently hired to replace all the photos on a website that not only made our client’s orthodontic practice look cheap, but the photos also failed to reflect their ideal client. After replacing the photos and promoting the website with SEO, they have more business than they can keep up with, and are today looking for additional employees to manage the number of new patients.

 

When you have about five seconds to communicate why a viewer should trust your product or service, be mindful of using the very best photos your marketing budget can afford. Do not skimp here. Give your audience a reason to stop and read the headline and get motivated to make a purchase. A reason to stop and daydream about that life they’ll build in that beautiful backyard.

 

StraightFire has decades experience of curating quality photos for a wide range of products and services. Trust us with your brand too. (619) 272-6964.