It might seem like an obvious thing but there are still plenty of businesses that don’t use images in social media posts.
Using only text doesn’t cut it in today’s visually driven world. Businesses using only text to convey a message or story are likely to get much less engagement than those that use images in social media posts.
Children love picture books not only because they love the bright colours and the characters in them but also because humans learn more quickly with visual stimuli. It’s said that 90% of the information sent to the human brain is visual, and images are processed 600,000 times faster than text.
Use something original and eye-catching to get your social media posts noticed.
As of January 2023, the UK was home to 57.1 million active social media users, which translates to 84.4% of the adult population. On average, each one spends 147 minutes (two hours and twenty-seven minutes) a day scrolling through a variety of social media platforms. Facebook, Instagram. Twitter, LinkedIn and others, all compete for user time.
That’s a lot of scrolling!!
Here are 5 Compelling Reasons To Use Images In Social Media Posts.
- Increased engagement: Including images and videos in social media posts can increase engagement levels significantly. Visual content tends to be more eye-catching and appealing to audiences, making them more likely to stop scrolling and engage with your content.
- Improved brand awareness: Images and videos can help businesses create a strong and recognisable brand identity. By incorporating consistent visual elements across all social media channels, businesses can build a recognisable visual identity that helps them stand out in a crowded market.
- Enhanced storytelling: Images and videos can be powerful storytelling tools, allowing businesses to convey complex ideas and emotions in a visually compelling way. By using visuals to illustrate the value of their products or services, businesses can create a deeper emotional connection with their audience.
- Increased website traffic: By including links to their website in social media posts that contain images or videos, businesses can drive more traffic to their website. Visual content can pique the interest of potential customers, leading them to click through to learn more.
- Improved search engine optimisation (SEO): Incorporating images and videos into social media posts can also improve a business’s search engine optimisation (SEO). By including relevant keywords in image captions and video descriptions, businesses can help their content appear higher on search engine results pages (SERPs).
Don’t be tempted to use images you find online. Unless you know you have express permission to do so, don’t! Consider using another image or video and if in doubt, familiarise yourself with the UK law on image and photograph copyright.
Using an image that belongs to someone else without their permission is a violation of copyright law, and the consequences can vary depending on the severity of the violation and the jurisdiction. Here are some possible scenarios:
- You receive a cease-and-desist letter: The copyright owner may send you a letter demanding that you stop using their image immediately. They may also ask you to remove the image from any website or platform where you have posted it. If you comply with the request, the matter may end there.
- As a side note, my first encounter with a cease and desist letter was in 1990, when a band I knew had some t-shirts printed, which had the big red K of a certain cereal brand on them. They felt it was a misrepresentation of their brand and sent a cease-and-desist letter. No more t-shirts were ever made because no one wants to get sued by a huge corporation, right?
- You are sued for copyright infringement: If the copyright owner decides to take legal action against you, they may sue you for damages, which can include the profits you made from using the image, as well as any other losses they may have suffered. If the court finds in their favour, you may be required to pay significant fines and legal fees.
- Criminal charges: In some cases, using someone else’s image without permission may be considered a criminal offence, especially if it is part of a larger pattern of copyright infringement. This could result in fines and even imprisonment, depending on the jurisdiction and the severity of the offence.
In any case, it’s important to respect other people’s intellectual property rights and seek permission before using any images or other copyrighted material that belongs to someone else.
📷 Ⓒ 127 Media: African Red Parrot
- Stat: 57.1 million – Statista
- Stat: 147 minutes – Broadband Search