Visual image and video engagement are critical to social marketing success.
Consumer interaction is key to the success of any marketing campaign and nothing engages the consumer as quickly and effectively as the powerful visual representation of a brand. According to Facebook, firm believers in the philosophy that photos are king, posts that include either: a photo album, picture or video, receive around 180%, 120% and 100% more engagement, respectively.
Video and image grab people’s attention with immediate effect and with minimal effort. For example a Facebook photo post induces a response rate of up to 4 times as much as other post types. The poorest performing Facebook post is the Link Post, which unbelievably is also the most commonly used post type. It is about time social marketers got to grips with what works well for brand engagement and what doesn’t.
Knowing the Best Method of dissemination for Your Brand
Starbucks provides the perfect example of a brand that understands the importance of image engagement. Starbucks combines short and engaging posts with beautiful photos that generate thousands of likes and comments on the Facebook platform alone. Pinterest is another example that demonstrates the power of imagery. Since the site was launched in 2012, Pinterest has emerged as one of the most used and talked about websites in the social media and digital marketing world. Pinterest can improve marketing strategy for a specific range of brands and services. When developing a social media strategy, it is important to identify the type of consumer that Pinterest reaches and to ensure that the strong visual aspect will enhance products or service.
Despite the fact that the Facebook Link Post is the most consistently used and the least engaging method of engagement, this process of passing on information is essential for some companies. For example, news organizations attract users who are much more receptive to different types of content. Twitter provides the perfect foil to Facebook, allowing social marketers to engage different users in the best possible and most suitable way.
Implementing an Effective Online Display Campaign
Statistics show that online marketing campaigns that incorporate rich media formats, such as social, e-commerce or video elements are more engaging than standard online banner ads, with consumers being up to 4 times more likely to click on it. According to Adform Chief Exec, Gustav Mellentin, ‘Integrating rich media formats into campaigns continues to be the secret link in driving engagement across the online display advertising industry, with results pointing to its increased effectiveness quarter on quarter.”
There are many cases, as with all content types, that video is perfect for brand engagement. However each and every brand must consider their positioning, product, target audience and the nuances of each social media platform before investing resources and implementing a social marketing strategy.
