Pretty Pictures

Pretty Pictures
Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words…and sometimes a simple picture can
go on to outstanding viral success, perhaps earning a website or an individual’s
Facebook page thousands of shares, likes and reads.  Just think if you could associate
your brand name with a popular picture that goes viral.
The million-dollar question is; how do you create an image that really captivates
attention and boosts traffic?  First and foremost, make sure you have the proper avenue.  Do you notice that many of the pictures you find on Facebook have the same
“group” name?  These are actually groups created solely for the purpose of gaining a
following through picture sharing.  They are found through Facebook’s search engine,
though they also link to one another and are shared among friends.
So, the first secret to using pictures is to find an audience that appreciates your images,
whether they are inspirational, funny, dramatic, controversial or witty.  Rather than waste
time developing something that is brilliant, spend more time developing an image that
your customers will appreciate.  Sometimes a picture can be something as simple as a
high quality photo of a new car (great for building an automotive readership) or perhaps
a witty saying that supports your company’s values.
Be sure that all of your images are optimized, in that they accurately reflect the
keywords you want to target.  You can verify image SEO integrity by saving the file
name as the targeted keyword you want, and by providing alternate text that is a
keyword.  You can also a caption stating the keyword.  Last but not least, type the
keyword out in the article or on the social networking page, clearly stating what it is.
Prober labeling will ensure that your picture is either found on a search engine or
distributed across social media with proper identification.  The same applies for all
videos; label them whenever possible.
Last but not least, try to tell a story with the video content you use.  Sometimes a story
can be conveyed in images; a subject, a situation, a problem or a resolution.  This is
how commercials on TV are formatted and it’s also how print publications approach
advertising.  
More to the point, not only should you tell your audience a story visually, but you should
also try to address the “needs” of your audience in the image.  Usually, when you think
of “needs” in marketing, it’s all about the sales pitch.  However, it’s good to remember
that you can actually poke your customer’s needs in incidental marketing, such as in
creating images, videos or just through typical social networking interaction. For example, consider the average “millionaire marketer” personality.  He doesn’t really
sell his company when he visits bloggers, or comments on people’s pages.  However,
he does talk about his lifestyle.  You see, he is very subtly calling attention to the fact
that he’s happy and living the big life—something that others will definitely pick up and
want to know more about.
You can use the same concept when you create viral video.  Tell a story and address—
however subtly as possible—the needs of your customers.  Better yet, you could use a
site like Pinterest to link all of your images together and tell a continuing “story” of your
values, your company directive—the things, the images that matter to you.  Even
though you’re blatantly advertising, you are saying quite a lot.