With the goal of being seen and shared on the world’s social networking sites it’s good to build your posts knowing that images get 94% more views and are digested 60,0000 times faster than those without. Not to mention, the alt tag (or image description) acts as a second layer of SEO. Below is a breakdown of 4 different types of images that can enhance your content.

Personal Photos

A most effective tactic is to completely personalize your material. You can do this by infusing your writing with your own photos. As a content creator, every one of your experiences has potential to teach the world.

For example, in your post on Mexican woven textiles, including snaps of your trip to the factory can evoke an emotional attachment by giving readers the feeling that they are actually with you.

Charts, Graphs and Infographics

Instead of making your reader scan and re-scan your words, try making that dense post much simpler by putting the data where it should be – in visually appealing graphs. Charts and graphs give you the opportunity to use colour to help separate themes and thick visible lines and numbers to easily compare outcomes. If your post is all data, an infographic is the perfect way to tell your story. What would normally be consumed in 15 minutes, can now be swallowed, digested and retained in a matter of 3″

Stock Images

Stock imagery includes photographs and illustrations that can be bought on a royalty-free basis. In many instances they can serve as an inexpensive alternative to hiring a photographer. To make sure you stay on the right side of intellectual property laws, opt to purchase or license imagery, or find images under Creative Commons licensing at sites such as Flickr or www.500px.com. The quickest option is to look for photos that require attribution only which calls for a simple credit to the photographer and a link back to their page.

Imagery acts as a break from text where an engaging, relevant and carefully placed visual is not only great for setting the pace of your story but it helps assure the reader that your post will be short, digestible and useful, thus increasing your website’s average session duration.

Funnies

Comics can act as a wonderful outlet for your sense of humour. When relevant, it works to make heavy content lighter while still being effective at getting your point across. Comics are an acceptable way to poke fun at the ridiculousness of your industry or a life experience that might be shared by your readers in general. Most stock libraries will offer comic illustration options. Be sure to follow the copyright instructions to continue to protect and enrich your brand.

Personal photos, charts & graphs, stock images and funnies are all great images that are sure to enhance your content. A picture is worth a thousand words is a very old saying that is relevant now more than it’s ever been.

Photo credits:

Mexican Textile Factory: Angela Sevin, Flickr; Comic Strip: Duncan c, Flickr

While text status updates are undeniably quick and easy, brands need to stand out on social media. Graphics are a great way to do this and Facebook itself clearly agrees. Content is still king in 2014 and everything, from eBooks to blog posts and SM updates, must provide value. Today’s Web users are visual creatures and this means that graphics of all sorts are a win.

Link Sharing

The Facebook Newsroom article above mentions link sharing as an engaging alternative to text based statuses. Many brands opt to embed links in status updates, which makes for a lacklustre visual experience. Link-sharing, on the other hand, generates a preview of the content, providing a more compelling visual experience. Facebook rewards valuable, resourceful content with greater exposure for brands.

Images

The Facebook network is working to improve their ranking algorithms’ abilities to differentiate between posts from friends and from Pages. While there will be a “decrease in the distribution of their text status updates, [page admins] may see some increases in engagement and distribution for other story types.” In addition to link sharing, images are a great way to boost social media reach and interactivity. To use an example from a brand known for their cheeky social media prowess, Oreo abandoned plain text in favour of attention-grabbing, occasionally humorous or emotional, images.

In these Facebook updates from May 2012, you’ll see the startling difference in engagement between the basic text status and the more stimulating “question and an image” update. The differences in likes, comments and shares is noteworthy, at 4,200, 215 and 87 compared to 16,833, 1,034 and 855. Real-life posts don’t lie – the proof is right here.

In recent months, more and more brands on Facebook (and Twitter!) have been capitalizing on the image trend and there’s no reason for you to wait. While Oreo is a great example, you can also check out Coca-Cola, Sharpie, PlayStation and Samsung Mobile to see it in action.

What About Video?

Significant value can be provided in the form of an informative, brand-relevant commercial or a heartwarming or humorous viral clip. As seen in the profiles of popular brands, videos generate more engagement than text status updates but less than image updates. Great video can be costly and it’s important for businesses of all sizes to take their budget into account. If you can afford a promotional video or a number of well-designed graphics, the latter will provide the most bang for your buck.

When considering the impact of graphics on social engagement, Facebook itself is encouraging compelling, valuable and visual content by promoting these updates and decreasing the distribution of text status updates from Business Pages. In order to stay on top of the social media game, brands and businesses must visually display their products and services in the most effective way possible – without breaking the bank. Great design is key, and graphics are one of today’s top methods for improving social reach and interaction.

Image Credits: Dashburst, Oreo’s Facebook & Oreo Twitter