We all know how fun it can be to look at beautiful pictures. It’s why we love flipping through old photo albums and millions have become obsessed with Instagram. Great photography is captivating, so it’s easy to see why photographs are an important part of every company’s marketing materials.
However, pairing attractive images with text in your print marketing materials isn’t only a good idea in theory. Research has shown us that photography in marketing just plain performs better. On average, people remember just 10 percent of the information they read. However, when information is accompanied by a photo, our recollection can improve by about 65 percent, according to research from biologist John Medina.
Images can also have an effect on the persuasiveness of your advertising. According to MDG Advertising, consumers are significantly more likely to think favorably of ads that emphasize photography compared to ones that emphasize text. The majority (67 percent) of consumers also noted the quality of product images is very important to them when deciding to make a purchase. Without attractive photos, your brand risks being overlooked.
If those aren’t reason enough to include quality photographs in your marketing materials, we’ll dive into more specific benefits below.
Communicate Efficiently
Most people would expect text and written words to be the best way to quickly relay a message, but that’s not always true. An image can actually communicate its intended message in about 100 milliseconds, while even a short piece of written text can take 10 seconds or more to read, according to Hubspot. We also tend to pay closer attention to images, as scientists estimate about 90 percent of all the information transmitted to the brain is visual. For many brands, images will be the most effective means of communication with consumers.
Be Memorable
The morning after major world events, what does the front page of the newspaper or news site typically look like? In most cases, you’ll see a short headline followed by a large representative photo capturing the event. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, and these journalists know photos can be the most memorable aspect of a story. Photos can communicate a great deal of emotion in a limited amount of space with a message that sticks with the reader.
In your marketing materials, photographs can help cultivate the emotional reaction you want consumers to have to your brand. This strategy leaves a lasting impression on your audience and can secure your company’s place in their memory.
Create Brand Cohesion
Images also play an important role in connecting each of your brand materials. A coordinated color scheme, composition and overall mood to the images can give your audience insight into your brand’s true personality. If you use similar photos over and over again, you’ll start to create a consistent brand statement that your audience will recognize even in the absence of your company name. This can help build trust with your customers as you show them your brand is intentional, thoughtful and dependable.
One other unsolicited tip: if you’ll be listing products on company brochures or website pages, try to photograph each item in a consistent way. This can create a more cohesive look to your product offerings and make it easy for customers to compare and find the product they’re looking for.
Find Versatility
As you identify good images to use on print, you can actually double up and re-share the photos on social media, too. Using photos on social media is essential – posts with good images receive nearly twice as many views as posts with text only. As you gain more followers and engagement, you should also see more visitors to your website or store, and as a result, more customers.
If your company isn’t sure how to get started with photography, or your marketing strategy in general, consider partnering with an agency. Marketing experts will be able to produce quality images and materials to effectively tell your brand’s story, saving you the headache of figuring it out yourself. If you need an agency recommendation, most print shops (including us!) can connect you with a trusted marketing partner who will fit your needs.