Take A Picture, It Lasts Longer: Using Photos to Increase Engagement

I'm trying to think of the last time I heard the phrase,  "Take a picture, it lasts longer."  I keep thinking of some pissed off guy getting in the face of someone who is staring at them.  Jersey Shore type accent, no, I don't watch that show.  Remember? I'm more of a "Big Bang Theory" gal.

A picture does last longer.  We love to look at photos. How many times do you do a search and click on images?  I know I do.  When I'm looking for a new recipe, the one with the best picture always gets my first click.  It works that way on the social sites I market for. Photos, especially multiple photos, always get attention.

• Posts with a photo or photo album generate  120% to 180% more engagement according to Facebook's internal data.
• Upwards of 250 Million photos are uploaded to Facebook every day.

I talked about the  Facebook Cover Photo last week (check it out here).  Putting some thought into that, is necessary.  We can't stop there.  Your customers are dying to see you.  SEE you.  Who are you really?  What goes on over there?   Pictures connect us.

Think "Story Time".  What is the key ingredient for a successful story hour at the local library?

• You have an audience. Yes, a group of fidgeting preschoolers, so you better keep them engaged. 
• A great short story. You have characters, A Setting, The Conflict, and The Climax.  Short, simple, perfect. 
• Pictures. Big, Colorful Pictures.

Your audience is not a group of preschoolers, I know. I don't care how old they are, people love pictures.  When you are at an office for an appointment and waiting, what makes you pick up one magazine to read, instead of another?  I'd take bets on the cover photo.  Coffee table books are still popular, and what are they? Big Picture Books for adults.

Here are my Mutt Tips for creating vivid content with photos. Grab the attention of your customers, clients or donors. 

• Get a camera.  Your cell phone's camera will do just fine.  If you are looking to get some quality photos, well invest in something better.  Hiring a photographer is a wise choice if you are planning a campaign, but the important thing is to take the pictures.
• Action.  How many stories have pictures where everyone is posing?  Catch your business in action.  I read a post from a local restaurant recently that gave me a fact about how many different kinds of pasta there were.  You know what would have really engaged me?  A photo of one of the chefs preparing a pasta dish.  Yummm, I'm going there for lunch, right?
• Showcase your fans. Encourage them to post photos.  Run a contest. (Follow Facebook's guidelines, though.)  Then follow up and comment on the photos, share them on your page.  They love it, their friends love it. All of a sudden you have more fans for your page. That means more leads and potential business for you.  
• Permission. Taking photos of customers?  Get their permission.  While the Privacy Laws permit you to take photos in a public place, it can get sticky.  You want to be considerate of your customers, anyway.  Usually, people have no problem being in your photos. The permission doesn't have to be full of legal jargon, but you do have to be clear on where you will be using the photos. I found a toolkit that you could easily change to use for your business.

Just because you are a small business or organization, it doesn't mean you can't tell a good story.  Keep those fans engaged, get them talking.  

Need some additional ideas?  Give me a call. I use, a Nikon D5100 as well as my Android Smart phone, and will travel.

Don't be afraid of the Big Bad Cover Photo

Crazy Mutt searching for some Cover Photos

I was on a mission this past week.  I was determined to find some cool new Cover Photos and feature them on my Facebook page for Crazy Mutt. I was also determined that I would feature local businesses and non-profits. Little did I know, I had my work cut out for me.  Sometimes, I forget that I am "Social Media" fanatic (my 13 yr old's words).  The day the new Timeline came out for our personal profiles on Facebook, I was all over it.  Same goes for my Crazy Mutt page.  I love the way it looks.  I get to feature my photography.  The Cover Photo is a like a billboard.

Do you know how much Billboard advertising costs?  Okay, so I can't tell you that.  It's been a few years since I've priced them (yes, I really have).  The Cover Photo is a unique way to show your business' character and it can cost very little and for many can be produced for nothing but your time.

So, why was it so hard to find local Cover Photos to feature?  Is everyone planning some fabulous unveil?  Actually, that may be true for some.  More realistically, the business owners and non-profit staff are stretched too thin and this is just one more thing to worry about.  It will be unfortunate if they don't think of something to feature before the switch over by March 31.  I've seen a few who did switch but didn't have a Cover Photo.  Such a waste of prime advertising space!  I hope to find more this coming week.

Here are some facts about a Page's Cover Photo:

• Size your Cover Photo to 851 x 351 pixels.  If you don't you will have to slide it around and you may cut off something you want to include
• Don't just post a larger image of your page's Profile Picture or logo.  Your page profile picture will be in a smaller square on the lower left portion of the Cover Photo.  Use the Cover Photo to say "Bazinga!" look at us! (If you caught my "Big Bang Theory" reference, you just earned extra points).
• Speaking of your Profile Picture, check the size.  Does it fit in your the space?  Make sure you are using a high quality image that scales from 180 x180 pixels to 32 x 32 pixels thumbnail image.  This is the image that follows your business or organization's Facebook posts on news feed stories, ads, and featured stories.
• Use original or royalty free photography or graphic design to which you own the rights.
• Do not include any "call to action", such as "Like Us" or "Donate".  
• You also need to leave out any contact information.  The new timeline design has "About" directly below your profile pic.  This is a great time to check your about information and edit as needed.
• The Cover Photo is not the place for offers like coupons, prices or product information.
• Have some fun, be creative!  Like I said, this is your Billboard.  A great thing is that you can change it... believe it or not, change is a good, good thing.

Need some inspiration?  Mashable has a great slide show of some larger brands new Cover Photos.