When it comes to social media imagery, it’s not as easy as simply selecting a photo and posting it. The image must be relevant, authentic and high quality so it looks great and makes a huge impact.
At Fort Lauderdale and Aspen-based public relations and marketing agency Durée & Company, we know that mastering the art of social media is a key element of building a brand’s presence, and this includes understanding how imagery can help draw in a viewer and support the written content. From Instagram Stories to LinkedIn posts, imagery can play a key role and impact the amount of traction and clicks a story receives. It’s also no secret that posts with images receive a greater amount of likes and comments. Both of these are trackable KPIs for social media performance.
We are happy to share three key contributors that bring your social media posts up to speed for 2021. In today’s Dynamo Diary, we help master your business’ social media goals.
1. Relevance
It’s been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Does the image you selected tell the story that you want to tell? When selecting an image to accompany a social media post, it’s important to think like a journalist. Imagine you are trying to illustrate a headline. There needs to be a relationship between the image and the caption, even if no one reads it. In our overstimulated world, copy often gets skipped over. It’s the image alone that captures the viewer’s attention first. So, ask yourself – does your image complement the context of the post and help tell a story?
Also, don’t be afraid to go bold! Graphics are another fantastic way to draw in a viewer, due to their simple yet effective aesthetic. This works especially well when certain words or blocks of copy need to be emphasized. Graphics – and infographics – are great for social media because they provide a nice contrast to pictorial imagery. And the great news is you don’t have to be a master graphic designer to create something eye-catching! We love Canva because it provides pre-sized documents, tons of templates and all of the necessities to make a brand’s logo and iconography stand out.
While it may depend on the nature of the brand or industry, it is worthwhile to do research to see what types of imagery gets the best traction and then plan your posts accordingly.
2. Authenticity
There’s nothing worse than an image that is outdated, overused or just plain generic. We’ve all seen lazy stock imagery used in marketing materials as well as imagery that is completely alien to the targeted audience. Viewers are savvy, and can immediately spot images that are decades old, off-brand or awkwardly Photoshopped. In today’s world, investing in professional, high quality imagery is essential for any brand. For many, this means having a great relationship with a professional photographer who can shoot your products, people and news in a way that accurately depicts your brand and tells the story you want to tell.
It’s also important to note that the source of the images should always be established. If you have full ownership of the image, then you can safely promote it without any caveats. However, if you’re sourcing another entity’s image, give credit where credit is due! This actually has two unique benefits for social media – first, you’re giving props to someone (an influencer, another like-minded brand, etc.) with an expanded audience outside of your own, and second, you’re a patron of moral integrity and sharing your admiration for something your brand aspires to achieve. If you do need to source images from a stock library, it’s important to understand the licensing and read the fine print regarding how and where the images can be used.
3. High Quality
No one likes a blurry image! And with all the available technology, there is no excuse for poor quality images. This is why the sizing is so important for a brand’s visual content. When an image is high resolution and sized to scale, it can be used in a number of professional capacities. Starting with a large, high resolution image (preferably 300 dots per inch at 5×7 inches, or larger) ensures that the image can be used across a multitude of channels. Doing so avoids distortion or pixelization as well as unintended cropping. It’s always best to start with the largest, most high-quality images available, as those can be scaled down without losing integrity.
For example, Instagram supports both horizontally and vertically oriented photos as well as its original square images. While this provides more options, it is still important to be mindful of the recommended resolution and file size so images appear crisp and clear. For these square or rectangle photos, be sure to maintain an aspect ratio between 1.91:1 and 4:5 ratio. Also, the size of Instagram images increased to 1080 x 1080 pixels. But Instagram still scales these photos down to 612 x 612 pixels.
Want to post memorable Instagram Stories? The recommended resolution is 1080 x 1920 pixels, with a minimum of 600 x 1067 pixels. Anything less will look grainy so be sure to start with a high-quality image. This may require a little self-education to locate this information in the image file and then some trial and error as you resize the image. But there’s no doubt it’s time well spent!
Turn to the experts
Mastering the art of social media imagery is a key element of building a brand’s social media presence. It directly impacts the engagement your brand receives. From content to consistency, there are many fine details. Proper image sizing, quality and relatability that may make or break how well a brand’s social media channels will perform.
At Durée & Company, we evaluate your company’s social media needs to provide an enormously impactful social media presence. Contact us today to find out more.
About Durée & Company, Inc.
Durée & Company, Inc. is an award-winning, full-service public relations, marketing and special events firm founded in 1999. The firm has offices in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Aspen, Colorado. Durée & Company serves the corporate, agency and nonprofit arenas for local, national and international clients. Services include public relations, social media, marketing, digital marketing, content development, advertising, special events, branding, radio promotions, affiliate marketing and more. Durée & Company clients include well-known names in yachting, business, real estate, hospitality, travel, cannabis and hemp, wellness and CBD, art and culture, fashion, nonprofit organizations, legal and professional services. Durée & Company is a member of PR Boutiques International™ (PRBI), an international network of boutique PR firms. To learn more, call 954-723-9350; g8o to dureeandcompany.com; or visit its new, specialized cannabis- and CBD-specific site at cannabismarketingpr.com. Join the social conversation and follow Durée & Company on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn at @DureeCoPR.
