To Share or Not to Share? That is the Question.
Clichés aside, it isn’t always clear when your photo content is worth sharing. Furthermore, many savvy marketers find themselves asking themselves whether a particular photograph will help reinforce their marketing efforts. To help clarify what makes a picture worth sharing and what makes a picture for “internal use only,” we’ve assembled a handy list of key considerations to illuminate the difference.
Does your Brand Push the Envelope?
This is a question that must be answered before determining what content is appropriate for sharing and what isn’t. Factors to consider are your industry, target market, and brand positioning. There is no optimal formula for determining how edgy your photo content should be, but to give you an idea, typically fashion brands that target young professionals can afford to be less conservative than, say, office supplies manufacturers who target experienced procurement managers. Before any posts are made on your company’s social accounts, the entire online marketing team should agree on a high level concept of how edgy the company’s photo content should be.
Is the Photo High Quality?
Especially for large pictures, it’s important that all photo content you share be of acceptable quality. This doesn’t mean that all content needs to be 4k quality (yet), but anything below 720p is considered “low quality”, and won’t meet the standard your viewers will be accustomed to. Posting an image that is pixelated can seriously harm your company’s image, regardless of what your message is. Therefore, as a general rule of thumb, don’t post any photo content that isn’t at least 720p, and if your viewership is largely using desktop computers, that cutoff should probably be 1080p. Keep in mind that as camera technology improves, standards will rise. Additionally, preview any posts on both mobile and desktop devices to ensure that your photo content is of acceptable quality.
Note: A big exception here is Instagram, where too much high quality content can make the account seem inauthentic.
Is the Photo Timely?
Before clicking the “post” button, take a moment and ask yourself, is this photo relevant today? For example, even savvy marketers can make the mistake of posting a photo of a former employee, or an image of a product that is no longer offered! In general, any photo content that is anachronistic should be avoided. The last thing you want is to share photo content that gives the notion that your offerings are not “with the times.”
As a general rule, if you ever have to ask yourself if it’s too late to share your holiday-themed corporate photo, the answer is yes. Mistimed photo content can be as damaging as poor-quality content.
Does the Photo Suit your Business Model?
Different types of companies call for different types of photographic content. Product-oriented businesses typically will get the most traction from images of their product offerings. On the other hand, businesses that are much more service-oriented should depend far more on the pictures of key people at the company. In any case, content should be engaging to the viewer and highlight the company’s strengths while supporting the intended message. For example, images of key engineers are not really optimal for promoting your new computer model.
Does the Photo Match Previous Content?
It pays to be consistent in the type of content that you share. Consistently sharing similar content that reinforces your corporate message can support your marketing efforts and help potential clients to know what you stand for and what to expect. That being said, one of the best ways to be consistent is to be consistently disruptive. Companies such as Pepsi pride themselves on novel advertising ideas that leave customers guessing what’s next. On the other hand, brands like Coca-Cola are charmingly consistent. Besides, who doesn’t love polar bears? As such, both forms of consistency can be powerful.
Is your Photo Content Interesting?
Put yourself in the shoes of your ideal viewer. If you were them, would you find this content interesting? Too often photo content that marketers share online is what they want to share, instead of what their followers actually want to see. The ideal case is that photo content is both interesting and aligns with what you want to say. That being said, it’s not feasible to meet these twin goals all the time. Focus on sharing enough fun photo content to keep your followers interested and engaged.
What factors do you consider when evaluating photo content? Let us know in the comments below!
