Every day, we are bombarded with content. Whether it’s online, on TV or a streaming service, in our multiple social media feeds, via email, or via text, it can be pretty overwhelming. “TL;DR” (Too Long; Didn’t Read) is a thing, sadly, and even image-driven content like on Instagram still has users passively scrolling.
Despite this, images still have the power to capture consumers’ attention more than a wordy post and I recently shared some tips with QSRweb on the topic. Here’s a summary, but you can read the full article here.
Find your style
Most brands have a distinct style and voice across their social media channels. Take Melt Shop, for example, drawing people in with its “food porn” style of photography that focuses on super tight shots of ooey-gooey melted sandwiches. Create and concentrate on your brand’s style and then keep it consistent across social media channels.
Have a goal for each image
Brands should have a reason behind every single image they share. Hone in on the particular item or service you want to promote or message you want to convey in that specific post.
Keep your audience in mind
Always remember your core customer. If your restaurant typically caters to a health-conscious crowd that craves salad, choose images that connote the freshness and color variety of the vegetables used.
Add text … sparingly
Because there’s so much passive scrolling these days, people are probably not reading most captions or posts of more than a few words. Consider superimposing text directly on the image in some manner to grab their attention, like McAlister’s did in this post that highlights a great review.
Hire a professional photographer to build an image library
Consider hiring a photographer to help your brand build a quality image library that you can regularly pull from as needed. But keep in mind as you peruse available photographers that most have their own particular style and approach to image creation, so do some online research and review their portfolios to find an individual or several individuals that suit your brand.
