In this article we will show you why a picture is worth a thousand words in digital marketing and how you can make good use of photography for your website, social media profiles and paid online advertising.

We've been taking pictures for hundreds of years, but today taking a winning show requires nothing more than a smartphone. Gone are the days of carefully setting up the camera and the shot and then having to wait a week or more for the snapshots to be developed.

Thanks to digital cameras, whether it's the one that comes with your smartphone or the one that comes with your own bag, it's much easier to take great photos these days. Which is great news for anyone who wants to promote their business, increase traffic and attract customers, because photos are worth their weight in gold.

Why photography is important

The aim of advertising and marketing is to sell your products and services. This applies to all kinds of businesses and also to educational establishments and charities. You can use photographs as part of a marketing campaign because they perform a variety of functions:

• They attract the attention of a potential customer.
• They help to simplify complicated concepts.
• You can use them to enhance the attractiveness of a product or service.
• You can use them to gather your ideas.

The truth is that good photography can make a big difference, elevating an average advertising campaign to a highly effective one. Why are photographs so important? Because they can tell a story and a story is essential for customer engagement.

Believe it or not, it has been said that the photography used on your website can generate an increase in conversions. Some say that increases can be as high as 161%. Photography can also help improve engagement rates, brand awareness and brand perception. Let's look at the reasons why in more detail.

Increases the perception of quality.

Three quarters of online shoppers use product images to inform their decisions. In other words, they like to see exactly what they are buying before they make a purchase. For this reason, it is crucial that the images you use are of the highest quality. An average image will work fine, but good quality photographs will further enhance user engagement.

Photographs are very versatile.

You can use photos in a wide range of media, from your website to email banners, print ads and let's not forget social media.

Good quality photos or visual content are much more likely to be shared on social channels, by a staggering 40 %. Why did this happen? It's because our attention spans have shortened and your audience prefers short-form content, in the form of memes, images, videos, etc.

Photographs help increase traffic to your website

If you use photographs on your website, you are likely to receive up to 90% more traffic than a website that does not feature images. This is because images help the SEO value of a website, through the description and tags, which help search understand what your website relates to.

An important tip here is to remember to compress your images before uploading them. It makes images much easier and lighter for your website to handle, without compromising quality. If you don't compress images, they are "heavy", which slows down your website. A website that takes a long time to load, for whatever reason, is more likely to be closed and your visitors will bounce to your competitors.

Enhancing brand identity

Photographs that use the best lighting and capture a subject from the best angle will help capture the essence of your brand. They will also help establish brand identity and show what is unique about your business.

When you want to include images on your website, it is easy and very tempting to use stock images. However, original and unique images can increase conversions by up to 35 %. It also builds a level of trust if you use your own images and people are more likely to buy from you.

Use photographs to help customers visualise your products.

Photographs are aspirational. In other words, potential customers will be able to visualise your service or products as part of their own life. You can use photographs to give them an idea of the benefits they can enjoy if they decide to invest in your business.

One of the most powerful ways to help customers learn about your business and what you can do for them is to use photography.

Photography is the foundation of a successful marketing campaign and should be one of the first things you consider when designing your marketing programme. At Zapiplay we help you to create solid and successful campaigns. Contact us!