In
the old days, marketers could create presentations of smoke and mirrors to make
their sales. A la, “pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.” But you
sure can’t do that now. Because customers know how to get a 3D image of that
curtain on Google maps.
That’s
right. There’s no hiding anything. “Hiders” are totally out of luck in this
research-savvy marketplace. Everybody has access to almost anything about
companies, equipment, services… And if there’s nothing to be found? That’s even
worse.
Imagine
someone saying: “I searched. I couldn’t find anything.” If you don’t exist in
cyberspace and social media, you’re not real. Or you’re regarded with
suspicion.
So
here we are: transparency is no longer just a term for self-help groups. It’s a
critical need for businesses in the marketplace today. Fortunately,
transparency – once you admit you need it – is not too hard to achieve. And one
great way to do so is through images that help tell the story of your company
and your people.
Not
smoke and mirrors, but real pictures – because for starters:
- 70% of social media conversations involve a picture, marketing researchers say.
- One in five women in America uses the image-friendly Pinterest, according to Pew Internet & American Life Project, last Sept.
- 56% of Internet users have either uploaded photos they have taken themselves or shared photos found online through social media, the same Pew research says.
Visuals
tell your story faster and with greater impact. And they’re a plus for both the
customer and the content creator. For instance, they take less time to create
(or consume). Their meaning is clear right away, and customers can make a
decision in a snap about whether to proceed with a click. (Hear REAL contractor success stories in this month's OPEN coaching call.)
Further,
visuals tend to be more transparent about what’s on the other side of a click
rather than, say, a teasing tweet that links to an article that may or may not
be what the customer was expecting.
Pictures
can also create more of an emotional reaction prompting a desire to learn more
(and click).
One
thing to note: the use of pictures is different, depending on platform. For
example, Facebook and Twitter are chronological in their feeds. So your picture
needs to tell the whole story (or contain in itself a compelling reason to
click). Because by the time you post again, your picture will be pushed down in
the feed. Pinterest, on the other hand, can tell a story with multiple images
through boards.
So
how can contractors use pictures to tell stories about their company, their
people and their services? Smiling customers who’ve just been rescued from the
heat, flood or electrical outage are a possibility. Or the smiling techs who’ve
just done the rescuing. Or, if possible, take a (non-customer-identifying)
photo of a dire discovery within a piece of equipment – something you could use
to warn others. Brainstorm with your team for other ways to create compelling
visuals.
You
surely know the cliché from those old days – a picture is worth a thousand
words. While words are fine in their place, in this new online world, we’d
trade that any day for a thousand clicks.
Want to learn more about Social Media and Web
Marketing? Join us for a ONE-TIME Only, no-cost training call, “8 Common Web
Marketing Failures Contractors Make Everyday Day” that KILLS results with ACCA’s
very one marketing duo Melissa Broadus and Christine Cunnick. Go ahead and SAVE YOUR SEAT for the call here. There are only 110 lines left, so don’t miss
out.
