How To Use Good Branding + Stock Photos for Better Content Marketing
It’s no secret that great images and photography are an essential part of content marketing. Think about it - how likely are you to click on a graphic (on Pinterest or any social media platform) that is poorly lit or looks like an amateur made it?
I’ve also seen enough clip art logo work and ugly branding to know instantly when a business owner is too cheap and/or clueless to invest in good design for the first impression of their online presence.
We’re going to dive into the essential elements of branding, design, and using high-quality images to represent your business online.
Why Visuals Are So Important
In our world of constant scrolling, having an amazing visual component to your content marketing is a must.
Industry insiders call it “scroll-stoppers” - basically any visual element that is going to make you as the user stop mindlessly scrolling on your mobile device through Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, etc.
On Pinterest, your pin design is especially important. Your keyword SEO strategy is what is going to get your Pins “surfaced” in the different Pinterest feeds, but your Pin graphic is what’s going to entice the user to click through to your website.
Put simply:
“On Pinterest, keywords get you found but graphics get you clicked.”
Sure, when you think about a “visual” platform, Instagram is likely what comes to mind first…
…but think about how often you make the effort to tap through to someone’s website from Instagram vs. just liking their picture.
Pinterest also works with that split-second “oh that’s appealing, I want to know more” subconscious trigger - but instead, users know they can tap through to instantly find the information or offer you’re providing.
Pro Tip: Create a secret design swipe file board to save color schemes, branding, and pin designs that you find visually appealing. DO NOT copy other peoples’ work - use it to help inspire your own.
What Is Branding?
Branding is essential because it accomplishes 4 things for your business:
It builds the “know, like, and trust” relationship with your audience.
Part of good branding is knowing what appeals to your target customer or audience. When your branding sparks a connection, that relationship is going to grow.
It builds brand recognition.
Your goal should be for any casual browser or scroll-er to instantly know a piece of content or visual is your brand. Think of the logo-recognition of brands like Nike, Starbucks, and McDonald’s. While you might never quite reach those heights of brand recognition, you can at least understand the power of that brand recognition.
It helps you stand out from the crowd.
In a sea of pretty desk flat lays, how will your branding stand apart? What makes your brand unique? Daring to be different, even just a little bit, makes it easier for your customer to find you and love you.
It creates a consistent, cohesive brand experience for your audience.
Having defined branding across every touchpoint with your audience will help them know they are in the right place. We’re talking your website, your products, and any physical elements like a store or in-person events.
There are several pieces that go into your branding - meaning the “look and feel” of your small business.
They can include:
Colors
Fonts
Logos + Watermarks
Branded Photography
Brand Voice (i.e. your tagline or phrases)
Mission Statement or Values
Marketing Materials
Website
Social Media Accounts
Learn the Elements of Graphic Design
I am the first to admit graphic design is not my expertise.
While I have picked up many tips, tricks, and skills over the years - when I need something designed well, I hire an actual graphic designer.
There are lots of good resources out there for learning more about the elements of graphic design.
I love this article from Creative Market on the 10 Basic Elements of Design.
While it goes into aspects like line, form, and texture - it’s more extensive than I need to outline here as a graphic design layman.
If you don’t have the brain space or time to learn more and improve your graphic design skills, you can always start with templates.
Resource: Get the Mega Pin Creators Bundle - 60 editable Pin templates for Canva.
I also love browsing through templates on both Easil and Canva - 2 great web-based design apps - to inspire graphics to tweak for my own.
Use Good Stock Photography/Images
Years ago I read a revealing article by Contently about how National Geographic gets 8 times the engagement of anyone else. It's well worth the 5 minutes of your time.
In short - they have a massive amount of stunning (I mean STUNNING) photography to compel conversations and promote engagement. They do this better than Buzzfeed, who was a very distant second.
Part of the reason their social media engagement comes so naturally is the nature of who they are as an organization. They have decades of revealing the world around us in an intimate and astounding way.
It is who they are.
While chances are your brand or business won't be posting pictures of howler monkeys in a remote village to Instagram, the lesson you need to take away from National Geographic's success is that the who and why of your brand is what is compelling.
If you can, I highly recommend hiring a professional photographer to take brand photos for your business and content marketing.
Nothing else is going to build that relationship and connect to your audience in quite the same way as your own branded photography. These should include not only pictures of you or your business, but professional product photos if you sell physical items.
There are a couple of free stock image sites I go to when I needs something quick, and they are Pexels and Unsplash. However, you run the risk of using a “popular” photo that starts to show up across lots of other brands’ social media images too.
I highly recommend looking into Ivory Mix for beautiful paid stock photography. She has free photos to get you started, and a gigantic, unlimited library of paid photos for members if you want more.
