9 Visual Storytelling Tips for Social Media

No matter the size of your organization, image-based storytelling is a social media marketing technique that can bring you increased exposure, better customer engagement and retention and more positive business results. Potential customers are looking for content that can tell a story that encourages, engages or enlightens them.

What visual content will you post next to entice and entertain your followers? Before you figure that out, take a look at these nine tips for successfully harnessing visual storytelling on social media, courtesy of AJ Gerritson, founding partner of 451 Marketing and a contributor to PR News' Book of Content Marketing Strategies & Tactics Vol. 1.

1. Don’t be shy. Put it all out there. Enough with telling your audience why you are the best. Show them. Take the opportunity to peel back the layers shielding the essence of your brand from those who are looking for a deeper connection.
2. Spice it up. When it comes to social media, the same thing gets old really fast. Incorporating a variety of content will keep fans on their toes and consistently checking in for more. Make your followers feel special by providing behind-the-scenes pictures, videos and news bits.
3. It’s time to play. Nothing gets people excited like the possibility of winning something. Reward your fans while attracting new ones by offering them the opportunity to win a prize for participation. Just remember to keep it simple.
4. Showcase corporate culture. Sharing your company’s personalities and how they shape your corporate culture is a great way to build goodwill with your audience. Your audience is more likely to connect with your brand if they feel a connection to the people who are behind the brand.
5. Share the love. Fans just want to be heard and appreciated. Show them you care by engaging with them and responding to their interactions with your brand through various social media platforms. By encouraging and sharing the content they created around your brand, users will be more likely to view your brand as human. Fans love to spread the love if you show them some too.
6. Be a leader. Knowledge about your product or industry is valuable to customers. Share the latest inside scoop and give tips that can familiarize potential customers with both. The better people understand your product and how it can be useful to them, the more comfortable they will be with purchasing it and incorporating it into their own lives.
7. Link, link, link. Likes and comments are great, but sales are often the bottom line. Make it easy for your fans to find what they are looking for by always including an ecommerce link to the product.
8. #SpreadTheWealth. You’ve worked hard to capture your brand with attractive visuals, now you want to get them in front of as many eyes as possible. Incorporate relevant hashtags to extend the reach of your content.
9. Promote across platforms. The great thing about visual content is the ease with which it can be shared across all social media platforms. Not only can you post on other image-based platforms but also you can easily share and promote content on more traditional platforms including Facebook, Twitter and Google+ to get the most mileage out of your images.