Visual content is a keystone of modern content marketing because images, slideshows, infographics and videos tend to grab people’s attention more readily than plain text alone. However, you could be making a few visual content mistakes that are undermining your efforts. Therefore, I’ve put together a few things to avoid when publishing visual content.
- Not Having a Strategy
Without defining goals and having a solid strategy to reach them, it’s impossible to be successful. Visual content is more than just a way to collect shares and likes – it should support your brand’s identity and fit into your company’s overall strategic marketing goals.
- Taking A “One-Size-Fits-All” Approach
Don’t automatically post a piece of visual content to every platform. Each social platform has its own nuances that need to be considered. For example:
- Pinterest is inspirational and aspirational. Images should provide ideas and motivate users to make or buy things.
- Facebook is a place to connect with friends and family. For content marketers, the goal is usually to entertain.
- Instagram is all about capturing moments in a manner that tells your brand’s story.
Keep in mind that the ideal image sizes for each platform may be different as well.
- Posting Too Much
It’s important to stay active on your social platforms and post on a regular basis, but how much is too much? Look at your social media accounts from the perspective of a user and ask yourself how often you’d like to see your visual content. If you’re posting too much, you’re likely not adding much value with each new post and you risk overloading your hard-earned followers.
- Over-Hashtagging
Hashtags are an integral part of social media marketing, but a little restraint can be a good thing. Don’t #createhashtagsthatarewaytoolong and limit your hashtags to only those that are most relevant. Adding too many can distract readers and dilutes the effectiveness of each individual tag. According to one study, engagement dropped by 17% when more than two hashtags were used.
- Reposting Without Permission
One of the trickier points of social-media etiquette is the art of regramming and sharing. If a user posts a photo on Instagram and tags your brand, are they implicitly allowing you to use that photo or do you need to ask permission first?
Shoe retailer Crocs got themselves into a trouble recently after a woman posted a photo of her daughter on Instagram and used the hashtag #crocs. Crocs added the photo to a gallery on their website without consent, which left the mom feeling that her privacy had been invaded. So, don’t take chances – it’s always best to ask for permission before regramming or sharing your fan’s content.
Don’t Include Visual Content Blindly
Dodging the pitfalls associated with visual content can be challenging, but the rewards of quality visual content marketing can make the effort worthwhile. Having a solid visual content strategy and a good understanding of social media etiquette will put you in a position to maximize the opportunity.