Tips for Using Images in Web Content

17 “take it to the bank” tips from Drayton Bird for marketing folks. I can vouch for them, because this is how we approach work for our clients at my agency. -Cartoons attract most attention. Good on envelopes and websites. -Photos convince most. Use them if looks or credibility matter. -Charts often attract interest and persuade - e.g. weight-loss figures or interest rates. -People look at people. Responses for INSEAD business school nearly doubled when we put the Dean's face in the ads. -Men look at attractive women; so do women. But they look at babies even more. -Illustrations relating directly to the message work on average 32% better. -TV frames from commercials are extremely effective. -If you don't illustrate the product or the idea, the ad is 27 % less effective than average. (That means don't be a clever-clogs) -Stereotypes - chatting people, loving couples, smiling sippers and ecstatic eaters kill ads. They don't develop uniqueness. -If the picture has something odd about it, people remember the message. David Ogilvy's ads for Hathaway shirts used a model wearing an eye patch. -One big picture usually attracts better than several small ones. Pictures should demonstrate what you do. -Before and after pictures are particularly effective. -Cut out pictures attract the eye better than squared-up ones. -Don't have pictures just for the sake of it; they cost money and can divert attention needlessly. -Coupons in ads used to add most conviction. Now that you often direct people to a website, that means it should be very prominent. -Never use pictures that have nothing to with the product but seem a clever idea.

Advertorial images can make or break your advertorial (especially the top image) Don’t spend days writing an advertorial to then destroy any chance it has of scaling because of your image selection Here are the most important images in an advertorial and how to choose effective ones: 1) Top Image The top image is one of the most important images in the advertorial. It’s the first image a reader sees and helps get them scrolling down the page. Here’s 6 we continually go back to • Product in use • The before state • Before & after • Product in hand • Story related • The after state When it comes time to optimize a page try split testing different types. 2) Lead Image (Optional) This is an optional image and is only needed if your lead is fairly long. The idea behind this image is it helps break up the text and show what you are talking about. If you’re writing a personal story it can be about the story, or if you’re writing breaking news it could be a screenshot of statistics etc. Really it can be anything as long as it ties into the text. 3) What Is It / Product Image This is the first image of the product. What type of image you use here depends partially on the style of advertorial you’re writing. If you’re writing a personal story, try and get an authentic-looking picture of the product in someone's hand or a lifestyle image If you’re writing breaking news you can still use an authentic-looking picture but as it’s supposed to be more news centered you can also get away with a more branded / professional image 4) How It Works Image There are 3 different types of images that work well in this section. Which one you should use depends on how you’re writing the section. • The Science This image focuses on the “science” behind the product and shows how it achieves its results. Think of an MRI scan image or explainer graphic • The Product Breakdown This image focuses on the mechanical pieces of the product and how the product is pieced together. Oftentimes times features will be pointed out on the product • The Step-By-Step This image focuses on how you actually use the product, as in step 1, step 2, step 3. It’s often used with gadgets and demonstrates how easy the product is to use 5) Other Images Throughout your advertorial will be spots for other images. Usually, every new section of an advertorial has an image (unless it’s extremely short) to help break up the text and show what you’re talking about A few other images that can work well are • Gif Demonstrations - show the product or results in action • Before and afters - useful in the “my experience section” • Collages - either a collage of the problem, product, or social proof • Bundle images - can be used as the last image in the CTA section And that’s the main images you’ll need when writing an advertorial

When you talk about features on your startup’s homepage, you should be showing off imagery that is actually relevant to the copy. This is sometimes tricky because showing a “screenshot” of your product might not look good in context of a website. That could be because your app UI is complex, or even with a simple product, there are elements you have to include in your product design that are not necessary to telling the story on your marketing site. For example, if your app has a button for sharing a link, but the content is talking about a “Visual Configurator” like the real example I have shared here, that share button does not matter.

To solve this, I like to use “illustrative screenshots” to supplement the content in that particular section. It accomplishes the exact same thing as a real product screenshot, but removes any distracting elements, only keeping the most crucial text. When somebody is browsing your website, they’re skimming headlines, skipping around, just trying to get a quick glance of what you are offering. If that is the case with the written content, why would it be any different when it comes to imagery? People aren’t going to read all of the text in a screenshot, so you might as well control what they do take away from a section by simplifying it. If the image piques their interest, then hopefully that leads to them watch a full demo video, get on a call, or just try your product.

When creating content for marketing it’s easy to focus on cool product shots. However, cool product photos don’t tell a story. When I go to a website or social feed I want to see the product in use by real people. I want to envision myself using the product. This creates an immediate connection with your customers. When crafting the media for your marketing plan it’s important to tell a story and enable your potential customers to picture themselves using your product. If you’re selling hammers, I don’t want to just see white background flat lay photos. I don’t want to just see a cool photo of a tool belt with a hammer. I want to see real people doing real work with your hammers. I will be much more likely to purchase if I have that instant connection to the product and brand. Example: Photo of a DiamondBack Covers in use. You can picture yourself and how you would actually use their truck bed cover when you look at this photo. This is much more effective than a simple photo of the bed cover on the truck.