Picture This: The Importance of Photography in Marketing

I have to confess, for years I ignored the importance of photography in marketing. Yes, I had graphic designers on my marketing team over the years, and they all uniformly did great work, but the look of a thing didn’t really matter to me. I was a words girl, and the words were what I cared about. Images were secondary, at least to me.

Over time, however, I realized that the old saying is right, sometimes, much as I might dislike it, a picture is worth a thousand words. Particularly in today’s world, where so much information is consumed through scrolling, a picture can be the thing that stops someone enough so they can read the words it accompanies. Pictures also allow people to get a feel for the product or service in question, and to put themselves in the scenario the picture may offer. Seeing, to use another cliche, is often believing.

When I came to understand that images were important, I realized two things. One, the images needed to be quality. That means products and concepts needed to be staged well and photographed as expertly as possible. The days of a quick shot with a cellphone camera, or a blurry photo sliding by, were over. The second thing was the fact that words and pictures and ideas all had to connect. Yes, occasionally a user can throw up a picture just to grab attention to a question they want to ask, but that doesn’t work well for brands. Everything needs to be cohesive, or people will be uncomfortable and pass your message and your brand by.

How to Use Images In Marketing

Picture #1: Brains process visual information faster - Human brains are wired to process visual information faster than they do text. An image can convey thoughts, feelings and messages in a fraction of a second. Make sure the images you pick to use on social media and other branding are consistent with the story and the message you want to tell.

Picture #2: Images make people feel - We’ve all seen the social media post with the sad eyed puppy or a waiflike little girl or boy, usually accompanied by a plea for money. There’s a reason those sorts of images are used in those posts. Images have the power to stir our emotions, and the wrong image at the wrong time can seriously backfire. Make sure the images you select trigger the emotions you need them to trigger, and be sure to consider all the possible emotions that might come up before selecting an image.

Picture #3: Quality Matters - I’m the original “thumb in every photograph” sort of photographer. If there’s a way to screw up taking a picture I’ve probably done it. That’s why I always went to professionals whenever possible, particularly for product photography. If professionals aren’t an option, or if you’re more adept at taking product photos than I am, make sure you stage your products properly, and consider the concepts you want the photo to convey before you take it.

Picture #4: More memorable - I kind of hate saying this, but people are more likely to remember pictures than they are words. The images you select may linger in your customers’ or potential customers’ memories long after any words have faded. If you want your audience to remember your message, make sure that you use images that convey that message clearly and easily.

Action Items

The Beginners Guide to Product Photography - Hubspot - This is a great tutorial about how to use a tripod and how to use light when shooting your products. And it doesn’t really advocate much in the way of fancy equipment.

Product Photography: Craft a Perfect Set-up in 2024 - Shopify- This is a more in depth guide which advocates the use of a professional camera and is by a professional photographer. What I like about this is that it shows step by step instructions for setting up your shoot, which I think is helpful.

Product Staging 101: Easy Product Photography for E-Commerce - Pixelcut- This post has a lot of ideas for ways to stage products. It also provides a good definition of what staging is and some tips on things to consider when planning how to stage your photos. I especially like that there are photos accompanying a lot of their tips that show the tip in action.

My name is Kristine Shreve. I’m a writer, a marketer, an editor, and an educator. Visit my website to learn more.