Why images are so important on social media

Lisa East • October 4, 2020

Why images are so important on social media

Is “a picture worth 1,000 words?” Yes — if you have the right pictures.


Today, people are so time poor and have the attention span of a goldfish, or less and as a result, images are more important than ever, especially on social media.


A large part of the brain is focused on visual processing, allowing humans to process images at an incredible speed. Once we see an image that interests us, we then decide to read the post, and/or click on the link.


The top 5 things imagery can help with:


  1. Get your audience's attention (stop the scroll)
  2. Varied images keep people interested
  3. Images help your audience remember your message
  4. Images help you audience remember you and your brand
  5. Consistent imagery across platforms builds brand identity



Just remember that posts that include images produce 650 percent higher engagement than text-only posts and that 81% of people skim read online. Scary facts and only 2 of many that ring true, you'll know yourself when you're online what attracts your attention and what doesn't and which of these have images.


Images are easier to get hold of than they use to be, and there are many royalty free stock image sites, like  Unsplash and Pixabay and if you use Canva to create your social media posts, there is a wide selection of free stock  imagery, videos and animations you can have access to.


You may not need a specific image as you might have an image that is pulled in from a web link URL or an article that you might be sharing, either way, ensure there is one.


Some times when a website is launched the web-developer might not set a feature image for each page, if you don't get an image that pops up when your post is loaded then these have been missed. These are easily added, and its important you do so before posting commences.


We have just listed the importance of why you need to use images, but you might need a bit of guidance as to how to use them to... this is really for another blog, however below should give you a few ideas of how you can incorporate imagery into your posts:



  1. Nice relatable quotes
  2. Customer reviews/testimonials
  3. Product shots
  4. Behind the scenes images of staff at work
  5. Industry related stats/infographic
  6. Funny memes (maybe on a Friday)
  7. To make lists/tips stand out
  8. To use hashtags - like our weekly #WisdomWednesday posts - see below


weekly hashtags


If you need any further advice on the types of imagery you could be using to enhance your engagement, just drop us a line or alternatively you might benefit downloading my FREE Canva Masterclass. It's called Create Canva Social Media Graphics that stop the scroll. It's a short introduction to Canva detailing how easy it is to create your own images with ease.


To read more and download the link click here.



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