If you pay attention to the evolution of the algorithm for social media sites, like Facebook, you will see the algorithm gives priority to graphic content, especially images. But just because an image makes your post more dominant, it doesn’t automatically make it engaging. If you want to really capture your audience, a compelling social media image is an essential first step.
If your day goes anything like mine, you’re bound to hear “Hey Erin, what image should I use for this blog post?” True to globalHMA form, I always suggest puppies and babies first. Okay, not really. To make the best suggestion, it’s important to read what’s getting published and feeling a little bare. So what was the point? What did you read? How can you turn that into an social media image?
Starting with the obvious can be a great jumping off point. The post mentions apples; try an apple in your image. To keep the more obvious options fresh, find interesting angles to shoot your piece, use interesting colors, crops and compositions. You can add a few other objects in the frame to help the composition, and maybe one of those items adds a little fun and shows some of your character.
Injecting humor to get a chuckle might be how you captivate. Or changing something small and commonplace could be a great way to get people to take a second glance because something just isn’t right. Remember the goal is to get noticed in feeds, where images are prioritized and users are scrolling quickly. Try to find at least one way to be interesting, odd or unique with your social media images and get more engagement out of your audience. And if all else fails, try puppies and babies.
