In the good ole days, marketers would create presentations of smoke and mirrors to make their sales. “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.” But you sure can’t do that now. Customers now know how to research and get a three dimensional image of that curtain in one click of a button.
That’s right. There’s no hiding anything. Everybody has access to almost anything about companies, equipment, services… And if there’s nothing to be found? That’s even worse.
Imagine someone saying: “I searched this company and I couldn’t find anything.” If you don’t exist on the web, you’re not real. Or it raises a red flag of suspicion.
So here we are: transparency is no longer just a term for self-help groups. It’s a critical need for businesses in the marketplace today. Fortunately, transparency – once you admit you need it – is not too hard to achieve. And one great way to do so is through images that help tell the story of your company and your people.
Not smoke, Not mirrors, but real pictures. Did you know?
- 70% of social media conversations involve a picture.
- 20% of women in America use the image-friendly Pinterest.
- 56% of Internet users have either uploaded photos they have taken themselves or shared photos found online through social media.
Visuals will tell your story faster and with greater impact. And they’re a plus for both the customer and the company. For instance, they take less time to create and their meaning is clear so customers can make buying decisions quickly.
Visuals also tend to be more transparent about what’s on the other side of a click rather than a teasing headline that links to an article that may or may not be what the customer was expecting.
Pictures can also create more of an emotional reaction prompting a desire to learn more.
One thing to note: If you are using Facebook and Twitter, the feeds are in chronological order. So your picture needs to tell the whole story. Because by the time you post again, your picture will be pushed down in the feed.
So, how can contractors use pictures to tell stories about their company, their people and their services? Smiling customers who’ve just been rescued from the cold, flood or electrical outage are a possibility. Or the smiling techs who’ve just done the rescuing. If possible, take a photo of a discovery within a piece of equipment – something you could use to warn others. Take the time to brainstorm with your team for other ways to create compelling visuals.
We have all heard the cliché – a picture is worth a thousand words. How true it is. Words are fine, but I will trade them for clicks any day.