Written by: Peggy MacSweeney, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Online space is becoming an increasingly crowded space. With everyone constantly churning and putting up content, it’s a real challenge for entrepreneurs to capture people’s attention. Because of information overload, our attention span is getting shorter and shorter, especially when we are browsing online.
So how are you going to stop people from scrolling past your brilliant content and irresistible offer on social media?
There are many ways to communicate your message and be visible online. Videos are no doubt the most popular. We are all encouraged to post videos as part of our marketing strategy, as proven to increase engagement. Audio formats such as podcasts and new platforms like Clubhouse are also catching up in terms of popularity. However, the fastest and the most effective way to stop people from scrolling along your post is to include a photo!
According to MIT neuroscientists, did you know it only takes the human brain 13 milliseconds to process an image in its entirety? The human brain, in general, processes visual information more efficiently than written and audio information. Therefore including a photo in your post is the simplest way to capture people’s attention fast. We all heard of the saying, “A picture speaks a thousand words.” A picture not only can capture people's attention when used intentionally, but it also has the ability to communicate your personal and business brand message at lightning speed.
When it comes to including photos on social media posts, many small business owners rely on d-i-y selfies and snapshots. If you use your phone camera to take pictures, do make sure you do not post any blurry and amateurish-looking images. Such bad-quality images hurt your credibility and professionalism. They are rarely scroll-stopping and, even if they are, will not give a good impression on you and your business.
That leaves us with professional photography. Contrary to the view that professional photography is a luxury item, it is an absolute necessity when it comes to growing your business. It is part of your marketing collateral and is an essential investment that elevates your business and your brand to the next level. But be aware that professional brand photography is not any professional photography. It is a special genre altogether. They are professional images that not only stop the scroll but, more importantly, showcase you and your brand. They also have the ability to establish that all-important know, like and trust factor, connecting you with your dream clients at the emotional level in a split of a second.
If you are not using professional brand photography in your day-to-day marketing, you are missing out on one of the most powerful (and fastest) ways to stop your dream clients from scrolling past your social media posts!
Peggy MacSweeney, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Peggy is a personal brand mentor and photographer. Passionate about the power of visual storytelling, she helps women entrepreneurs who want to differentiate themselves to get visible confidently and attract their ideal clients with their own uniqueness and with scroll-stopping brand images.
Coming from a corporate background as well as being an introvert, Peggy struggled to put herself as the face of the business at the start of her business. Having overcome her own visibility challenge, her bigger mission is to help introverted women launching their business to craft a standout personal brand and visibility strategy so that they can be seen and known as experts in their field.
