Internet Marketing

Is an image worth a thousand words online?

How agencies can utilize images to attract more consumers on the Internet

By Adam DeGraide

Images work. It's a simple statement and it's a true statement. Before I get into why your agency should test (note: I'm not advising this strategy for every agency) a presence on an image-based social media network like Pinterest or the utilization of an app like Instagram, let's look at some data concerning the use of images on social media channels.

Photographs and images get 53% more "likes" on Facebook than text-only posts. Some studies suggest that they also garner more comments. Why is this important to your agency? Well … the more engagement you get on sites like Facebook, the larger the audience you can attract.

And when people on Facebook "like" a photo that happens to include a link to your latest blog post, it can translate into traffic to your agency Web site. How?

When someone becomes engaged with your social media sites, social signals are sent to search engines such as Google and Bing. Those social signals indicate that you are a credible source. This helps not only with your overall SEO, but also with your Web site traffic. Why?

When you rank higher in search engines, prospective clients are more likely to find you. Additionally, posting relevant information on social media raises your expertise and encourages people to visit your site for more information.

Image-based social engagement

In the same way that search engines such as Google and Bing have their own algorithms for determining valuable content in searches, Facebook has its own, too. In fact, in March, Facebook made updates to that algorithm that increased the significance of images.

On social networks, such as Facebook, sharing an image puts the post at the top of news feeds. Based on user experience and preferences, Facebook has determined that socially-shared images designate a more significant Web presence and rank. As a result of that, the company unveiled the new newsfeeds—including, you guessed it, a feed comprised solely of images.

We tested the image theory. Posted at the same time on the same day, a week apart, those posts without images engaged fewer users and had, in some cases, up to 50% lesser of a reach.

Social media posts that promote a blog post (i.e., when you share the link to your blog post on Facebook) get more traffic when an image is incorporated. We also learned that image-based social media posts garner more engagement through "likes" and "shares."

You can do it, too

One thing to keep in mind is that there is more to social media than Facebook, though it's absolutely imperative you have a presence on Facebook.

Let's talk briefly about two image-based social networks—Pinterest and Instagram.

Instagram (www.instagram.com) is an image-based social network boasting well over 100 million users. It is fully integrated with Facebook (its owner) and has the ability to link to other social networks such as Twitter.

Pinterest (www.pinterest.com) is an online "pinboard" that allows users to share and discover information as it relates to personal interests and needs. Pinterest drives more traffic than YouTube, LinkedIn and Google+… combined. It is highly engaging and rapidly growing, with over 80% of its users being female—you know, the decision makers of the house.

For many agency owners it may be difficult to figure out how to create an image that illustrates their services. Here are some suggestions.

Your insurance agency is selling a service that meets a need, right? That need is typically related to an individual's lifestyle and that lifestyle can certainly be visualized.

When you are using images on Pinterest, consider this:

1. Do you have content that is compelling (e.g., your blog)? Make it visual and start pinning it to your board.

2. Infographics are a creative way to use Pinterest to advertise while still providing useful and visual information to your community.

3. Test out a board of personal inspiration—pin and re-pin things that inspire you.

What about Instagram?

1. Expand your audience by connecting your Instagram account to your other social accounts (e.g., Facebook and Twitter) and share your content.

2. Hold a contest!

3. Make a local connection. A local insurance agency prides itself in its ability to understand and work with the community. Using images is a great way to do so!

Don't forget to share your own content! If you write something compelling, share an image with a link. Also consider: Instead of using the words "our blog" in a Facebook post promoting your latest blog post, share a compelling statistic or fact from the post. It works better for engagement.

You can always showcase your services the way you showcase them in your blogs—health insurance may not be visual, but your health is. The same goes for any type of insurance you sell. You may not be able to visualize auto insurance (unless you create a stellar infographic!), but you can visualize vehicles, accidents or even maintenance.

Although agencies are having success in using social media, the best agencies have realized that this is only a small piece of a much larger digital marketing platform that they need. They have discovered it's never about one thing. It is always about a blended strategy of marketing, technology and training all rolled into a cohesive system that turns all of these ideas into premium dollars.

Let your imagination be your guide. Start incorporating images into your social media marketing—and then let them do the talking for you! You just might reach more insurance consumers online in the process.

The author

Adam DeGraide is the founder and CEO of Astonish, which helps the insurance industry grow by using the Internet. In 2012 Astonish was ranked 267th on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. Currently serving more than 800 retail brokers in America, Astonish is encouraging the insurance industry to "join the Internet marketing revolution, or get left behind!"