Guidelines and latest trends for your social media product photos
What are the visual codes of social networks to promote your products? Between new trends and technological innovations with artificial intelligence, uses of product visuals are more than ever a key element in your communication. Improving the customer experience, especially on mobile devices, requires increased responsiveness and interactions.
1 — Showcase brands and products on your social networks
Various studies have shown that a fixed visual generates up to 4 times more engagement than other types of publications on social networks. Respect a visual relationship with thematic universe of your brand (whether it is a brand of toys, of electronic products or evenluggage or leather goods) will therefore strengthen its identity. Each of these social networks has specificities and codes. You will need to use them to attract maximum engagement with your product photos. Here are a few examples: on Facebook, focus on your news (news, product promotions, special offers and gift boxes). For your visuals On Pinterest, highlight sets of thematic photos on a collection or more commonly “inspirations” with product photos on Pinterest. Example: the creation of a “board” of images dedicated to cooking or to a collection of winter clothing for children. Last illustration, Product photos on Instagram, a social network that favors visual trends that are sometimes brought up to date by Internet users themselves, such as the Flatlay (more details in section 4th part).
2 — Play proximity and interact with your e-customers
One of the most useful characteristics for online retailers is the propensity of consumers to share, “like”, twitter and especially comment on your publications. Les photos of products that generate more engagement. So do not hesitate to increase this interaction tenfold. Indeed, when you post a photo composition of several lipsticks, accompany your publication with a sentence or question that will make your users react. It could be read as follows: “choose and comment on what is your favorite lipstick color? Which one would you give? ”. These are all questions that leave the door open for comments and will bring up your publications in the news feeds of contacts of committed people.
3 — Think of these tools as sales channels
For several years, social networks have been adapting to e-commerce. The proof of this is with the appearance in 2015 of “pins” e-commerce on Pinterest. They allow users of the visual social network to buy your products directly by clicking on a CTA (Call-To-Action). At the end of 2016, Instagram followed suit by optimizing its buy button. It has become more direct and interactive to streamline the process. Other social networks like google or facebook are setting up genuine innovative e-merchant services. In the form of messaging, a robot “bot” responds to user requests and then transmits product suggestions accompanied by photos. A phenomenon of artificial intelligence which literally assists the consumer in their buying journey through the use of Voice recognition.
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Mark Zuckerberg presenting the Facebook Messenger ChatBot
4 — Be responsive to new photo trends
It is the users, your customers who launch trends through social networks. Some of the best known examples are: Food porn pictures and flat lay on Instagram. In the case of the 2016 trend - flatlay, we are talking about minimalist visuals. This is illustrated through the flat photography of several products placed geometrically on a neutral background. Very close to Packshot and acclaimed by trendy bloggers, at the beginning of January it had nearly 2 million posts on Instagram. What has been described as a strong trend, particularly affects the fashion, tableware, of wines and spirits, of the beauty And of the tech. An ideal tool for visual creativity of e-retailers eager to bring a simple message and to present products in the most effective form possible.
An example of a flatlay packshot photo (flat photo taken while diving)
5 — Take the initiative by having control of your photo production
Flatlay, publications of new collections on your social networks or your website: all constraints that require reactivity. Physical stock sometimes takes a long time to transform into digital photography stock. Be reactive to new arrivals, new trends and easily use the multiple communication media, invites you to consider producing your own visuals. From an in-house service provider to the acquisition of a Packshot photo studio, there are several questions to ask yourself before making this choice. A choice to produce its visuals internally which is the The subject of another article ofthe Packshot product photography blog.
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E-commerce, m-commerce and social networks:
Since 2015, mobile has become the preferred medium for connecting to the Internet. In 2016, online mobile traffic represented more than 50%. M-commerce has doubled since 2014. The link with social networks: more than 70% of French Internet users connect to them!
