Six photo secrets that get the most likes are revealed

Experts from North Carolina State University's Department of Marketing have figured out what photos on Instagram should be like to make visitors more likely to like them. We have to assume this extends to photos on other social media sites as well.

"We know that images that illustrate social media posts grab users' attention," said study co-author William Rand, an assistant professor in the department. - But many of the variables we know affect interest have very little to do with the images themselves. For example, brand awareness and the number of followers on Instagram are the most important factors that determine whether users will interact with an image. The text that accompanies the image is also important. We wanted to find out how much of a role the image itself plays, with a focus on the complexity of the image.

In analyzing how users responded to images, the researchers identified six indicators to use to judge the "goodness" of an image (both together and individually):

1. Variety of colors in the image - the fewer colors, the more the user likes it.
2. Color saturation - the brighter the colors, the better.
3. Number of objects in the picture - try to have as few objects in the frame as possible.
4. Free edges of the image - you want to make sure that they are not overloaded with objects and that the empty space is framed by the central element (or elements) of the image.
5. The chaotic nature of the objects, which is determined by not having the same orientation in space and not overlapping each other evenly. Chaoticism, as it turns out, is welcome.
6. You should also not strive for symmetry in the arrangement of objects in the image - you should not expose objects exactly in the center neither vertically nor horizontally. 

How the study was conducted

The researchers wrote a program that examined images for each of the six indicators. They then developed an algorithm to determine which combination of metrics had the most impact on Instagram likes. The number of followers of the profile picture posted was also taken into account. A total of 147,963 images were studied.

"We found that all six metrics were important, but there were certain patterns where users liked the images more and liked them. Optimizing images to meet the identified requirements could increase user engagement by about 19%," Rand says. Simply put, the researchers found that there is a middle ground: Users like bright and colorful images without a lot of color. And the objects in the picture should be either very few or very many.

Photographs provide context and make associations with people. Therefore, just one image can often tell more than hundreds of words. Storytellers use photos to accomplish these tasks:

• Attracting the audience's attention. Images are more successful in this task because of the peculiarities of the human psyche. Remember the proverb: "Clothes first, brains second"? A man "meets the clothes" not only other people, but also sites, brochures, packaging.
• Fast transfer of information. Often the Internet user is browsing sites and news feeds in social networks in a cursory manner, not intending to read lengthy articles. However, he perceives the information transmitted through images tens of thousands of times faster than verbal data, as discussed above. Moreover, perception of visual information is effortless, which cannot be said about reading. Photographs help storytellers communicate with users who have "looked online for a few minutes."
• Convincing the audience. A person believes what they see. By publishing images, marketers gain the trust of potential and existing customers.
• Replication of content. Internet users are more willing to share pictures than links or text. The explosive growth in popularity of Pinterest and Instagram confirms this.
• Increased brand awareness. Visual content helps companies stand out and stay visible from their competitors.

How to increase the effectiveness of storytelling with images: 5 tips

In order for storytelling to produce tangible marketing results, stories must be of interest to the brand's target audience. There's no way you'll capture the attention of consumers if you publish the first images you come across that aren't relevant to your business.

To win the reader's heart, you need to learn how to use images to tell really engaging stories. The following tips will help you do this:

1. Create holistic stories that have a plot, action development, climax and denouement. First, this will help you keep consumers interested. Second, you'll be able to hold their attention for a long time. And finally, third, story continuity ensures that your audience understands you.

2. Give your stories the emotional coloring they need. Think about how the audience should feel when they read your story. Use images and words that carry the appropriate emotional charge.

The ability to manage the emotions of the consumer is the most important quality of a storyteller. The emotional connection between the customer and the brand and the product builds loyalty.

3.The characters in your stories should be empathetic. Readers will follow the story if they empathize with it. By the way, soap opera creators are well aware of this.
4. Honesty - one of the main principles of marketing storytelling. Among your potential and existing customers there will always be someone inquisitive who decides to check your words and pictures. The Internet will help him get to the bottom of it.
5. Try to get readers to share your story with each other. It has to be meaningful to the audience for this to happen. Important information, strong emotions, and humor are some of the factors that increase the importance of a story from a consumer's perspective.

Many marketers and sales managers are proficient in verbal storytelling, using it as one of the tools for business promotion. However, not everyone knows how to tell stories with images. Below you'll find some successful examples of storytelling with photos that will help you master this marketing technique.