How is your online image? Are your pictures consistently awesome? Are you getting a little lazy with sticking to a style? Maybe you need something fresh.
There’s a lot of debate on whether people should continue using stock images. I see the pros and cons of both. But here’s the thing – I think they’re great provided that they’re interesting and when you make it your own. Meaning, don’t use the whole picture. Use a portion of it, put it into an image template, add texture, your branding colors, and your fonts to make it truly yours and interesting. I’m not a fan of just using a plain stock image, and to be honest, neither is your audience. We’ve moved beyond that phase.
Create infographics, compile some user-generated images, get personal with some “behind the scenes” images, add some visual motion with a service like Flixel, share your brand values through your visuals, provide quick advice and tips with your images, and use screenshots – which are my favorite way to stay authentic and real.
Evaluate your Instagram and blog images. Do they convey your image and style well or are they just… generic and “blah”? Are you using stock photos that everyone else on the planet is using? It may be time for an updated look! Spend some time and invest in it. Your conversion will DEFINITELY improve as a result if you take the time to do social media “the right way”.
A few days ago I blogged about how, as a blogger, you need to get it together. Be consistent across all your platforms. Put in the effort – it pays off, trust me.
