Effectively incorporate visual elements into your social media strategy with tips from the Inc.com article “Better Social Media Strategy: Show, Don’t Tell.” The popularity of Pinterest and Instagram affirms what we already knew: People like pictures. Perhaps more importantly, messages depicted by pictures have been shown to penetrate the brain more quickly and with a greater impact. Adding visuals to your social media updates is also a great way to “humanize” your business and increase your ability to connect with potential customers.

1. Show off your stuff. Simply take pictures of some of your products and post them on the social networks. But don’t think of it as a sort of product catalogue. Share images of products that you’re excited about. Along with the photo, write a few sentences that show your enthusiasm. Running out of products to feature? Try using “lifestyle shots” from stock photo services that connect your audience to the essence of what your business is all about.
2. Show off your staff. Show your customers the friendly faces behind your business. You want to create relationships with repeat customers, and using social media can be part of the process.
3. Get close. Professional-quality photography isn’t necessary, but make sure the subject of your photo is clearly visible, even at a small size. Remember that on social media sites images are often first seen in a small, thumbnail-sized box.
4. Great lighting is key. For better lighting in your indoor photos, utilize overhead lights or lamps (even if you think the room is already well lit). Outdoors, make sure you hold the camera with your back to the sun.
5. Make your photos helpful to customers. “Sharing photographs of products, services, and staff can be helpful because when customers come visit your business, they will already know who to ask for, and what they’re looking for,” the author writes. Make sure to share a photo of a new employee, an addition to your building, or any new products or equipment.

Last but not least, remember to accompany images with relevant text using key word rich descriptions.

Click here to read the entire article from Inc.com.