Most Singapore businesses don’t realise just how important their Facebook Ad images are. Sure, they know that their ad needs an image, but how much of an effect can they have o your overall campaign? In the second part of our Facebook social media marketing campaign, we’ll talk about the science behind the images your audience responds to. This will help you to make a more informed decision about what types of images will lead to higher conversions.
What is Image Psychology and why is it important?
Image psychology refers to the study of images and how they elicit emotion. Advertisers must take the psychology of images into consideration because it can have a fundamental impact on their conversions. The simple positioning of a camera could possibly change the way your potential customers feel about the subject of the image–whether it’s a feeling of pity or their being impressed.
1. Eye contact
Eye contact plays a huge role in nonverbal communication. In fact, it makes up over half of the meaning that we take from our everyday conversation. This form of communication also plays a big role in advertising as eye contact symbolises friendliness, openness, and trust. It’s also one of the first steps when it comes to persuasion. Using eye contact in your Facebook ads can inspire users to click on your image.
How to use it: As mentioned in part 1 of this series, you can use colour psychology to catch the user’s attention. You can use images with eye-contact to actually keep their attention. So use an image that features great eye contact in order to communicate how friendly and trustworthy your company is.
2. Smile
Smiles symbolise openness and friendliness and they tend to universally make the subject of the image appear more attractiveness. And this can have a significant effect on sales. If you were to perform an A/B Split test that compared the images of people smiling vs not smiling you would notice an increase in conversions when using the image of the smiling person.
3. Metaphor
We tend to assign metaphorical value to certain images. Hearts symbolise love. Elephants represent size. And this is another factor that can have an influence on how users perceive your Facebook Ad.
How to use it: Consider using images of animals as people often associate them with certain ideas. Images of pets and animals are pretty popular on social media. In fact, these types of images are the fourth-most shared images on the web.
4. Camera angle
Cinematography students understand the power of camera angles, and how they can affect how the audience perceives the character. So when choosing an image for your Facebook Ad pick your angles carefully. An upward-looking shot can be associated with status and power while a downward-looking shot is usually associated with pity or subservience. However, downward-looking shots are sometimes be associated with nurturing.
How to use it: If you’re interested in selling a career or increasing savings or wealth use images where the camera happens to be looking up at its subject. If you’re promoting your business over another business with a comparison value proposition, then use an image in which the camera is looking down at its subject.
5. Celebrities and models
When it comes to advertising, products and services sell better when the subject of the image is an actual person, not text. There are certain products that can be promoted better with models who look like everyday, average people. Fashion industry products and services tend to sell better with especially attractive models. Business to Consumer, or B2C, companies sell low involvement products, meaning the products sell themselves. However, these products can benefit from the use of models and celebrities. The key is to pick a subject that fits the industry. Make sure that it connects with the target audience.
How to use it: You don’t have to spend your entire budget on your next campaign. You could always use a member of your staff to be the face of your services or products. Do a few A/B tests and pay attention to what your audience responds to.
6. Surrealism
Surreal images provoke the user to examine your Facebook ad for a long length of time. One study found that though people see 90% of ads, they only remember 55% of them. And what makes them more memorable is the time it takes people to view the ad. The optimal viewing time is said to be around 2.75 seconds. So use surrealism and make your audience question what they are seeing. Just don’t break Facebook’s guidelines while doing it.
How to use it: Create an add that comes across as unusually large. Feature an animal or pet wearing or using your product. Be humorous and creative.
7. Attractiveness
It’s a good idea to include individuals that most people would consider attractive. Striking physical features tend to attract people’s attention. In fact, this is something that is hardwired into human beings so it will make a great Facebook Ad. Just remember to keep these ads very subtle.
How to use it: Advertising with attractiveness tends to work better with a younger target audience than one that is middle-aged or older. Be mindful of your brand’s reputation as going too far could do more harm than good. It may work well, but how do most people perceive it?
8. Gender
It’s a good idea to match the gender of your product with the gender of your Facebook ad’s model. For instance, if you are selling hair accessories, it’s a good idea to show the type of model who would actually use this product. It needs to be believable. So pick your spokesperson wisely.
In many cases, products won’t be associated with a particular gender. For example, software and technology products are neither exclusively associated with men or with women. However, if your business offers garage tools, yard implements and huge TV’s then these products are more likely to be associated with men. Household products are more likely to be associated with women.
There have been several psychological and neurological studies that have shown that safe generalisations can be made about appealing to a certain gender over the other. For examples, studies indicate that women tend to respond more intensely when shown an image of babies crying, while men tend to respond more to social acceptance image.
How to use it: Women respond more to images that create a connection, individuality, feelings of togetherness, respect and stress relief. When it comes to colours, they prefer purple because it represents femininity, blue because it’s calming, green because it’s nurturing, and orange because it’s warmth and a stress relief.
Men respond more to images that reflect acceptance, strength, affirmation, and wealth. When it comes to colours they prefer red because it represents masculinity, blue because it’s associated with acceptance, black because it denotes sophistication, and yellow because it shows emotional strength.
Conclusion
A big part of a Facebook ad marketing plan is the images you use. However, you must be careful to consider the science behind your images. How will these images affect your audience? What are the angles and poses that resonate with them the most? These are the questions that can help to ensure that you get the most out of your campaign.
