If you have ever managed a social media page before, you have probably had this happen to you: you post the perfect graphic, it works perfectly with your product or brands message, and no one, not a soul, posts a comment or acknowledges that you even took the time to share this piece of visualgold with the general public. You posted this amazing image or

video and it falls on deaf ears like an Arizonan complaining about cold weather. Why did this happen? How can you avoid it in the future? It’s all about the content, chump.

That’s right, companies are finding that the words you pair with your all-world graphic can have a huge impact on engagement. What, I’m sure by now you are asking, was the consensus of these findings?  Your post should be unique and clever, concise, and leave the fan or consumer with some kind of question.

Originality at the Origin

No one wants to attach their name (or Twitter handle) with a post that is schlepped together. The first component to a good image or video post is to write a caption that is as equally creative and unique as the graphic is. While humor and clever phrasing is a great way to boost your post to all-post level, a post that reads forced or uncomfortably will certainly lower the level of engagement you will receive. Generally, you want to stick to the message the graphic speaks to and ask yourself how can I refer to this idea or concept in a fun, fresh way?

Keep it Short

When posting any type of graphic, it is important to remember that the visual is the primary focus of your post. The content that goes along with it should serve like a lyrical Flavor Flav (read: hype man)  for your graphic. Your content should be witty (and preferably have an over-sized clock around its neck) without drawing too much attention to itself. A great way to make certain you have done this is to read the post as though the visual where not a part of it. If your post seems complete, you probably need to go back and find a way to keep the visual in the front of the reader’s mind.

There’s No Such Thing as a Stupid Question?

The final component to a good visual post is to leave the reader with some sort of question you are looking for them to answer. People are far more inclined to participate publically when they feel as though they get to contribute to the message. People like to feel as though their input actually matters, and questions or fill in the blank post endings are a great way to show your followers and fans that you really care about their experience and their opinions.

Go On, Get Visual

Today, social media serves as a wonderful way for businesses to pool their clientele and acquire a deeper, more personal understanding of what makes their consumers tick. The trick? Use content as a way to tie the reader and the image or video together. Once you’ve done that, the battle is won.

Related articles

• 17 Eye-Opening Examples of Content Visualization (hubspot.com)
• Let the pictures tell the story (themarlincompany.com)
• Visuals are important in journalism (journalistjan.wordpress.com)