We live in the age of the picky buyer. Now, there is a new rule for social media marketing: advertisements cannot simply sell — they must also connect with the viewer on a personal level.

Cape Irago, Aichi Prefecture, Honshu, Japan

Words alone cannot accomplish this. When a person scrolls through his Facebook or Twitter feed, he is most likely not reading every post he sees carefully, or even at all. On average, if someone stops to read something, it is because a picture caught his eye. Since the eye is drawn more toward pictures than words, successful marketing lies in visually arresting pictures.

That being said, your average stock photo is not visually arresting. Drab landscapes, smiling people in white t-shirts—these all too common stock images bore viewers and turn them away from your business. Your followers will only show interest in you if your visuals reach out to them.

How can you connect with your viewers? First, find a quality stock photo provider. Then, use only photos you would feel comfortable using for your personal social media accounts—your followers want to feel like a real person is speaking with them. Your messages should be concise. Focus on presentation; do not let unnecessary words crowd the message.

The average social media user will only click on posts with which he connects. Only a bland person would click on a bland stock photo… and no one wants to be bland.

Check out these sites for visually arresting stock photos: Startup Stock Photos, Pixabay, Tookapic, Fantasy Crave, Stock Snap, Death to Stock Photos

See Social Media Explorer for the full story.