The old cliché “a picture is worth a thousand words” holds true to your small business social media marketing plan. Image sharing is the fastest growing social media channel today, making visuals the most powerful and critical element of your marketing. A visual campaign grabs attention, tells your story, and stimulates emotion – quickly and with little or no words. The power of photos in Social Media Marketing cannot be denied.

Let’s face it; people are obsessed with sharing photos and videos. The better the photo you post, the better your business looks, and the more likes and shares you’ll receive. Most people are visual learners, and digest information more easily this way. By breaking up your content with colorful and intriguing photos, you increase your chance of getting your point across and making a connection with the reader.

Think about this: 50% of posts on Facebook are pictures. Your content will get lost in the mix if you don’t get in the game and make it stand out. Some of the top social networks (Pinterest, Instagram, Tumblr) were built exclusively around visual content. Harness this power and get creative. Don’t think you can post any old photo and get the results you’re looking for. To get the engagement you desire, put some time and effort into choosing an image that reflects exactly what you want to portray. Post photos of your product being built or behind-the-scenes in the office. You can even use photos that you believe represent your brand’s personality. Leverage the holidays and share visuals relating to the time of the year. Take a look at this story of how a “boring” company that ships metal boxes found an affordable and creative way to launce a successful visual campaign.

However you choose to do it, optimizing your social media marketing through images in crucial. Chances are the phone you carry on you 24/7 has a camera, meaning you have the ability to snap orginial photos wherever you are. Your ability to pair words and photos that tell your story will make you memorable in your audience’s mind. Remember, an awesome image spreads like wildfire in the world of social media. Ignite your marketing and start your visual campaign right now!