THE POWER OF PICTURES

Recently, our staff enjoyed dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant. Thankfully, we had a Vietnamese friend in tow who was able to translate most of the menu for us. But what was truly most helpful was the photos of dishes within the menu.

Right now, you’re saying, “Duh.” But think about it. How often have you been to a restaurant and the pictures are not shown… and you simply cannot decided between three of the delicious-sounding entrees? I think it happens more often than not. A picture would have helped you make up your mind.

A few weeks ago, following a client meeting, I was standing in front of a beach-side cafe. I’d eaten there before, and the food was good. While I was standing there, a few people had stepped up to the front of the cafe and they gawked at a large-format menu that was taped to the window. Each one of them looked and looked and looked, and then left. It occurred to me that they were interested, but not PERSUADED. Delicious photos would have persuaded them to walk in.

Speaking of pictures, we see time and time again that clients who include photos in their email marketing realize far more click-throughs than the clients who use a text-only strategy. Photos and videos are just more fun than reading (sorry, Newspapers).

Try to take and use photos as often as you can. Practice taking pictures. And experiment with different lenses, which can make a huge difference for you.

Photo above by Kevin Lynch of Closet Cooking.