Over half of British consumers claim an image is more likely to grab their attention than a headline, according to new research.
With analysts claiming Instagram will account for a third of all social media users by 2021, new research from marketing automation suite Pure360 has highlighted to brands the importance British shoppers place on the use of imagery, with 61% revealing that they expect marketing messages to include photos or images and over half (53%) claiming an image is more likely to grab their attention than a headline.
The research, which commissioned YouGov to poll a representative sample of UK consumers, found that 62% of British shoppers won’t buy from a brand if they can’t see a product they are selling in its entirety. In addition, the majority (54%) prefer brands to only use images of the products they sell in their marketing, opposed to any lifestyle imagery.
Komal Helyer, Marketing Director at Pure360 said, “With image sharing platforms like Instagram growing in popularity, brands are paying special attention to the power of a picture in marketing efforts to attract customers. Thankfully today they benefit from a plethora of technologies to deliver more relevant, interactive, responsive and targeted images.”
In addition, the new findings from Pure360 highlighted the importance of adopting a personalised approach to the imagery brands use in their digital marketing. Over two thirds (69%) of British shoppers said it looks bad if an irrelevant image is used by a brand and nearly two in five (18%) say there are certain colours they like to see brands use in images over others.
The research also highlighted the potential that strong imagery offers to fuel brand advocacy, with almost a quarter (23%) of UK consumers wanting to share images of items from retailers they like online with friends.
Helyer continued, “A great image alone may well not suffice in resonating with a potential or existing customer. Consumers are used to a personalised experience and if an image doesn’t fit with the text around it and isn’t relevant to them, it could potentially damage their propensity to make a purchase. On the other hand, our research has shown that a decent number of British shoppers will share a picture from a brand they like when the image is right.”
