HubSpot has been harnessing the power of images to drive views, engagements, clicks and leads across social media. Images are a key part of success in driving engagements on Facebook, Blog posts, Twitter and Pinterest and are also driving targeted traffic back to HubSpot.com. HubSpot found that images are more successful at driving social engagement and traffic than text or link posts.
There are two things that make HubSpot a wonderful example for social media marketing success. First, they are in the B-to-B space, meaning they want to reach businesses, which they do on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, Slidehsare, Twitter, LinkedIn and many other sites. Secondly, they are extremely focused on ROI and tracking social media. Social media channels have “lead goals” for HubSpot, which means that they are accountable for sending a certain number of new leads to the sales team each month, directly from social media.
In looking at their social media, HubSpot seems to have the ability to turn almost any content into an engaging image that is ready for sharing on their Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or any other social network.
I caught up with Brittany Leaning, Social Media Manager of HubSpot, to learn about how images are transforming their social media content.
HubSpot has been harnessing the power of images to drive views, engagements, and clicks to their website and ultimately to get leads. Over the past year, HubSpot has seen a huge transformation in consumer appetite for images and the effectiveness of images on Facebook. On Facebook, images are paired with shortened links that drive people back to targeted content on HubSpot.com
Over the past year, HubSpot has shifted their strategy to include more images in the newsfeed – it used to be that about 75% of posts were text with links and now 75% of the posts are images. HubSpot holds their social media team accountable to specific lead generation objectives from their social media marketing. Using images on Facebook led to a significant increase in leads generated from social media.
In looking at their Facebook page, almost every single post contains an image – and the images are engaging and descriptive of the content.
Why Are Images So Effective?
According to Brittany, when it comes to the Facebook newsfeed, brands are competing against lots of great content – cute pictures of kittens, babies, funny quotes and videos. In order to break through, brands need to catch people’s attention, and images that are engaging and interesting appear to be the best type of content to draw people in and catch their attention.
What Kinds of Images Does HubSpot Post?
HubSpot shares a variety of images across social networks. One of the keys to success is variety – it isn’t about posting the same image every day. People like variety, plus different content appeals to different people. Some of the types of Images and content they share include:
eBook covers that drive people to download a free eBook
These tend to be best at driving leads.
An image with a link to a blog post
Great way to drive traffic to blog posts while engaging visually.
Stats on A Slide
Similar to fun facts – these engage people and are quick and easy to create.
A Photo of Text
Don’t forget to take actual photos or take photos of text to tell your story
Inspiring Quotes
Tend to be popular on social media in general and can be effective if they link back to your business.
Cartoons
Can be a lighthearted and fun way to share a message.
Would You Rather
A way to engage people with a simple question that gets them thinking.
Infographics
To share a data story visually.
Text on a Slide
Can be a fast and simple way to create a relevant and descriptive graphic.
Tips for Success
- Images that are descriptive of the content tend to be more effective. An image of a cover of an eBook is better at driving clicks to the eBook than say a general image of what the eBook is about.
- Mix it up – don’t post the same pictures every day
- Post fun pictures to get people engaged – don’t be too serious
- Ask questions with your posts to get people engaged and participating
- When it comes to blog posts, if a great post doesn’t have a great and relevant image it is less likely to be clicked on
- Images should be contextually relevant
- If the image isn’t directly connected to the content, include a blurb and ask a question that is relevant to the image as well as the blog post so that they are both connected.
