The document discusses how photos are more engaging than text for online content. It notes that over 10% of all photos ever taken were within the last 12 months, due to the rise of photo-enabled devices. While professional photos were traditionally used, user-generated photos now often get more attention (e.g. Charlie Bit My Finger video). The document advocates using photos to boost engagement by making content more social, navigable, interactive and shoppable, and targeting ads better.

1. Smile: People Like
Your Photos More
than Your Words
Chas Edwards
chas@luminate.com
@ChasNote
@Luminate

2. 10% of all photos taken
by humankind
were taken in past 12 months
2
Source: , 1000Memories 2011

3. 2.5 billion photo-enabled devices in
circulation
3
Source: , 1000Memories 2011

4. 70% of all activity inside social media
involves a photo
Ahem.
That stat’s from a Harvard Business School study in 2009, when
Facebookers were uploading a mere 31 million photos per day, and
My Space was still relevant enough to be included in a study of
social-media sites.
4
Source: , 1000Memories 2011

5. No problem, right?
Brands and publishers have been using
images & photos to tell their stories for more
than 100 years.
5
Source: , 1000Memories 2011

6. Even before
color
photography,
there was
Norman
Rockwell
6
Source: , 1000Memories 2011

7. And Henry
Luce made a
mint adding
photos to
boring topics
like
business, new
s and sports
7
Source: , 1000Memories 2011

8. But here’s the rub(s)
1. Professional grade doesn’t always win the
audience (hello, Charlie Bit My Finger)
8
Source: , 1000Memories 2011

9. But here’s the rub(s)
1. Professional grade doesn’t always win the
audience (hello, Charlie Bit My Finger)
2. Migration to digital has decreased time
spent with each item (eg, news reading
25 mins > 70 secs)
9
Source: , 1000Memories 2011

10. But here’s the rub(s)
1. Professional grade doesn’t always win the
audience (hello, Charlie Bit My Finger)
2. Migration to digital has decreased time
spent with each item (eg, news reading
25 mins > 70 secs)
3. Consumption is giving way to interaction
10
Source: , 1000Memories 2011

11. It’s time to use photos as more than
accessories
11
Source: , 1000Memories 2011

12. 1. Get more audience
(photos = social currency)
Stat: Pinterest catapulted from obscurity to 10M
monthly users in 6 months
12
Source: , 1000Memories 2011

13. 2. Make it easy for them to explore
(photos = navigation)
Stat: Flipboard’s 20M users do 3 billion flips a month
13
Source: , 1000Memories 2011

14. 3. Invite them to stay longer
(photos = engagement)
14
Source: , 1000Memories 2011

15. 4. Let them browse the merch
(photos = shopping)
Stat: 63% of shoppers place more value on the image
than the product description
15
Source: , 1000Memories 2011

16. 5. Treat them to less sucky ads
(photos = visual targeting)
Stat: Garnier saw 116% lift in favorable brand sentiment
16

17. Photo Highlight Reel
1. Boost social traffic
2. Navigation that’s intuitive
3. Naturally more engaging
4. Integrated shopping
5. Smarter contextual advertising
Questions, comments & sources:
Find me @ChasNote
17
Source: , 1000Memories 2011