Is “a picture worth 1,000 words?” Yes – if you have the right pictures.

Today, people have an attention span of fewer than nine seconds, or less than a goldfish. As a result, images are more important than ever, especially on social media.

A large part of the brain is focused on visual processing, allowing humans to process images at an incredible speed. The human brain can recognize a familiar object in only 100 milliseconds, making images the perfect way to communicate in today’s short-attention world.

Images Get Your Audience’s Attention

Social media is a crowded space, and using images is a great way to grab attention. A social media post accompanied by a photo is ten times more likely to get engagement.

Because our brains respond so quickly to images and color in comparison to other types of information, an image is an almost irresistible draw on social media.

Of course, to truly get the attention you want, you have to share images that are of interest to your target audience. If you’re focused on college-aged men, you don’t want to share pictures of families with children. Instead, you want to find out what visuals matter to your prospects and fans.

Varied Images Keep Interest

To keep your audience’s attention, be sure to use a variety of images. Try a mixture of stock photos, candid cell-phone pictures, banners made with the Tumblr banner maker, infographics, memes and more.

When you change image types from time to time, you avoid having a social media feed that feels “same old, same old.” You won’t run the risk of losing fans due to boredom and repetition.

Whatever you do, avoid selfies. Your social media presence should be about your audience, not about you!

Images Help Your Audience Remember Your Message

Studies show that people only remember 10% of what they hear once 72 hours have passed. However, if you pair a relevant image with your material, people can remember 65% of the information after three days.

This is an incredible jump in retention, and it shows how important images are when you’re trying to build a brand and communicate your marketing message. Text-based information is incredibly inefficient on its own, so be sure to always to include an image.

Consistent Imagery Across Platforms Builds Identity

When you post on a variety of platforms, be sure to keep your visual identity consistent. When people see similar types of images, colors, and patterns on Pinterest like they do on Facebook, they’ll associate those images with your brand.

You would, of course, want your products and services to be listed similarly across multiple platforms. In the same way, keeping a visual brand identity consistent will help people understand that your Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook accounts are all connected.

Using relevant images on social media allow you to gain attention, build loyalty, communicate vital information, and increase engagement. If you want to stand out, develop a visual brand identity just as carefully as you prepare your sales pitches. When you stay consistent and connect images with your marketing message, your brand will have more staying power.