How These Visual Content Mistakes Are Costing You Traffic and Sales

Table of Contents

If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know I’m a HUGE proponent of using visual content on social media.

In fact, engaging visual content is the #1 strategy I use on my own social media in order to drive traffic, engagement and sales!

Unfortunately, I often see businesses making visual content mistakes that don’t drive traffic and end up costing them sales.

Images and videos have a way of grabbing attention, getting people to comment and share, and of making your content more interesting and more relatable. Using the right images and videos can also entice clickthroughs, thereby increasing traffic and sales.

However, making certain visual content mistakes can actually accomplish just the opposite: it can make your content (and by extension, your business) seem outdated, tacky or irrelevant.

This post will look at some common visual content mistakes that apply to any type of visuals you use or share: from infographics, to blog graphics, to image quotes and more.

Updated: February 15, 2021

7 Visual Content Mistakes That Are Costing You Traffic and Sales

Mistake #1. Using Cheesy Stock Photos.

cheesy-stock-photos-visual-content-mistake

Image courtesy of Free Digital Photos

Stock photos have their place, especially when you’re working with a very limited (or non-existent) budget. However, you do need to use some serious discretion when choosing which stock images to use.

Using tacky, generic images can send the message that you:

  1. can’t afford to buy high-quality images
  2. have poor taste, or that
  3. don’t care about your brand.

While #3 is probably the most damaging message, # 1 and #2 aren’t exactly great either! Ask yourself, “Would I be proud to have this image representing my brand?”. If the answer is no, keep looking!

Here’s a list of 31 places you can find FREE stock photos.

Mistake #2. Posting Images That Aren’t Consistent with Your Brand.

visual-mistake-not-posting-aligned-with-your-branding

A brand that definitely knows how to use images to their advantage is Red Bull. If you look at their Facebook page, you’ll see that every single image and video drives home their slogan: “Red Bull gives you wings”. Whether it’s an image of an extreme skier flying off a mountain, or a video of a race car speeding around a hairpin curve, their visuals all work to convey the vibe of their brand.

Make sure that all your visual content helps tell a consistent brand story. Telling a number of different stories can leave your readers and followers feeling confused or even duped!

Mistake #3. Posting the Same Graphics to all Your Social Media Channels.

posting-same-graphics-social-media-accounts

Incorporating your titles into your blog post images is important for getting pins.

One size does NOT fit all when it comes to social media graphics. Besides the fact that different sites will require different sized photos – for instance a Facebook photo will have different dimensions than a Pinterest image – each social networking site has its own “vibe”.

For instance, on Instagram, using the right filter can make all the difference in terms of engagement. On Pinterest, using images that clearly describe the topic of your content is important for getting repins. On Facebook, image quotes and funny images do really well, as they stand out in an increasingly overcrowded newsfeed.

Carefully consider which types of images will do best on various platforms. You can always use one image as a starting point, but then be sure to customize it to fit the audience and vibe of different platforms.

Mistake #4. Overlooking Typos and Grammatical Mistakes.

Do you ever see a graphic on a blog or on social media and wonder, “Doesn’t anyone proofread these things??”.

Since your visual content is more likely to get shared than any other type of content, proofreading is an absolute NECESSITY!

The last thing you want is for a piece of content to go viral, and have the whole world see your mistakes.

Some common grammatical errors and typos to watch out for:

  • You’re versus your
  • It’s versus its
  • e. versus e.g.
  • Mis-using (or not using!) punctuation
  • Run-on sentences

Don’t trust your own knowledge of grammar? Use a tool like Grammarly to double-check your content!

Mistake #5. Forgetting Your Logo and URL.

Unfortunately, this is a way-too-common mistake that can have a HUGE impact on your traffic and sales!

Imagine you post an original graphic on social media, and it’s shared by dozens or even hundreds of people…but then your heart sinks when you see you forget to include your logo or URL. Now no one will know the graphic is yours, and you won’t get ANY traffic from your amazing image.

Your logo and URL don’t need to take up a lot of space…in fact, I’d recommend against that. But having a small, tasteful logo in the bottom corner of your graphic will ensure you get the traffic and sales you deserve!

Mistake #6. Omitting Visual Content Altogether.

with mages perform better

One of the biggest visual content mistakes you can make is not using visual content at all.

In 2020, there is no excuse for this! Visual content is a key driver for engagement and shares. Don’t believe me? Here are some recent stats:

  • Facebook posts with images get 2.3x more engagement (source: BuzzSumo)
  • Tweets with images get 18% more clicks than those without (source: Buffer)
  • Blog posts with images once every 75-100 words get 2x as many social shares as those with fewer images (source: BuzzSumo)

If you haven’t been using visual content up to now, it’s not too late! Some easy ways to incorporate visual content include adding relevant images and screenshots to your blog posts, sharing image quotes and infographics on social media, and trying your hand at videos and live broadcasts on Facebook and Instagram.

Mistake #7. Creating Low-Quality Graphics with Outdated Tools.

Visual-mistake-old-graphics

Just because you CAN create art in Word or MS Paint, doesn’t mean you SHOULD!

Again, this can convey that you don’t have the resources to create high-quality graphics, or that you don’t really care about your brand.

With so many amazing (and often free) graphic design tools out there now, there’s no reason you need to reply on these old-school tools!

To help you create your own high-quality, eye-catching visual content, I’ve put together two trainings you may be interested in: How to Use Mockups to Design Ah-May-Zing Visual Content, and Quick and Easy Ways to Create Social Media Content for Non-Designers.

These online workshops are a quick and easy way to learn EXACTLY which tools to use, and how to use them.

When you join my Business Builder’s Academy, not only do you get instant access to these workshops, you get 50+ more trainings, courses and other resources to help you grow your business…fast.

Find out more or join the Business Builder’s Academy now.

Final Thoughts

Images and videos can be an extremely powerful part of your social media strategy. However, the common visual content mistakes listed above may actually be costing you traffic and sales.

Make sure your images actually represent your brand, and that they suit the platform you’re posting to. These two “rules” will help ensure your images work FOR you, and not AGAINST you!

Are you guilty of making any of the visual content mistakes above? Which ones? Share below!

 

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Sakshi
Sakshi
3 years ago

The content is very nice. The info is very useful and helpful

Kim's Team
Kim's Team
Reply to  Sakshi
3 years ago

Thank you, Sakshi!

Harshit
Harshit
3 years ago

Hi Kim,
This helps me and this is nice and useful at all.

Thank You!

Kim's Team
Kim's Team
Reply to  Harshit
3 years ago

I post every week. Keep posted, Harshit!

Prakash Handicraft
Prakash Handicraft
3 years ago

that’s great. thank you for sharing this with us.

Ultra Healthcare
Ultra Healthcare
3 years ago

Kim Garst, Thank you so much for sharing all this wonderful info with the how-to’s!!!!I’m personally like and share on my social media platforms thanks again.

Kim's Team
Kim's Team
Reply to  Ultra Healthcare
3 years ago

Thanks for sharing it!

Nb
Nb
3 years ago

The content is very nice. The info is very useful and helpful

Godswill Iboi
Godswill Iboi
3 years ago

Great content, I already picked insight to help grow my blog traffic, typography errors are very important.

Kim's Team
Kim's Team
Reply to  Godswill Iboi
3 years ago

Yes, typos are definitely a no-no.

IcyFlame Studio
IcyFlame Studio
3 years ago

Kim, Thank you so much for sharing all these wonderful ideas.

Kim's Team
Kim's Team
Reply to  IcyFlame Studio
3 years ago

Always a pleasure.

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Kim's Team
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You’re welcome!

Deepak N
Deepak N
3 years ago

Hi Kim,
Thanks a lot for sharing this awesome information. I personally like your blog and I love to share on social media. Keep it up !!!

Kim's Team
Kim's Team
Reply to  Deepak N
3 years ago

Thank you, Deepak!

The Vocal News
The Vocal News
3 years ago

you always have a way of appealing to me wow this a nice post. I am certainly trying out these tips. and I know there will be an improvement. keep up the good work and thanks for sharing.

Kim's Team
Kim's Team
Reply to  The Vocal News
3 years ago

Always a pleasure to share relevant information. Keep posted!

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Segunda via Enel
3 years ago

Very Good. Excellent content, thanks for the information.

Samra Saghir
Samra Saghir
3 years ago

Amazing post Its very helpful

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Gulshankumar thakur
3 years ago

Great content, thanks for sharing

Zia Khan
Zia Khan
3 years ago

Thank you so much for sharing these useful content.

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sodoviet
3 years ago

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babaturi
3 years ago

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Kim's Team
Kim's Team
Reply to  babaturi
3 years ago

Thank you!

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Mohit
3 years ago

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3 years ago

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3 years ago

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Ajay kalyan
Ajay kalyan
3 years ago

Today I got the actual answer, how should I write content.
Thank you so much for providing this useful information

Cosmetic Boxes
Cosmetic Boxes
3 years ago

Such an amazing post

Kim's Team
Kim's Team
Reply to  Cosmetic Boxes
3 years ago

Thank you!

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3 years ago

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Aaron Jarrels
Aaron Jarrels
3 years ago

I wish everyone read your blogs. I connected with the section on typos. I understand they are easy to do especially when writing fast, but in an article, they should be proofread before publishing. Great info!

Ronit
Ronit
3 years ago

Thanks for this…keep it on

Kim's Team
Kim's Team
Reply to  Ronit
3 years ago

Welcome, Ronit.

Waqas Sharif
Waqas Sharif
3 years ago

I have an affiliate blog and I have mistakenly uploaded the logo of amazon on the Feature image and amazon removes me because of the violation, by the way, I have read your article and it is awesome.

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quality web
3 years ago

Hey, Great information

Kim's Team
Kim's Team
Reply to  quality web
3 years ago

Thank you!

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Mst. Firoza Akter
3 years ago

I have read your article and it is awesome. Thanks you sharing this
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shah rukh
3 years ago

Thanks a lot for sharing this information.

Kim's Team
Kim's Team
Reply to  shah rukh
3 years ago

You’re welcome!

James Bond
James Bond
3 years ago

Hi there.
It’s a very helpful and informative blog. Thanks for sharing this information. I would like to know more and more from you. Good luck dear.

Kim's Team
Kim's Team
Reply to  James Bond
2 years ago

Glad to see you got some value from the article, James.

Sunil Sharma
Sunil Sharma
3 years ago

Thanks for sharing this amazing content.

dara
dara
3 years ago

very well written article and thank you for sharing.

Abigail
Abigail
3 years ago

This article is very informative! Everyone always says to use visuals but don’t talk about how creating low quality visuals can be such turn off.

Kim's Team
Kim's Team
Reply to  Abigail
3 years ago

Absolutely, Abigail!

Amelia Smith
Amelia Smith
3 years ago

Thanks for sharing this wonderful information much appreciated.

Kim's Team
Kim's Team
Reply to  Amelia Smith
3 years ago

You’re welcome, Amelia.

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healthonline
3 years ago

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Sand
Sand
3 years ago

Does it affect my blog if i use copyright images in my infographic?

Kim's Team
Kim's Team
Reply to  Sand
2 years ago

Like in any case, using copyrighted images is illegal without due permission from the author. Alternatively, you can use public domain images with creative commons license. Commonly, these images have expired copyrights, are not copyrightable, or have been assigned to the public domain using a Creative Commons license. This means that anyone can use the images for practically any purpose.
There are still cases where you may have to attribute images, and there may be limitations to the way the image can be used.
Before you use an image, make sure you’ve read the license and restrictions.

Raj Pawar
Raj Pawar
3 years ago

Thank you very much for sharing valuable content. You are doing great job by providing such valuable content.

Kim's Team
Kim's Team
Reply to  Raj Pawar
2 years ago

You’re welcome. Glad you’re getting value from my posts.

Kim's Team
Kim's Team
Reply to  Raj Pawar
2 years ago

You’re welcome, Raj. Glad you to know.

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naveed
2 years ago

fabulous, you are explaining very well

Kim's Team
Kim's Team
Reply to  naveed
2 years ago

Thank you, Naveed!

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Maherleathers
2 years ago

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Kim's Team
Kim's Team
Reply to  Maherleathers
2 years ago

Glad to see you got some value from the article.

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Jayesh Chopada
2 years ago

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Soraya
Soraya
2 years ago

Nice article! Really helpful.

Kim's Team
Kim's Team
Reply to  Soraya
2 years ago

Glad you got some value here, Soraya!

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