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Increase engagement on your social media posts with the simple addition of an image. There’s a whole host of research out there including , that points towards images being the key to drawing people into a post and helping to improve clicks, shares and favourites, but what kind of images should you be using to make the biggest impact?

We’ve picked out 5 of the most popular themes being used across various social media channels, to help you pick the best image for your social media pages!

Something with the ‘wow’ factor 

When we talk about a ‘wow’ image, we mean something powerful, eye-catching, striking and that quite literally makes people stop and say “wow!”.  This type of content has long been popular online and is really good at grabbing people’s attention as they scroll through their social feeds.

It was once enough to post just one fantastic image and generate engagement, but with the introduction of tools across social media pages that make it easy to share multiple images in one post, this is no longer the case. The trend today is moving towards posting a selection of images, to give people a variety of awe-inspiring images to look at. The key here is to make sure the image choices you make are relevant to your brand or the message you’re delivering in your post – so think about what your audience will be interested in before you post!

Natural, un-staged images

Images that capture people ‘in-the-moment’, looking natural and un-posed, are a really effective way of getting your audience to engage with your post. It’s easy to relate to an image that features ‘real’ people because it’s possible to imagine yourself in the scenario, whereas more staged imagery can stop people connecting emotionally.

Tempting food imagery

There’s something satisfying about seeing a perfectly presented meal, and if you’ve got a way to tie in food imagery to your social channels, this is a really effective way of stopping people in their tracks. In food photographer Hein Van Tonder describes why sharing images of food is just so effective. He says, “food is a common thread for all of us. We all have memories that include food or a dish that we remember. We eat to stay alive, but we also eat when we celebrate, and we eat in times of sadness, so it is an integral part of our lives”.  So, whether you opt for a pristinely decorated dish, or a mouth-watering shot of something indulgent, images of food are as popular as ever in the world of social media.

Cute animals

This one never seems to go out of fashion – pictures of cute, fluffy animals never fail to gain attention from animal lovers across the world. Using Instagram as an example, you’ll find profiles that are dedicated solely to posting pictures of animals, as well as hashtags for a variety of pets and wildlife.  looked at the effect of images with pets on Instagram for 15 different brands. The results? Across all 15 brands, there was an increase in comments of 89%, and a 19% increase in the number of likes!

If you can find a way of integrating a cute animal image into your social media marketing, you’re bound to get a whole host of interactions from your audience.

Family and lifestyle pictures

Featuring families, children and family-life in your social media posts is another great way of generating an emotive response from your audience.  looks in particular at improving engagement on Facebook, stating that making an emotional connection with your followers could lead to a big response on your posts.

Much like un-staged, natural imagery, these pictures offer people a glimpse of family life which, to many, will be an aspiration and to others, a reflection of their own daily lives. If you can appeal to your audience’s positive emotions by posting images that will make them smile, there’ll be an increased chance of them liking, sharing or comment on your posts.

Want to see more great images? Check out 17�Թ����� on and for daily image inspiration!