First, ask any great salesman, and he’ll tell you, ‘’If you want someone to buy from you, you’ll need a product that delivers results. But more importantly, you will also need marketing that persuades your prospect that your product can deliver THEM results.’’
It is no secret that before and after pictures show transformation and can grab users’ attention. The main reason is that the mind is eager to process information that comes in portions of change. You’ve seen them everywhere on social media, used by different categories of companies: beauty salons, home improvement firms, constructors, or personal trainers. You see them on TV daily, in teleshopping programs or in the commercial break of your favourite movie. It’s not just simply a trend, it’s a powerful marketing tool for any type of business.
Fat vs. thin, flabby vs. muscular, spotty vs. smooth. And the simple answer to why businesses use before and after photos so much is that people love them.
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The reason people love before and after photos is that they are relatable. They see something, or very often someone, they identify with (that person in the “before” shot), and then they see the results in the “after” shot where they can project themselves. The general feeling from these pictures is ‘’If it has worked for them, surely it will work for me too.’’ This is by far the simplest, fastest and most efficient sales technique to convince anybody that you are able to deliver results as a business.
Although this technique has been used extensively in the fitness and nutrition industry, it can be applied to any industry. Let’s take an example: you want to renovate your entire bathroom. You’ve been on specialist bathroom sites where you’ve seen some awesome looking bathrooms and thought, ‘’no way I can get this done on my budget.’’ Then you come across a website that displays examples of the work they have done using before and after photos. In the first picture, you see an old looking bathroom and in the second picture you see the same bathroom completely redone with a line of text underneath that says, “it only cost N25,000 to build,” which fits within your budget. Suddenly you picture yourself having a bath or a shower in a luxurious bathroom and guess what, you’re going to call these people.
This method will work for any business. Imagine a tattoo business displaying a before and after photo of a tattoo cover-up. A roofing company with before and after photos of their latest roof replacement…the instances are endless really.
You can be very clever with the messaging too. If you were a house cleaning company, for example, you can use the photo of a really dirty living room and then a photo of the same living room all cleaned up and use the following message “it only took us 30 minutes.” How is that for a powerful message?
When complementing your testimonial with timeline pictures, you increase the value of it dramatically, just because the human eye loves the story behind the testimonial.
This is why you should integrate before and after photos in your marketing strategy
Increase customers’ faith in your work
Using before and after pictures in your marketing strategy, and more importantly, in your testimonials, is a great way to demonstrate the total transformation of what it used to be, to what it has become, all thanks to your company. Keep in mind that prospects are always in doubt when hiring a company, even after they have a recommendation. Before and after pictures will confirm to customers that you can actually do the work they want and that you do it well. That leaves no doubt in their purchasing decision.
Remind your actual customers the moment of change
When you upload before and after photos of the work you have done for a customer, you’ll motivate him to leave a great review, by reminding him about what a great transformation you have created. And great reviews convert to more sales!
Storytelling through imagery
It is well known that “storytelling” is the most in vogue word right now. It’s much more effective to show a story through images, than to just say it. By creating before, in progress, and after pictures, you’ll show the story around your work. And everyone loves stories! If you haven’t used this strategy in your marketing before, now is the time that you give it a thought. Besides the multiple benefits that it can bring to your company, by using the right tools, it can also be a fun way to show what you’re doing.
Before and after pictures create connection
Showing your prospects where others came from and where they are now helps PROVE to them, “this can work for you, too.”
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Before and after pictures let you control your story
When you’re selling someone something, they’re just waiting for the chance to find a reason to NOT believe what you’re telling them. When you control your story, it’s less likely that happens.
Or in other words, if you’ve got a six-pack, I’d be impressed. However, if you have a six-pack, and 2 years ago you were 200 pounds overweight, I’d go from being impressed to thinking, “AMAZING!” Why? Because the result is rarely as impressive as the journey towards that result. And before and after pictures show that journey PERFECTLY. This way works better because you’re controlling the story.
To recap: Before and after pictures work extremely well in marketing. As long as you follow the laws and respect privacy and copyright laws, before and after pictures can help you sell a bunch of stuff.
