Eyeballs!  Why have I not figured this out before?  I have been working in the world of social media for the last ten years and it was only during social media marketing world summit did the penny drop.  Eyeballs are the secret key to success online.

via GIPHY

The first time I heard that eyeballs work wonders was during a video marketing workshop.  At the end of the workshop, an audience member approached the microphone and asked the question “what is the best tip you can give for getting people to click on your video on YouTube?”.  The speaker confidently replied, “include eyeballs in your custom thumbnail”.

What do I mean by eyeballs?

I simply mean that including a pair of eyeballs in your media will guarantee additional click-throughs and engagement.   Rather than just adding a picture of a scenery or an object, try adding a person in that scene, or a human holding the object.  It does not always have to be eyeballs of a person, it could be the eyeballs of an animal, a cartoon or even a toy, but eyeballs is the key!

What difference does a pair of eyeballs make?

There is something about seeing a pair of eyes that will draw a human being into the content. For example, see both photos below.  One is a plate of Spaghetti Bolagnaise, and the other is a lot more interesting as it has eyeballs on it.  I ask you the question, which one did you look at the most?  Be honest…

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Ok, so perhaps a plate of spaghetti with moving eyeballs was cheating a bit, but I hope that you understand my message.

It’s a crowded world out there

We are now living in a world that is saturated by content.  If you want your Facebook posts, your tweets and your YouTube videos to have an impact then you need to start thinking a bit differently.  We need to let the corporate shield down a little bit and start thinking like a human being.  Look down your Facebook newsfeed.  You will find that a good percentage of the content that is presented to you will include posts that have a pair of eyeballs looking right back at you.  Now have a look at your Facebook Page – when was the last time that you posted content that included a human face?  Eyeballs work – give it a go and then let me know in the comments below if it worked for you.

Eye contact with your audience is essential

You are probably already aware of the importance of eye contact when you are networking or engaging with a client, but we do not tend to extend this natural habit to our online presence.  During the same video workshop, I learned:-

• Always look at the camera when doing a selfie (we tend to look at ourselves instead)
• Look at the little red (or sometimes green) light when recording a live stream or a webinar

When you are looking at the camera rather than yourself, you are giving hidden messages to the person watching your video or live stream.  You are telling your audience that you are talking to them, and looking right into their eyes.  If someone feels that you are looking at them, they have a sense that you are trustworthy and credible.  I hope that makes sense?  It’s all a subconscious move, but it is important to know and build this habit as soon as possible. Start building a rapport with your audience by looking at them.

Eyeballs work… check out the listing below

When I returned home, I asked my daughter to choose a video from this search result.  I was curious to see if the theory worked.  It did!  She automatically chose the JustinBrown video, even though it was not really the ideal video for my search “How to use an iPhone”.  It was as if I was given a special power that no-one knew about…. until today!

Summary

When creating content for your blogs, emails and social media posts, always think of eyeballs!  I now know why George (our Giraffe) is very popular!

What do you think?  Do you use this concept in your marketing?  I am curious to know.