Here’s why you should create diagonals in photos with props, or use natural ones that exist already in the subject. ⠀
Why use diagonals in photos?
Diagonals make our brains think of change, or moving from one state to another.
We’re used to seeing diagonals in graphs, so the implications of the direction of slope stick with us. ⠀
If you’re a product stylist, you can use this trick of creating diagonals. The slope direction depends on what kind of impression you want to make on your viewers’ brains. ⠀
Let me show you what I mean …
What does our brain see in upwards diagonals?⠀
╱ Upwards diagonals (rising left to right) are all about activity and increase.
This kind of upward slope suggests movement and energy to your brain.⠀
If you’re styling a coffee photoshoot, or sports products, you’re better using upwards diagonals.⠀
So many famous brands use logos with upward diagonals.
Especially ones that are all about activity. ⠀
✔️Nike swoosh
✔️Adidas
✔️Helly Hansen
✔️NASA
Pringles does it. So does Schweppes. ⠀
What does our brain see in downwards diagonals?
╲ Downward diagonals (falling left to right) suggest decrease or relaxation.
Photographs with downward diagonals are more likely to suggest ease over effort. Which is exactly what a photograph of a garden should do, for example. Or a product intended for self-care and relaxation.⠀
Wellbeing products or relaxation brands should try the downward diagonal, as it suggests ease and relaxation to our brains.⠀
⠀
Case studies: diagonals in photos and neuromarketing
Here are some intriguing examples of upwards diagonals, including two of my favourites – Tour de France and the London Symphony Orchestra. Can you spot the person in each of the logos?
Health and beauty brand Neom serves up the downwards diagonal really effectively in their product styling.⠀
Top takeaway – to make your viewer feel …⠀
★ Energised – ↗️ diagonal up
If you want your photos to suggest movement and energy, include upward diagonal shapes.
★ Relaxed – slope down ↘️
If you want your photos to suggest ease and relaxation, include downward diagonal shapes.
Challenge – diagonals in photos
Look at the packaging/branding around you and see if you find any logos or styling that slopes downwards.
It’s so rare.
You’ll see plenty of upwards diagonals in branding, and very few pointing down.
Qantas does it, but sometimes they show their logo the “wrong” way round, so that it slopes up. Bet there’s been some boardroom branding debate about that.
I bet the ratio of upwards to downwards diagonals you find is at least 9:1
If you find this neuromarketing takeaway useful, read more.
Or follow @virtualgolddust on Instagram, where I share bitesized marketing tips.
![Sneak peek part 2 👀 if you’re keen to step away from the content conveyor belt. Here’s the 2nd part of my weekly content creation process (less than 15 mins a day). Here’s exactly what I did from Thursday to Sunday last week. Including my lightbulb moment of what kind of content works on LinkedIn. [Mon-Wed in previous post] Thursday
Spot the spider story poll. Fun, got some friendly conversations going & totally non-salesy. Friday
Surprise content win of the week. Spotted a news story about a photo of swirling waves that looked like they had a face in them. Shared this with a link to my blog post about the psychology of faces in marketing. My most effective LinkedIn post yet. It’s still generating shares & reaction a week later (so far nearly 8000 views - way above average for me). I’ll now share more curated content with my opinion woven in. Saturday
Asked for advice on Stories about a fitness tracker. Always helps if your conversations revolve around something genuine. Thanks for your responses 🙌🏻 Sunday
Day off. Nothing, zero. I often get a spike in reach when I post again after a short break like this. Results
Total time spent creating & posting on social - 50 mins max.
IG - 2 Reel posts (total 30 mins) , 22 Stories (max 20 mins).
48 new IG followers Monday-Friday. Roughly 1 minute per follower! And lots of conversations. Welcome & thank you for that 😘 #solopreneurlife
#smallbusinessuk
#womeninbusinessuk
#smallandmightybusiness
#creativelysquared
#noticewonderconnect
#copywritingtips
#contentwritingtips
#creativecontent
#growyourbiz
#creativefreelancer
#calledtobecreatives
#soulfulstorytellers
#instagramwithintention
#purposefulbranding
#contentstrategist
#contentideas](https://scontent-lhr8-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.29350-15/217583491_362475788914968_7956610067304190737_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-3&_nc_sid=8ae9d6&_nc_ohc=6cLgmm7ZSoQAX8Rrs83&_nc_ht=scontent-lhr8-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&oh=e5a166638c9aeb47f47c010ca8690e02&oe=610D8D09)
![Sneak peek 👀 Ready to step away from the content conveyor belt? I’m sharing my process of creating content like clockwork for Instagram (with a side order of LinkedIn). In less than 15 mins a day. I’ll show you -
How you can save time.
What works well.
How to respond to insights from your followers. Here’s exactly what I did last week. [Part 1 Monday - Wednesday] Monday
Content planning. What’s your theme? What’s in your diary? My talking point was social media sprinting, or how to save time on easy content. I brainstorm words/phrases to use & repeat. That meant lots of mentions of time, clocks, quick, speed, minutes, hours, sprint. Also words that link time with money - spend, free, save, give back. I planned to tie this to my core message too - marketing psychology gives your content PURPOSE that makes the PROCESS easier. Monday’s a good day to trail what’s coming up this week. I did that with my first Story. Then I posted pre-recorded video. (By the way, a Hubspot survey showed that the most popular videos on IG are on Stories.) On my feed, I repurposed content as a Reel, using a carousel that got lots of Saves. Tuesday
On Stories, I shared a screenshot of a testimonial from MiniMind workshop. I posted a quick reel made of me reading/drinking coffee. The theme was spare time. Wednesday
My collab partner from the upcoming MiniMind workshop remixed my Reel & shared it on her feed. It was World Chocolate Day - I recycled some newsletter content about the psychology of chocolate. My After Eight polls had the best reach of the week. Takeaways
Tie content to your core message or theme.
If you need to rein in overthinking (guilty), set a timer.
Video/photograph moments in your day as they happen. What do you think? How does your content creation process compare? ***** 💡 Next post I’ll share Part 2 Thursday - Saturday, including my lightbulb moment about what kind of content works on LinkedIn.](https://scontent-lhr8-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.29350-15/217750981_1233823500393317_2570945101832650978_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-3&_nc_sid=8ae9d6&_nc_ohc=77xMGwZT26AAX8Un9jf&_nc_ht=scontent-lhr8-2.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&oh=8cb9f9f1a3fb3e723f0907669604ce45&oe=610DD712)
