A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Likes: Using Branded Images on Facebook to Increase Audience Engagement

Background: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of Violence Prevention (DVP) is committed to preventing violence before it starts. Disseminating data, research findings, and evidence-based strategies for preventing violence requires reaching practitioners where they are and in formats they prefer.

Program background:

DVP recognized Facebook’s ability to engage and inform violence prevention professionals and launched the VetoViolence Facebook page in December 2010. The page quickly became more than a channel for disseminating resources: it serves as a community for a growing fan base of health professionals to discuss preventing violence of all types. Within its engagement strategy, DVP produces and publishes original images branded with the VetoViolence logo. Such images present data alongside evidence-based violence prevention strategies, promote related resources, recognize violence prevention health observances, and include links to in-depth information on the DVP and VetoViolence websites. VetoViolence publishes a new branded image on its page weekly.  The images intend to deliver key messages and resources, deepen understanding about proven strategies, extend brand recognition, and drive engagement.

Evaluation Methods and Results: In 2015, DVP measured the performance of VetoViolence’s Facebook posts published from September 2014 through August 2015. This analysis examined post types (images, links, and status updates) and engagement activity (likes, comments, and shares).  The information was cross-referenced to assess how different post types performed across different engagement measures.  DVP then determined whether the concentrated effort to produce and publish branded images on Facebook was earning higher engagement. Eighty branded image posts averaged over three times more likes and shares than all posts, and over two times more comments than all posts. Branded images were consistently the most engaging posts each month. The most-shared post was a branded image that reached more than 37,000 people and virally generated 734 shares and 1,353 likes, illustrating the high virality of images on social media.  DVP has also seen that using branded images in conjunction with other outreach strategies (such as user-generated content initiatives) can lead to greater engagement. 

Conclusions: The effort required to produce compelling and shareable images has earned high engagement for the VetoViolence Facebook page. Creative images that visualize content can escalate dissemination and cultivate conversation on the VetoViolence Facebook page and pages that share them. Despite Facebook’s change to give less prominence to organic or unpaid posts, violence prevention stakeholders continue to actively respond to VetoViolence’s images. VetoViolence Facebook fans share images, with their own audiences, as valuable, readymade content.  

Implications for research and/or practice: The VetoViolence Facebook audience’s positive response to branded images has led DVP to continually produce and publish them with greater frequency. DVP also continues to seize new opportunities, such as GovDelivery announcements, to include branded images in other outreach strategies to increase participation and engagement. Creating and publishing original, branded images may prove beneficial to other federal and public health Facebook pages.