PipeflowThe honest answer first
There is no rule that applies to all businesses. Whether photos or text tiles get more reactions for you depends on your audience, your industry, the channel and, not least, the quality of the individual post. A strong photo beats a boring tile, and a clever tile beats a blurry photo.
What can be said, though: the two formats do different jobs. If you know what each format is good for, you make better decisions and can then test in a targeted way, instead of relying on gut feeling or general tips from the internet.
What photos do well
Photos show what is real: your business, your work, your people. Especially in trades, hospitality and retail, that is a strong argument, because customers want to see what they will get.
Your own photos don't have to be professional. Good daylight, a calm background and a clean phone lens already go a long way. Important: if people can be seen, you need their consent.
- Results: the finished terrace, the wedding cake, the bridal bouquet.
- People: the team, the boss in the workshop, hands at work.
- Atmosphere: the café in the evening, the shop window, the workshop in the morning.
- Trust: anyone who sees real rooms and faces knows who they are dealing with.
What text tiles do well
A text tile is an image that mainly shows text, usually in your business's colours. It is suitable for everything that is hard to photograph, and it stands out in the feed because it looks different from all the photos around it.
Law firms, advisory firms and practices often use tiles because, for good reason, they don't show clients or patients. Their own professional rules apply here anyway: no cases, no promises of healing or success, not even on a tile.
- Tips from your field: one sentence that sticks.
- Questions to your audience: "What have you always wanted to know about tax?"
- Notices: company holidays, new opening hours, deadlines.
- Quotes from the team: a sentence from an employee about her work (with her consent).
- Services without a subject to photograph: advice, insurance, bookkeeping.
What to watch out for with tiles
Little text: a tile is read while scrolling past, usually on a small screen. One short sentence in a large font works better than a whole paragraph. You explain the rest in the caption.
Contrast and readability: dark text on a light background or the other way round, no fancy fonts. Look at the tile on your phone before posting, not just on the computer.
Recognition: the same colours and fonts make your profile look calmer. But a profile made only of tiles can quickly feel impersonal. That is why mixing them with real photos is worthwhile.
How to test what works for you
Instead of listening to general claims, you can find out for yourself with a simple comparison. It takes a few weeks but gives you an answer that applies to your business.
Stay relaxed when evaluating. A single post that does well proves little. Only when a pattern appears over several weeks is a change worthwhile. And don't just look at likes: if more people call or ask after a tile with a tip, that is worth more than a heart. A test could look like this:
- Set a period: for example a few weeks, depending on how often you post.
- Alternate: photos and tiles in turn, at similar times and on similar weekdays.
- Keep topics similar: comparing an offer as a photo with a tip as a tile distorts the result.
- Note the numbers: reach, likes, comments, saves and profile visits from the Instagram app's insights or LinkedIn analytics.
- Evaluate: look at the average, not at individual outliers.
A sensible mix to start with
If you don't have your own data yet, a mix is a good starting point: photos for work, team and atmosphere, tiles for tips, questions and notices. A trade business will probably end up using photos more often, a tax advisory firm tiles. Both are fine.
Example of a tile from a physiotherapy practice: in large type, the sentence "Are you slouching right now?" and below it, in the caption: "This week we'll show you a few simple things you can change at your desk. #physiotherapy #workplace"
You can also combine both formats. A photo with a short line of text on it, such as "Today in our workshop", keeps the strength of the real picture and still makes it clear straight away what it is about. Make sure the text doesn't cover the subject. Several images in one post are another option: a tile with the question at the front, photos with the answer behind it.
In the end, what matters is that the format fits the content. For every post, ask yourself: what do I want to show, and what do I want to say? If there is something to show, use a photo. If it is mainly about saying something, the tile is often the more honest choice.