The cliche’s true – a good PR picture really does speak a thousand words
By Publicity Heaven writer Susan Connolly
It’s always been said that a picture can speak a thousand words, and nowhere is this more true than in the world of those who are looking for free publicity. A good picture is much more likely to get noticed than the most carefully crafted press release will ever be. By including an attention-catching picture with your press release you are much more likely to have your story picked up and get the free publicity you are after.
Pictures are desirable for several reasons. They break up the publication so that it is more appealing to the eye and less intimidating. In addition, they can easily be used to fill space should it be necessary. For the reader, they prompt questions that lead the reader to want to know more. They also draw the readers eye down the page and so make them more likely to read your story, and learn about your business.
Pictures are also valuable for generating radio and television coverage. While the radio presenter will not be showing the picture, they may want to direct listeners to their website and so will host the picture there. Even if not, their researchers may be drawn to the picture themselves and so take more notice of your press release.
The advanatages in gaining television coverage are obvious. As this is a visual medium, by making it easier for researchers to see how the story could be depicted with images and film you are more likely to have your story picked up – with all the free publicity that this entails.
There are a couple of tips to keep in mind when you are submitting a photo with your press release.
1) Quality counts
Make sure that you take the best photo that you can and send it in the largest size possible. It is always much easier to make a photo smaller than to make it bigger, and large sizes can more easily be manipulated for print.
2) Arrange permission
Make sure you make it clear who owns the photo that you have included and what rights and permissions they are willing to give up. For example, you might be happy for anyone to use the photo as long as they make it clear that you are the photographer. In this case you would include something like “Photograph copyright John Smith – licensed for commercial use with attribution”
3) Offer some variety
If you have taken several photographs, all of which you think are of high quality, consider including more than one or making it clear that you have more available. Not only does this offer newspapers more choice, it makes it easy for television stations to make a slideshow to use as background for the piece. Alternatively, make it clear in your press release that journalists are welcome to come and take their own photographs should they love the concept but find the execution lacking.
Remember, the driest facts can be made interesting by the addition of a spectacular photo, so make sure to consider photo-opportunities when formulating your next press release.
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