𝗔 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗥 𝗮𝗻𝗱 press
The world of PR can be confusing. One role of PR is to make the job of journalists as easy as possible. Journalists are time-poor. You need to provide everything a journalist could need with easy access. If you make it hard for journalists then they will choose another brand.
Why pictures are important?
Pictures illustrate a story. They add depth and colour and good pictures can be the difference between a journalist covering you or someone else. A picture can make or break a PR story.
Each publication is different, and with that will want different types of images. Traditional publications look for clear and serious images of personnel and clear product images. While more innovative titles love an image that stands out from the crowd. Sifted even shares the most unusual founder images they receive.
Although it can be easy to think the more pictures the better, but you also need the right images. Images that will make a journalist choose your story. Images that will make consumers buy your products out of a round-up of other products.
What you need to know:
1. Images should be 1MB+
You can have the most amazing images but if they’re low quality they won’t be of use to journalists. Aim for your images to be 1MB or bigger to ensure you don’t have issues. If you have a great image which is less than this it may still work but it’s likely a journalist may have to discuss this with the photography department. This feeds into making a journalist's job harder which can lead to them going with another company.
2. You don’t necessarily need a professional camera.
Our pictures were taken on an iPhone 13/14 Pro. We’ve come a long way since the grainy phones of the past. What I love about the iPhone Pros is that the three cameras adjust the lighting meaning a picture in a dark room becomes lighter. But I would still recommend taking photos when it’s brighter or with lighting focused on the subject.
However, a professional photographer will be able to aid you in securing a gallery of suitable shots and know how to capture the best images. Ideally, on a photo shoot day, a PR professional would attend to work with the photographer to secure relevant press images. If it’s not possible, inform the photographer in advance of the images you need and remind them on the day.
3. Create an image bank on a drive.
A pet peeve of journalists is when PRs clog their inboxes with masses of data. But journalists can also need images quickly and can’t wait for you to respond. Share a link to images organised in a cloud database such as Google Drive or DropBox.
𝘌𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴
📸Your logo - This defines your brand. Share variations of it if available.
📸Cut-outs - Product pictures against a white background.
📸Lifestyle product images - How your products would look in everyday life, plus some aesthetic shots of several products together.
📸Founders - Clear and serious solo headshots and co-founders, more relaxed and fun solo and co-founder images. Sometimes an image that’s a little different can make you stand out amongst a sea of pitches.
📸The team - Again, a serious and more relaxed version are required so you’re ready for all publications and opportunities.
𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴
📸Solo team - Solo shots of the team are useful in case a team member is suitable for a media opportunity.
📸The office - Pictures of your space looking unique or aesthetic can be useful for relevant opportunities.
Imagery can be the forgotten element of PR. You know you need good stories and contacts. But the images may be what’s holding you back from securing quality coverage (and backlinks).
Are you implementing a PR strategy that’s not delivering results? We can help, from PR support to marketing consultancy, we’ll deliver results that transform your sales, SEO and brand trust. Sign up here for a free introduction consultancy call.