“Ah, there are good pictures,” says the journalist with relief clearly audible through the phone.
Luckily, this situation happens quite often when we suggest ideas to journalists and send pictures along. And it’s a good starting point to work from when convincing the journalist to do a story.
A good image is central to newspapers, websites and blogs. Therefore, there are good reasons to make sure that you a) have photos taken b) they are good.
Many media outlets have skilled photographers ready to be sent out and take good pictures. But you can’t be sure that they’ll have time for your story, which is why it’s a good idea to help the media on their way by already having images ready.
Here are five reasons why you should prioritize images at least as much as the right headline for your press release. We also share some tips on what a good image looks like.
1. You increase the story’s chance
Our most valuable resource today is time, they say. This is especially true for journalists, who have an extremely busy workday characterized by many different tasks that should have been done yesterday.
Therefore, they will experience a moment of relief when they see that a company has good images that can be used. Don’t underestimate the importance of that moment, and it could well be the relief that gets your company in the press.
Many media outlets – especially on online platforms – won’t run stories without images. And if the work of finding the right image is done, the journalist doesn’t have to do it.
At the same time, many media outlets don’t have the resources to send a photographer out to take pictures, so your story may either be rejected or have a random (and therefore perhaps unfortunate) picture pasted on.
On top of that, social media like Facebook is very image-driven, which in turn means that a good image is a requirement if your story is to even be considered for sharing on social media.
And that can be important because some media outlets prioritize stories that have the potential to do well on social media very highly.
Sometimes companies are lucky enough that their images are so exciting in themselves that they almost get the story in the paper anyway.
2. Show it don’t tell it
Good images tell stories. Or at least communicate a message.
It becomes very clear when you see the skilled photojournalists at work. Take a look at the front page of Børsen or Berlingske Business. The picture will tell a story that aligns with the story in the article. A new venture has been launched and the CEO is looking visionary towards the horizon or similar.
It seems trite when you write it down, but when you see the image, it just works. It speaks directly to us without us thinking about it. And that’s an option worth considering when you want to talk about your business.
In other words: The image is your opportunity to tell something about the company if you ally yourself with a competent photographer and make it clear what you want to achieve with the images.
At the same time, most readers only see the headline and image – and if you influence one of those two parts, you’ve influenced a large part of the reader’s experience.
On this photo page there are great examples of images that show how a service works.
3. Putting a face to you – and your product
If a company doesn’t have images, the media will be forced to either send the photographer themselves (which could be the death of the story if it’s not possible) or use a stock photo. If it’s a stock photo, you risk the competitor’s product exemplifying the story of your company – because they may look similar to the journalist’s busy eye.
On the other hand, if you take good photos, the reader can relate the statements in the article to a person or product, which is easier to relate to than plain text.
The two images from My4 are good examples – one with the CEO “in motion” and one of what the product looks like.
4. Showing seriousness
Good photos, on the other hand, show that your company should be taken seriously. Pictures of management and your product(s) in use show that you are a serious company that has enough control to take good pictures.
For the journalist, good images can reinforce the impression of a “proper business” and for the reader, the images may convince them to visit your website.
Otherwise, you risk the journalist using stock photos. And that doesn’t always give an impression of quality. However, if you get a professional photographer to take the photo, you can get images like the one below that present you in a good way.
5. Media archive: Get used in a new article
Most media outlets have a photo archive that is continuously expanded with images as they are used. Once a few of your images have been used, they’ll be in the archives for the next time there are stories about you. It might even be images of your product that the journalist uses as an illustration when choosing an illustration for an article about a trend or even the competition.
In this way, there can also be a self-reinforcing effect in getting the good images out there. At Kemp & Kjær, for example, we have taken pictures that have been used in several contexts.
Tips for the good image
And while we’re on the subject of good reasons to take photos, we can also round up what constitutes a “good” photo.
There is a big difference between a good ad/promotional image on a website and a good image for media.
When it comes to people shots, try looking in the newspaper. Rarely do images without movement or “life” make it to the newspaper columns. Try going outside and taking the picture. Stand next to your desk – take pictures while you’re doing something.
It’s called “situational imagery” – and it’s worth thinking about whether there are situations in your work that are particularly relevant to be photographed. If your company makes race cars, then it’s certainly more fun to see you with a race car than behind your desk. But perhaps it’s even more exciting to see you standing with parts of a race car – or preferably behind the wheel.
If you need to take a picture of a physical product that you want to use in magazines, make sure they are exposed, meaning there is no background around the product and that the background is transparent. This makes it easier for magazines to fit your product into their layout and add other elements.
NB: Make sure there are NO advertising texts or graphics on the product image or other press images. It must be the real thing.
Practical advice on file formats and image delivery
– JPG or . PNG are commonly used formats that most people can open. PNG is mostly used for logos and product images with transparent backgrounds for magazines. JPG (also known as JPEG) for regular photos.
– Images should be as large as possible, as they can easily be too small for a large newspaper page. When you see the dimensions of an image (e.g. 900×1200 pixels), think that there should be about 100 pixels per centimeter of paper if it’s for print (300 dpi). This means that an A4 page requires 3000×2100 pixels. A full newspaper page might require 8000 pixels in height. And if it’s just a section, the section must also contain enough pixels.
– When they’re that big, they can exceed the size for everyone to receive them by email (and if it’s the first time you’re writing to someone, it might end up in the spam filter due to the large size).
– That’s why it’s smart to upload the images to your own website, Google Drive or Dropbox where the journalist can download them.
– Make sure you have both portrait and landscape images. The most commonly used is wide format, but sometimes the layout designer wants to do something different and a portrait format image can fit the bill.
Do you need a photographer?
If you’ve been convinced by the above rant and you’re looking for great photos for your business, contact us because we know a number of talented photographers and we can find the right one for both action shots and stylish portraits.
