Celebrating #WorldPhotographyDay: How to use images to tell your story
There’s an annual day for what seems to be anything and everything recently, and this week was no different, as across the globe people were celebrating #WorldPhotographyDay.
Creatives, photographers and even beginners were showcasing their work across all social media platforms on the 19th of August 2019, and it just goes to show how powerful the use of visuals can be.
Supporting upcoming artists or utilising the annual occasion to send a message or create an impactful campaign is something that can be done with one single snapshot. A picture can say a 1000 words and make an idea come to life, so it’s unsurprising that imagery often sits at the heart of marketing strategies.
The potential for what a lens, or even for what a smartphone can have has revolutionised marketing campaigns in recent years. With audience attention spans reducing and social media driving visual content, it’s so important to use photos to capture the attention of your audience. We take a look at some of the campaigns that brands got involved with that puts images at the centre of their strategy as well as some tips for nailing your visuals.
The National Trust
In light of #WorldPhotographyDay, The National Trust is hosting a competition for photographers around the world to be part of their 2020 National Trust Handbook. You can submit your photo of any National Trust by Sunday 1st September, such as below, at the Needles Old Battery and New Battery, Croome.
GreenPeace
Photography can be a great way to make a statement through the use of visuals, particularly when communicating big issues. The below by GreenPeace highlights the impact plastic is causing to our sea life by showing a crab trapped inside a teacup in Verde Island Passage.
Marvel
One of the biggest media franchises got involved in #WorldPhotographyDay in a slightly different way, but it goes to show how businesses can get involved in International Days to promote themselves. Check out the video here where the Hulk changes the traditional “Say cheese!” to “Say Green!”
One of the main things to take away from a celebration of photography as a business and from a PR perspective is the way in which visuals can be used to engage with your audience. As handy as we know stock photos can be, it’s so important to have an image that truly reflects the story you are trying to tell. Words only go so far, but a picture can really bring everything to life!
Here are our top tips for getting the right photos to tell your story.
1. Create your own branded stock imagery.
Hire a photographer or get a willing team member with a camera to take some photos of the team to create a library of images. Not only will they reflect your business personality, but they will also be more in line with your brand. Take our website as an example – we got the whole team involved in a photography session and the images you see on our website are all taken in our office. Now we have a bank of images for social media, blog post and to send to journalists.
2. But if you choose stock images, make them relevant!
We do use stock images in our blog posts – but they have to be relevant to the post we’ve written. There is no point having a photo of elephants if the piece is about PR. There are some great free resources you can use to get free stock photos, such as Pexels and Canva.
3. Make sure your images are bold, bright and high quality
So you’ve sent out a piece of content and a journalist has asked for an image. Make sure the images you share with them are high enough quality, particularly if they are to be used in print. If you have branded stock imagery – great! But if you don’t, share an image that you feel reflects the piece. If you are sending headshots, make sure they are clear and professional. No selfies or sunglasses please!
Whether you want to look back on memories or utilise the environment around you to capture something new and exciting, make sure you take a picture this week! Tweet us your snaps: @NeoPRLtd.
