Public Relations
Mar 30, 2017

You Oughta Be in Pictures

These days, dear clients, it’s not enough to simply “put out a press release.” You’ve gotta be in pictures.

Journalists who responded to the 2017 Cision State of the Media Report survey said they are more likely than before to use images, videos, infographics and multimedia than plain-old data.

The media people who participated in the survey also reported that they relied more on newswires and stock imagery and less on their own staff photography.

To increase the relevance of the images provided to journalists, the Cision report advised sending along clear captions and “credits.”

Here are some ideas:

  1. Ask your graphics department or web design firm to create a chart or graph that illustrates the data in your news release, blog post or article.
  2. No art department? Make a snappy infographic with a free tool such as Canva.
  3. Hire a local photographer to take professional, high-resolution photographs of your products, events, and people. Make the photos available for download from you online newsroom.
  4. No budget for art, you say? No worries. Most trade publications and  sites welcome stock images. There are some fabulous sources for free images. Our current favorite is Pixabay, a cache of hundreds of thousands of photos and clipart free to use for any purpose.

Cinema Gaumont Opera in Paris.

About the Author: Lisa Figlioli, PR Counselor for Martell, is a consummate “connector.” Lisa has a knack for helping clients tell their story to media outlets that influence the people they want to reach. With her Martell Communications colleagues, Lisa has supported Amulaire, Analog Devices, Atmosphere Networks, Ayla Networks, Borland, Chiaro, Dolby Labs, Echelon, Etymotic Research, Miller Center, Mohr-Davidow Ventures, Samsung ARTIK, SVTC Technologies, Think Outside, WindSpring and dozens of other technology companies. She lives outside of New York City with her husband and son.