The Press Release Gone Visual

Selecting the right images for your press release might seem like an afterthought, but it turns out that the image you choose can be just as important as the message in your press release itself. Having the right image can increase the chance your release will get covered in the press, make your content more shareable online, and much more. Below you’ll learn about the importance of selecting the right image, and how to ensure that the images you select are the ones that get used in the media.

Selecting Your Own Image

If you want the image you’ve selected to be used in your press release, then you need to choose a strong image. This is particularly important when it comes to images that include branded content, your logo, infographics, and the like. In the absence of an adequately strong image, the agency you’re submitting your press release to will select an image for you. That image will probably originate from a collection of generic stock photos, which will do nothing to enhance SEO in a visual search, and will prevent your branded images from being spread online.

Quality Control

If you want to ensure the photo you select will be used, it’s also important that it’s up to the high standards of print and digital publication quality. That means if you’re going to provide your own photos, ensure they live up to the professional image you want associated with your brand. Go the extra mile in polishing your content, and pay particularly attention to its resolution. Your image may look nice on the screen of an iPhone, but how would it look the browser of someone’s PC? Generally speaking, it’s better to provide larger high-quality images because they can be appropriately reduced in size by the publisher if necessary. Any image that’s smaller than 504 x 504 pixels will be too small to publish, even on social media websites.

Thinking Large

In the age of social media, images are just as essential to your presentation as whatever you have to say in your message. Not only do images get people to pay attention to your press release, they add a sense of authority and professionalism. One study by PRNewsWire found that press releases with images get shared as much as three times as often on social media. People also tend to spend half a minute longer reading those releases.

Images also give you the oppertunity to enhance the SEO power of your press release. Prepared with the right images, people can more easily find your content through a visual search. Nevertheless, many businesses continue to fail to provide visual content with their press releases. While images might seem like an afterthought, the truth is, it’s important to start thinking about the creation of strong visual assets from the moment you first start your project.

The Press Release Gone Visual