How to Catch the Media’s Attention with Visual Content
You probably already know that visuals are an essential element of any content marketing piece. Content that contains images is shared twice as often on social media. Blog posts with images are read more often, and visual content like videos, memes, and infographics are shared more than any other type of content.
So you know that your audience pays close attention to visual content. It provides interest, entertainment, and value. However, you may not be aware that the media pays attention to visual content as well. They’re human, after all, and they respond to information the same way you or anyone else does. This means that when you’re creating content to attract the media, such as a press release, for example, you can capture their attention with visual elements.
1.Tell a Story – If you’re telling a story in your press release, visuals can help enhance the story. For example, think about how powerful “before and after” pictures are for weight loss products. If you’re talking about attending or hosting an event, share pictures from last year’s event. Journalists and media representatives are looking for stories and images that not only grab their attention but also help them tell the story.
2.Give Your Piece Personality – Press releases can sometimes seem overly structured and formal. Adding something as simple as a photograph or a relevant image can help add personality to your content. Even memes and branded graphics can further enhance your voice and your company brand.
3.Support Facts – Charts, graphs, and other images provide a way to visually represent the data that you’re sharing in your press release. For example, if you’re announcing new research, results, or achievements you’ll have a variety of data points to share. People are often able to gain a better understanding of the impact of that information when it’s represented visually.
4.Expand On Information – Social media press releases allow you to provide visuals that help you take the information a step further. For example, you can link to a video in your press release. The video can add information to your story or news. You can link to and embed infographics that journalists can click on to gain more insight.
Tips for Using Images to Grab Media Attention
- Tag your images with relevant and searchable keywords.
- Include a description of your images.
- Brand your images. At the very least, add your website address to them. A logo helps too.
- Create consistency in your visuals. Make sure that their look and feel supports and strengthens your brand.
- Make sure they’re relevant. Don’t just add an image for the sake of adding an image. It has to be related to the information you’re presenting.
Media representatives and journalists appreciate images in press releases because they help them understand the point of the message more quickly. They’re busy people with thousands of releases and information to review on a daily basis. Spend time choosing and creating the best images for your press release.
