It’s been said that a picture is worth 1000 words, so in the world of PR it is essential to maximise this opportunity.
Here are 5 quick tips to consider when submitting images alongside your press releases.

• Should I include imagery? Yes! But ensure it’s relevant. Articles, in both printed and online press, are far more eye catching if they include visuals. Imagine flicking through a magazine without any photos at all – a bit uninspiring. So if you have a relevant image, which is print worthy, then definitely include it to attract the reader’s eye.
• Be creative. Picture editors at national newspapers are inundated with photos. An ideal photo will sum up the story in an instant. Strong photos often aren’t run with a full story – just a photo caption. For a PR story to gain coverage this way it needs to be imaginative and striking. For some stunning photojournalism ideas and inspiration visit www.worldpressphoto.org/
• Plan your photo shoot. Hire a recommended professional photographer and explore the ideas you have. For press shots, think how the shot will be reproduced — in black and white or colour? Lighting will make or break a photo, so photos that are to be reproduced in black and white need careful thought to ensure the correct tones.
• Formatting images. Any story is more attractive to an editor if you can offer a high resolution (300 dpi) digital image available. However, attaching a large, high resolution file to emails may cause it to be blocked by spam filters or fill up the recipient’s inbox. Send a low resolution image initially (72dpi, minimum 200 x 200 pixels) and stick to JPEG format which is widely compatible and accepted. To send high resolution images once requested use free services like DropBox, HighTail or iCloud.
• Manage branding. From a PR’s perspective getting branding into a photograph in the nationals is the ultimate success. But from a picture editors perspective it’s a nightmare. Try and find a happy medium – you can get away with branding but only if it looks natural within the setting of the photo.

These are just a few pointers, but if you feel your business could benefit from the expertise of our team we would love to hear from you. Feel free to call us on 01926 832395 or drop is an email to hello@redmarlin.co.uk.