2016 Marketing Commandment: Thou Shalt Have Hi-Res Images!

The above photo was taken by Brandon Tigrett Photography at an engineering STEM camp Open House featuring a Lego Sumobot Tournament.  Do you see how the image jumps off the page?

A picture is worth a thousand words. It's NEVER been more important for businesses to have high resolution images for your website, materials, Social Media and to accompany press releases than it is right now.

Last week I received a message from an editor needing a high res image for an article.  The photo submitted was too small (less than a 1mb). I had to scrounge up the only suitable photo I had on file.

My client was able to locate a good photo but it was too late – the deadline had passed. The article as it appeared in print was well written by the reporter but the picture was just “OK.” What could have been a strong promotional piece was diluted by a lackluster photo.

Why? High quality photos are powerful.

A great image can complete a story in seconds and draws the reader in. Think of how you scan online. What do you notice first – the photo or the text?  A visually interesting photo gets attention and needs to be a higher resolution so that it reproduces well in print and online.

By the way, when a photo is requested it is usually needed NOW.  You typically won’t have time to line up a photographer and publications are running so lean that it’s rare that a photographer is sent on location these days.

Do yourself a favor and have a professional take photos at your business, in the field and at events (and PLEASE have a good updated head shot, too – no selfies).  Yes, you can use your Smart phone but using an experienced photographer is well worth the investment.  Unprofessional photos make your brand look unprofessional.

It will be one of the best investments you ever make for your image, your business and your brand.