Do you have a business? Then you’re involved in marketing.
Do you have a business web site? You’re involved in marketing.
Is your company active on social media? Yes, more marketing.
The first goal of marketing is getting noticed. The second is holding attention. The third is earning trust. You have to accomplish all three before your message will be accepted.
The best way to get noticed: use photography.
The best way to hold attention: use professional photography.
The best way to earn trust: use professional editorial photography.
People don’t always have time to read but they always have time to look and a picture communicates better than words.
Why Professional Photography?
To an amateur or other untrained photographer, a photo is simply a way to record something. For example, CEO Jane Smith is speaking about the economy. An amateur sees Jane Smith talking so they take a picture.
But a professional knows that a photo needs to tell a story. For example, CEO Jane Smith is speaking about the economy. The professional knows that Smith’s expression and body language have to combine to tell the right story about her. This produces the right picture and not just a picture.
Why Editorial Photography?
Editorial images portray real people doing real things and tell stories of human interest. Authentic photography for companies that want to be authentic.
People trust editorial photography more than any other type because editorial photography gives information to the reader. Who better knows editorial photography than a photographer with journalism experience?
From a 2018 study looking at the value of professional photojournalists:
Photojournalism draws from a knowledge base that is seldom accessible to non-professionals, one that integrates aesthetics, art and visual imagery with broader professional journalism values.
Photojournalists are watchdogs, creating historic records . . . photography is vested with a particular authority to arrest, picture and transform daily life . . . visual images have long been associated with objectivity, as presenting a representation of reality perceived more truthful than other forms of communicative symbols.
Like journalistic images, your marketing photos are intended to communicate information with the public.
