There’s a scene in the 1994 film “The Paper” where a columnist laments, “We run maimings on the front page because we got good art.” Any newspaper journalist in the theater was nodding his head at that point because it’s true.
But the practice isn’t limited to tabloids. In fact, it’s something that any company hoping to get coverage in the trades or mainstream media should keep in mind.
Here’s an example from just the other day. I pitched a topic to one of the trades I freelance for, and the editor liked it, with one big caveat:
“Do any of [the companies] you have in mind have high-res, cover images? That would be the next step to confirm the assignment. Have you already seen images and/or can you have them send them in so we can confirm with our art director that we have the right image? Let me know on that. We’ve learned that it’s best to secure the cover image first because we’ve had situations where we’ve had to abandon cover stories when it’s not possible to get suitable art.”
This isn’t the first time she’s said that, nor is she the only editor I’ve heard it from. The moral of this story is that if you don’t have compelling photos ready to go when pitching or when a journalist calls, that could be enough to put one of your competitors on the cover or in the opening spread.
If that happens, there’s a good chance that in the story itself, your company will become a minor player rather than a source that’s quoted at the beginning, end and extensively throughout. That’s because editors assume – right or wrong – that readers expect the opening photo and/or cover art to be a shot of the story’s major player.
Do you want readers to perceive you as an also-ran in your market? If not, build a stockpile of compelling, high-res photos – and not just executive headshots and standalone product photos.
For example, suppose your company sells Wi-Fi infrastructure for public areas such as malls, stadiums and airports. Hire a photographer – local newspapers are a good source of moonlighters – to take a few dozen photos of your access points installed in situations that highlight key features, such as their ability to blend in. Got some satisfied customers? Great. See if they’ll pose for a few of those installation shots.
Good photographers don’t work for free, so one obvious question is whether this expense is worth it just for a better chance of getting some positive coverage. One way to make the case is by using that art for case studies to share with prospective customers, such as on your website, at shows, on sales calls and in your trade association newsletter’s guest column. The more places you can use that content, the greater the RoI. Editors often don’t mind using art – and the rest of a case study – that’s been published elsewhere as long as it wasn’t in a competing publication.
Journalists are busy people, especially in the Internet age, where the deadline is all the time and their publication’s website has an insatiable appetite for content. That’s something I often remind companies when I’m doing media training. You can make their job easier by giving them a package of art – whether that’s photos, infographics or both – so they don’t have to waste time chasing that down. The easier you make their job, the more likely they are to come back to you for future stories.