Some of the best opportunities for marketing your messages take place in random moments.
It was a hot summer day in 2004. My concentration level was
low as I sat at my desk in the fund development office of an inner city
community center. Hearing the rhythmic beat of drums in the gym below, I headed
downstairs where children were dancing to African music. Caught in the moment,
I joined the conga line. An adorable boy tugged at my shirt. “You need to stop dancing because you’re
terrible at it,” he both pleaded and proclaimed. When I asked why I was so bad
at it, he responded: “First of all, you’re white. Second, you’re old.”
Feeling rejected, I stepped off the dance floor. But all was
not lost. I turned my attention to taking candid photos of the kids. One of
these shots became a visual story line for a development campaign. This appeal generated
sufficient funds for a creative arts program at the center.
This photo is another example of visual
storytelling. While on the set of the Mad Men television series, Rolling Stone Magazine photographer James Minchin caught a candid
moment of Jon Hamm texting while waiting for his stage cue. The juxtaposition
between an iPhone and Don Draper, circa 1960’s created a story that went viral.
Whether used to enhance content writing or on its own, to engage your audience through the use of photography, follow these tips:
Forget the desk.
Unless your CEO’s desk is in the White House oval office, photos of a person
behind a desk are a sure-fire ways to create distance between the messenger and
the message received.
Keep it tight. Close-up
action shots draw viewers in better than panoramic views.
Editing is your
friend. Take advantage of the myriad of photo editing options to enhance
the creative value of your photos.
Keep it social. The
best photos are those that start conversations and spread among friends.
Provide links and functionality to make it easy for people to email your image
to friends, embed on web pages and blogs, and post to their social networks.
Make it search engine
friendly. Assuming your images are
going on the Internet, use keywords and titles when naming your files and
surround them with keyword-rich content.
Keep dancing. Some of the greatest moments in film are those
that aren’t choreographed. While there are times when staging is called for, the
true story behind your organization or businesses is often best told by
candid footage taken in real-life situations.
