Photos That Tell Stories Are the Currency of Social Media and Online Marketing

Written by Robyn T. Braley

You’ve heard it a gazillion times, ‘A picture is worth 1,000 words.’ Well, it’s true!

Photos are a million-dollar aid for telling fascinating stories about life-altering projects that your service club has made possible. Photos are the currency of mainstream, online and social media communication.

Before going further, I must issue a disclaimer. I am not a professional photographer. I wouldn’t begin to try to explain the technical side of photography.

For my branding company's photography projects, we hire great shooters, provide creative direction and an outline of what we are looking for. Then, we get out of their way.

Amateurs Can Take Good Photos Too

As an encouragement for rank amateurs, I have taken photos with a $500 point-and-click camera that newspapers and automotive magazines around the world published. They accompanied a story I had placed about a client’s innovative automotive product, a catalytic converter.

The photo series was engaging. We placed a demonstration vehicle on a hill overlooking a dramatic cityscape. By pure dumb luck, there was a misty haze that made an air pollution statement. The catalytic converter had been invented to dramatically reduce emissions from diesel engines.

A creative idea trumped technical expertise.