A press release should be an informative document that gives the journalist enough information to decide whether they wish to take the story further. Meaning there needs to be a few key elements included, such as a quote and an image. However, many small business owners often forget the latter.

When sending press releases it is important to help the journalist visualise what the article would look like in a magazine or online, as what attracts readers to an article is as much about what the page looks like than about the title alone.

Journalist’s have even told me before that sometimes they pick the right business by the quality of their imagery. Therefore, it is important to include high-res images in your release.

Below are a few elements to think about when selecting images.

Choose a relevant image for your press release

It is important that the image you attach to your press release is relevant to the content.

For example, if the press release is about a new product launch attach an image of the product either in use or on a plain white background. If your release is about the founder, include a professional portrait or a picture of them working in the office – not the latest holiday snap.  

This may be more difficult for service-based businesses who haven’t got a physical product to promote, but we still suggest attaching a picture. This could be an image of your founders or you can choose a free stock image found online.

When choosing a stock image it is important that it is still relevant to the release. For example, if your press release is about social media then choose an image which is related to social media platforms.

Always select a high-quality image

The image you choose to attach to your release needs to be high-quality (i.e. in focus) and the focal point being the person or product you wish to show.

For example, if an image is blurry, too dark, overexposed or of the back of someone’s head, the journalist will be unable to use the image in the magazine. Therefore, it is best to look through magazines and newspapers to see the quality of the images they’re already using.