📣 #007 & 008: Why pictures are the best secret weapon for self-promotion

Prompt cards 7 & 8 from the 52 PR Tips challenge

Hiya 🌊! I’m Lucy from Hype Yourself. If you are new to this page, pop your email below to ensure you receive my posts sent every Sunday. The 52 PR Tips challenge is sent out every fortnight(ish). In different weeks, you will receive personal essays and other good things on self-promotion and creative living. Come and sit with us.

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WELCOME TO THE 52 PR TIPS CHALLENGE - TASKS 7 & 8

This week, we have a double-card drop related to imagery. 📸 *ATTENTION PHOTOGRAPHERS: THIS IS YOUR INVITATION TO HYPE YOURSELF*

I’ve made comments open to all subscribers today. If you are a photographer for a personal brand, product or event, you are welcome and encouraged to pitch yourself in the comments.

We are looking at two types of imagery today, which will be followed up in Wednesday's live micro-masterclass.

An image call sell a story: 

A great image can turn your pitch into a viral success or a picture story in print. Your image should clearly show what the story is about 

Example of a picture story for a cat litter tray (more on this in the workshop)

PICTURE STORIES

📣 Hundreds of people have asked me to help them write a press release. No one has ever asked me to help them with a picture story!?!?

📰 think about it: every newspaper and magazine features images in print and online. Why would you NOT think of creating a picture story when everyone else is whizzing out a dry press release to an irrelevant journalist

📚 Artists, illustrators, designers, and writers, you are creative by nature; this can be an easy win to make you feel comfortable with self-promotion, especially if you don’t like to be the mouthpiece for your work.

Example of my headshot taking the lead image in the article

Invest in professional photography:

You are doing yourself and your business a disservice if you don't have decent images. Get plenty of you and your product. Update them regularly. 

HEADSHOTS

🎁 The best return on investment for my business has been personal brand photography. It has led to me taking the lead expert position in various national news outlets such as the Evening Standard, The Times, and, most recently, a print article in The Daily Telegraph.

💵 If you spend the money on a photographer, you will make more of an effort to use it because you will want to make your money back

🌍 Great headshots make you feel more confident to show up to the rest of the world and, when on brand, reveal your personality to help others connect with you.

📸 We will be delving more into what makes a great headshot and product photography for your media toolkit another day….. watch this space. Maybe even consider saving yourself 20% off by becoming an annual subscriber? 🤷🏻‍♀️

This week, we are going to take a look at the following:

• My favourite trick when it comes to securing press coverage using photography

• Examples of picture stories DIY and working with newswires

• A checklist of Dos and Donts to tell a great picture story

• A briefing template for your photocall

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My favourite trick when it comes to securing press coverage using photography

✅ If I’m writing a speculative pitch to a journalist OR a reactive pitch to a call out such as #journorequest, I ALWAYS tell the journalist I have imagery and include a low-res landscape version embedded into the email when I submit my comments

❌ No attachments (they won’t open it) No massive files - you don’t want to be the person that clogs up their inbox.

🏆 HACK: Landscape photographs are an excellent format for national newspapers. They often feature this format across two pages, enabling you to snag an even more significant share of the coverage

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Examples of picture stories I’ve worked on as a solopreneur

1. Doing the photography yourself with National Calendar Dates

I’ve worked historically on a few different picture stories for Sutton & Sons fish & chip shop e.g. battered mince pies, battered sprouts and for a pop-up B.Y.O.B (bring your bar - and we’ll batter it)

- 📲 All imagery captured on an iphone

- 🥳 Destination for coverage was online local news, food blogs, London ‘things to do’ sites

- 🍟 Also invited food influencers to sample for free and create their content.

A very affordable and effective use of time to secure widespread awareness.

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2. Working with a Newswire picture team to tell a story

You can partner with a national newswire service with a picture/video story team. For a fee, they will work with you to capture photography, write briefs, send a picture to a journalist, label them correctly and assist with getting out onto newswires.

I’ve worked regularly in the UK with the Press Association picture desks.

This cat imagery was based on entrepreneur Thomas Vles, cycling from Amsterdam to London with his two cats to launch his first UK pop-up store of cat litter trays. (No cats were harmed in the making of this content!).

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A checklist of Dos and Donts to tell a great picture story

Dos

• The fundamental principle of the picture is to make sure there is a who, what, why, when and where – make sure your picture can answer three of these.  

• Do make sure that your picture tells the story. You should be able to tell what the story is without much explaining. 

• Have a relevant human interest, e.g. the artist making final touches to the Waxwork at Madam Tussauds, the customer taking a bite out of the quirky food dish. 

• Make sure you take a range of story shots and don’t just focus on one hero shot, as you may find on the day that things change. 

• Make sure you have a range (6-10) of landscape and portrait images that go in your final edit. 

• Embed a caption that tells the story of your image and include a credit to your photograph. 

• Name your image 

Donts

• Don’t heavily brand it because they won’t use it. Like a press release,  your picture must tell a story and not be an advertisement.

• Please don’t take a picture for a timely occasion and try to bank it for the following week. You need to issue the picture the same day for news, e.g. you may very well have a bright sunny background and if you issue the following week when it is raining, it is very obvious

• Don’t issue too many images to picture editors or picture desks; too much choice is overwhelming and makes it more of a difficult task on the other side  

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A briefing template for your photocall

PHOTOCALL: 24th February 2024 

What:  

Where:  

Date:  

Time:  

(Include a note about what facilities are available e.g. : Photo, video and interview opportunities available. Wi-Fi access available. Metered street parking available. 

About PARAGRAPH 

Write ONE brief paragraph that explains what the event is about. 

PHOTO, VIDEO AND RECORDING OPPORTUNITIES:

• What makes the picture noteworthy that the photographer can capture? 

• Are there are any experts, charity representatives, voice of authority etc that can be offered for interview 

• Any other succinct points that could be added 

ENDS 

For further details contact NAME, EMAIL and CONTACT number 

Editors Notes: 

Insert press release or additional information about story here.  

Check page 91 of the Hype Yourself book. for more information about working on picture stories.

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Hype Yourself house notes 🏡

1. If you have not already, don’t forget to register for our workshop on Wednesday or wait to receive the replay.

2. Want to know more? Check out this video news training with Press Association

3. Are you a new paid subscriber, or have you been busy? Remember to check out the directory post for 45 opportunities to Hype Yourself

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Over to you…

Are you a great photographer? Shout about yourself below! OR have you worked with a fantastic photographer? Give them some love.

Keep on hyping!

Lucy x