Here are 5 tips to enhance your message through imagery
- Show Action – We have all seen the cliché image of smiling volunteers with their arms around each other. There isn’t much story in that. Instead, consider choosing a photo that includes what they actually do. If they’re volunteering at a food bank, show them preparing meals, handing them out, or washing dishes.
- Show Relationship – Including more than one person in your photos shows relationship or community. This strategy may embark an emotional response out of your audience which has been proven to be an effective method of grabbing your audience’s attention.
- Use Infographics – Any combination of information and image is classified as an infographic. Infographics are an effective way to take a complex piece of information and turn it into a digestible piece of imagery. People don’t have the time, nor interest, to read a large block of text – so do yourself and your audience a favor by using infographics.
- Use Words – It is said that images are more effective in intriguing an audience than text but it doesn’t mean these things should be used exclusively. Some images need a sentence or two to contextualize the story. Use IPhone Apps such as Over by Potluck to easily add text over images.
- Show a beginning, middle, and end – This strategy will require some foresight as you’ll need to have photographed each stage of the story. For example, showing the stages of tree planting – imagine the first image of digging up the ground to plant the sapling, the next image would be a small tree, and the last image being a thick forestry.
By nature we are all storytellers, so trusting your intuition can take you a long way in deciding how to communicate your message. By using these storytelling tips along with your instincts you’re ready to post to Facebook, Instagram, or whichever media platform is best for your organization.
