What image should I attach to my press release?

When sending out a press release, attaching an image is very important as it helps tell your story and market your business. But choosing the right image for your press release can be confusing.

At Journolink, we have many years of experience in crafting engaging press releases that are also visually appealing. Let us give you some tips on how to choose what image to attach to your press release.

What Should a Press Release do?

The purpose of a press release is to expressly promote significant news about a business, product or event. It should give journalists enough information so that they can decide whether they want to follow up with an article. This means that there needs to be some key features including a story, perhaps a quote and most definitely a visually compelling image.

A good press release should enable a journalist to picture what the story would look like in a newspaper, or on a news website. Often what attracts readers to a story is the image, and what the page looks like, as well as the title.

A well-written and designed press release with a great image can help your business or service:

• Get published on news sites covering your industry locally, nationally and internationally.
• Reach journalists, bloggers and media influencers
• Get into recognised news databases and news wires
• Attain long-term visibility in search engines & SEO benefits

Here are a few elements to think about when selecting images for a press release

• The image size is important. Images need to be high-resolution, so 300 dpi (dots per inch). You can check this by clicking on the image ‘properties’ and looking under ‘details’. This is vital as 300 dpi is the correct resolution for print. If the image is too small it may appear stretched and blurry. If the image is too large to send as an attachment, or you would like to send more than one image, it is best to send the images via the cloud.
• It is important that the image you attach to your press release is relevant to the content. If the press release is about a new product launch, then attach a clear image of the product. If your business is service-based, you should also attach high-quality sector-related images 
• When using images in your press release it is important that you own or have rights to the image. Therefore, if you hire a professional photographer, you need to have their permission to use the pictures in your press release.
• Prepare additional images to provide to journalists, as if they decide to write a story about your news, they may ask for further imagery.
• Always select a clear image. If the image is too dark, or blurry, you run the risk of the journalist passing it over.
• For a good press room layout landscape is best.

By following the guidelines above you’ll be able to create the right image to attach to your press release.

If you have any questions, just reach out to Journolink, to help you craft an expert press release and help you choose what image you should attach to a press release.

For more help with your PR contact support@journolink.com