How to Choose Authentic Photos How using authentic, relevant imagery helps marketers grow faster.
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Micah Cohen Director of Growth, Twenty20 @miccohen
Liz Bedor Content Marketing Strategist, NewsCred @lizbedor
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• Importance of authenticity
• What makes an authentic photo
• Difficult terms
• How to search for authentic photos
• Brands doing it right
Agenda
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Authenticity is vital for your brand.
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Communicate honestly
Don’t let customers down
Always act with integrity
Have brand recognition
Be more appealing/exciting than competitors
Be popular among my peers
It’s important for brands to:
Buyer preferences, based on a survey of 12,000 across 12 markets | November 2014
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Consumers buy from brands that feel authentic.
New York Times
For example, a study from Cornell University showed that when menu items had geographically or culturally influenced names (i.e. traditional Cajun beans or Grandma’s chili) patrons ordered them more and said they tasted better.
Several studies have shown that authenticity - real or perceived - can directly affect sales.
Authenticity affects your bottom line.
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New York Times
1.8 billion photos are shared everyday on Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, & WhatsApp. As the major method of judging info on the web and social media, photos are the way to express your authenticity.
Photos are they way to express your authenticity.
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• Technical execution • Trace of humanness • Relatable
How to quickly spot authentic photos?
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Good technical execution
The amount of light that enters
the camera through the lens.
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How sharp or blurry the subject you are photographing is.
Where in the frame of the photo you
place your subject.
Exposure Focus Composition
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Exposure? Check. Focus? Check. Composition? Check. (rule of thirds approved)
We’ve all seen photographs that nail basic technique:
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But don’t obsess over quality.
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Tell a human story
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Just because a photo nails the technical component doesn’t mean it’s effective.
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What makes the difference? The human element.
Exposure? Overexposed on the face. Focus? Soft. Composition? A bit off.
This photo is technically imperfect:
But emotionally?
It feels authentic…like looking over at a friend sitting in a coffeeshop.
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Which tells the most human story?
Test: side by side comparison
A B C
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Photos that connect to your customers’ lives always win.
Trace of humanness
A B C
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Be relevant Photos must be relevant and relatable
to your audience.
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Where do they live? What is around them? What products are familiar to them? What is the weather like there?
Playing a modified game of whodunit is the best way to learn the nuances of your consumers’ media consumption habits so that you can fit right in.
“Who is my audience?”
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Imagine your customer’s world.
If so, you’d fail with this ad.
Your consumers aren’t riding in taxis. They’re calling Uber & Lyft on their smartphones and renting rooms off Airbnb while Snapchatting their friends about what they just saw on Instagram.
Targeting millennials?
@miccohen
People crave consuming user-generated content on social media. Use real-world photos in your marketing • Take photos of employees and
activities around your office • License authentic UGC from real-world
photographers
Be relatable to your audience’s style.
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Micah Cohen Director of Growth, Twenty20 [email protected]
Key Takeaways
• Be technically good • Have a trace of humanness • Be relatable
An authentic photo should:
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#ThinkContent @lizbedor
Introducing NewsCred
Content Software Strategy
Liz Bedor Content Marketing Strategist, NewsCred [email protected]
#ThinkContent @lizbedor
The Challenge
• The web is filled with terrible stock photos • Finding authentic photography is time consuming • It’s tough to think outside the box
Finding authentic photography is difficult
For example…
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Technology
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Futuristic Hands
The typical stock photo choice
Apps Emerging from Devices
Glowing Earth
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Vintage Technology
Authentic options
Abstract Technology Close Up
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Success
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Hands up holding trophy
The typical stock photo choice
Person on top of mountain
Puzzles
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Top Down/ Bird’s Eye View
Authentic options
Satirical Amazement / Awe
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Challenge
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Person in Front of Maze
The typical stock photo choice
Rock Climbing ‘Challenges Ahead’ Construction Sign
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Tough Surfaces / Barricades
Authentic options
Narrow Pathway Stark Landscapes
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Career
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Thumbs Up Happy Employee
The typical stock photo choice
Arms Crossed Multiple People Surrounding One Computer
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Flat Lay Supplies
Authentic options
Perspectives From Office
Real Life Collaboration
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Health
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Stethoscope Close Up
The typical stock photo choice
Health Nut Yoga on the Beach
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X-Ray
Authentic options
Crops of person exercising
Remedies
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Tips for searching for authentic photos
• Use photography terms • Think of the emotion you’re trying to evoke • Be specific
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Low angle
Defocused
Silhouette
Depth of Field
Front View
Head and Shoulders
Motion Blur
Long Exposure
Wide Angle
Selective Focus
Use real photography terms
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“Flat lay brunch”
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“Low angle view of wave”
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“Silhouette of city skyline”
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“Long exposure Port Melbourne”
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Think of the emotion you’re trying to evoke
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Sample Headline: 7 Essential Roles for a Successful Content Marketing Strategy
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Emotion to Evoke: Calm
The typical stock photo choice
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7 Essential Roles for a Successful Content Marketing Strategy
Authentic option
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7 Essential Roles for a Successful Content Marketing Strategy
Sample Headline: 7 Content Marketing Mistakes + How to Avoid Them
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Emotion to Evoke: Action
The typical stock photo choice
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7 Common Content Marketing Mistakes + How to Avoid Them
Authentic option
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7 Common Content Marketing Mistakes + How to Avoid Them
Be specific
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Let’s say you need food images
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Instead of searching for “soup” Try “clam chowder”
Let’s say you need hairstyle images
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Instead of searching for “hairstyle” Try “fishtail braid”
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Mom.Me mom.me
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Want to learn more? The Ultimate Guide to UGC newscred.com/theacademy
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NewsCred Strategy Services [email protected]
Thank you
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Micah Cohen Director of Growth, Twenty20 @miccohen
Liz Bedor Content Marketing Strategist, NewsCred @lizbedor
#ThinkContent
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