It only makes sense to start an article about a bad photo with this cliché:
“A picture is worth a thousand words.”
Yep, there it is. You half expected to see it, didn’t you? This cliché is a cliché because it is oh-so-true. It’s possible it’s never been more true than it is in our current digital age, for the simple fact that there are so many pictures everywhere we look.
Here at Blackwood, we believe in the written word (obviously). But we recognize and celebrate the fact that pictures portray ideas more quickly and often more effectively than written word ever could. This means that, almost instantly, a bad photo could destroy all of our hard work. Our credibility is at stake. And so is yours.
The Power of a Bad Photo
You’ll find that you agree with both the cliché and our take on it after you read these 4 points:
A Bad Photo Gives a Bad First Impression
“You only get one first impression.” (We’re loving on the clichés today). But in the digital world, your first impression could very well be the only impression you’re ever able to give. If you lose a potential consumer with a pixelated photo, your entire company could sink into the depths of the sea of businesses, never to be rescued.
A Bad Photo Ruins Your Company Image
If you don’t take the time to shoot, edit, and post a quality photo for your company, what does that say about you? We’ll tell you: it tells your customers that you’re not fully invested, even lazy. You’re potentially admitting to not caring. All of this long before you even have a chance at a conversation.
Those things are probably not true of your company, but the bad picture you just posted spoke its image-ruining words. Cliché alert: “Think before you speak.” In other words, put the effort into the photo before you let it speak for you.
A Bad Photo Diminishes Your Work
You’ve created a masterpiece. Whatever your line of work, you’ve put “blood, sweat, and tears” into what you have to offer. That doesn’t matter if no one is able to see it in all its glory. A blurry, poorly edited photo will diminish your masterpiece. And in so doing, will diminish sales.
Your work isn’t just your product or service, but the whole of who your company is. A bad photo can cut you so deep as to diminish or even damage the core of who you are. The photos that grace your website– are they portraying or betraying the truth of who you are?
A Bad Photo Makes You Look Fake
That leads us into our final point: a good photo portrays authenticity while a bad photo makes you look fake. “Authenticity” is a cliché in itself, but like the others scattered throughout this post, it is loaded with truth. Our society has gotten so good at putting on a fake persona that we now crave that missing authenticity. Be the company that satisfies that craving.
Stock photos, while very helpful, need to be used sparingly. Over time, the same photos will be found all over the ‘net and people will notice. They’ll realize they don’t really know what your company looks like at all. Choose, instead, to focus on quality pics that make your company come alive. Use real faces, real activities, real products. Let your community and the world see you.
The Remedy for a Bad Photo
Even if a plethora of unfortunate pictures have wreaked havoc on your credibility, there is still hope! There’s a simple, two-step process toward recovery:
- Stop posting bad photos
- Contact us to pave the way
We put our own blood, sweat, and tears into thinking through a picture that is worth its unspoken words so that your authenticity can give an ideal first and lasting impression. And we believe in tried and true clichés.
