Better a Blog: #1) The Importance of Photos and Videos

Better a Blog: #1) The Importance of Photos and Videos

EXTENDED-CARE MARKETING EDITION

Sure, you can post a blog without featuring an image. But should you? NO. Relevant visual content in your extended-care blog entries strategically enhances your written content. Moreover, studies show that images (photos, videos, infographics, charts, quote cards) boost your content’s page views significantly—as much as 94% according to Content Marketing Institute.

Photos and videos are the easiest for extended-care organizations (such as rehabilitation centers and skilled nursing care facilities) to capture. Here, we’ll focus on those images; next week, infographics, charts and quote cards!

When mapping out your editorial calendar, think about how photos or videos can accompany blog entries. For example:
• “Testimonial from an outpatient rehab patient” can include an original photo of the patient with his physical therapist.
• “Music engages dementia patients” can feature an original video taken at your facility.
• “Tasting food again!” which discusses how residents benefit from being weaned from ventilator dependency, can include a free public domain image of flavored ices (one of the first foods given during the weaning process).

Here are some steps and tips to help you unearth interesting images for moderate costs or for free:

Use original photos and videos. Your facility is bursting with visual content just waiting to be captured. Cost prohibits frequent (or any!) use of a professional photographer or videographer, but you and your staff have access to smartphones and your facility may even have a digital camera. Here are some tips on capturing great original photos and videos.
• Since staff taking images aren’t professionals, provide them with a tripod (don’t spend more than $100 for a simple one) to avoid blurry photos from unsteady hands or fast-moving footage.
• Focus on a few people rather than a crowd. Tell your story through the personal interactions.
• Even if you’re showing off a newly renovated area, always include people in the shot for warmth and interest.
• Remove or reposition excess background and foreground items.
• Take images as much as possible in areas filled with natural light. However, don’t place your subjects directly in front of a window.
• Don’t use zoom. Instead move closer to your subject.
• Take numerous photos, and both long and short videos, so you have lots of choices.
• Don’t delete the raw photos and footage until they are uploaded to your facility’s image archives where the next step would be editing the featured photo or footage.
• Ask your legal department or administration what your organization’s policy is on getting signed photo release forms.

Edit original photos and videos. Once you decide on a photo for your blog entry, look at it closely to see it if needs to be retouched (perhaps, lightened to ensure that faces are easily visible or cropped to eliminate distracting background elements). Photographers and designers often retouch photos. Likewise, videographers take their raw footage and edit it to better and succinctly tell the story by adding cuts, text and more.

If you don’t want to purchase photo-editing software such as Photoshop, search the Internet for free photo-editing software. For example, gimp offers a free and open source image editor that is considered user friendly. Many free editing apps for videos taken with a smartphone can be downloaded from the Internet, too. To find a free app that suits your needs, search free editing apps for videos taken with phone.

Use free stock photos. Search free public domain images. Check out the search results and read the site’s fine print to ensure no attributes are required for use (for instance, that you don’t have to use a photo credit line) and that model releases have been signed. Pixabay is one of our favorites. Download the largest free file size so you can potentially feature it in your print efforts. You can also search free vector images or free clip art images for more image options.

Consider paying a small fee for a stock photo. There are numerous sites where a professional-quality image can be purchased for as little as $5 to $10 and sometimes less. Some of our favorites are thinkstockphoto, shutterstock and istockphoto. Again, download the largest file size so you can potentially feature it in your print efforts.

REMEMBER: Your time and cost investment in your original visual content will reap rewards because images can be used again and again throughout your other social media efforts and possibly print efforts.

> If you need help building or bettering a blog or using photos and videos, give Lazzaro Designs a call or shoot us an email.
> Coming soon: How to use charts, infographics and quote cards.

Posted Under: Blogging, Design, Extended Care, Resources, Social Media, Tips

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