In a press release, a picture adds a thousand words

The media are well aware that articles containing pictures, videos, or other graphical material always result in read rates well above the industry standard in comparison with text only-articles. We all prefer to read a newspaper or website with pictures or some form of media to put things into context and break up lengthy content.

How a picture can increase the pickup of your press release

Press releases distributed with at least one picture always generate 20 to 30 percent more pickup. There are ample reasons for this.

Say you are on the internet searching about the recent Ebola outbreak. Reading about this topic could give you all the information you need, such as where the outbreak has been reported and the toll it has taken on the population. But blocks of text won't make much of a difference if you've never heard of the places currently threatened by the Ebola outbreak. Now, if the press release or website you're reading uses a map like the one below, it helps to put the information into context.

As you can see, the map allows readers to visually grasp where the virus has spread and its impact. Visual aids can be just as useful as the content surrounding them, sometimes even more.

Adding pictures, charts, graphs, maps, and other images to your press release eases comprehension and leads to higher pickup rates. Nobody is going to publish something they cannot easily understand. That is the reason print media and websites will capture attractive layouts to illustrate their articles.

If you do not provide them with at least one picture, they may try to find one by themselves, and you may not always like it. Your brand may be associated to a very bad quality picture or to the product of another company. Journalists may not be aware of a recent change in your management and use the picture of your former CEO, etc. The same applies for your logo. For all of these reasons, you really need to provide a picture with your press releases.

Multimedia content should be standard, not unaffordable add-ons

In 2014, using multimedia as an up-selling tool has become an increasing part of revenue for the leading newswires based in the US. In fact, adding a single picture to a press release can potentially double the cost of a press release distribution.

For instance, PR Newswire, in its Annual Report and Accounts 2012, clearly stated that its "organic growth was largely driven by continued success in up-selling multimedia press releases."

Using multimedia within a press release like a professional

When you add multimedia to your press release, it increases the pickup rate. It generates better impact, and it even gives people more to remember. Not to mention, pictures and videos are perfect for social media. Attaching a tweetable piece of media to a short link that leads directly to your press release can pave the way to reaching people across multiple networks, thus extending your reach.

View an example here. By being re-tweeted nine times, that tweet containing both the picture and the shortlink to the actual press release has increased its potential reach by 500,000 views.

The power of multimedia is unrivalled. The question is, are you wielding it?