By Natalie J. Armstrong,
www.MarketingMediation.com

A PICTURE IS WORTH.. MORE THAN YOU THINK
People love to look at photographs. They are a magnet. No matter where they appear on a page they attract the reader’s eye. Research shows that the best-read parts of the newspaper are the small print captions under the pictures.  That’s worth repeating.

Captions under photographs are the best-read words.

Pictures rivet a reader’s attention while they read the copy underneath. You can put a lot of information in a four- or five-line caption. Don’t make the mistake of making captions too long or you will lose the powerful effect.

Using photographs in your brochures and on your website as well as your cv / resume allow your potential clients to “get to know you without you having to be present. Just think how uncomfortable you are when you are waiting for someone who is a stranger to you versus someone you’ve previously met or seen. A photograph does the same thing.
It allows people to make a visual connection to you without a physical introduction.

If you would like to see a great example, take a look at Mark Loeterman of MLmediation.com. This is perfect.

A note on portraits it isn’t necessary to sit in front of a blue or gray backdrop to make an impression. In fact, think about having your portrait taken in a library, park, (tidy) office setting etc. Think also about how the photograph will fit into the over-all color scheme of your media as well as the personality of your collateral pieces.

Natalie J. Armstrong is the Founder and Managing Director of Golden Media, a marketing and consulting firm dedicated to promoting the resolution industry. She is the author of The Essential Guide to Marketing Your ADR Practice and speaks internationally on business development and the successful marketing strategies of the conflict resolution industry. More ADR Practice Development articles and information about Ms. Armstrong and Golden Media can be found at www.MarketingMediation.com.