A Picture is Worth (at Least) 1000 Words

See? You looked! Sponchia @ Pixabay.com

Happy pre-Fourth-of-July everybody! My guess is – in addition to reading the Constitution – you just might be gathering with friends and loved ones for a cookout tomorrow. I’m going to a fab neighborhood bash that’s been happening for so many years that we’ve lost count. And what better time to take pictures than when people are happy and having fun? With the advent of iphones, it’s never been easier. It’s no surprise that your newsletters, appeals, thank yous can be made even stronger by using photos. The science behind that claim is fascinating. Read on in this reprint…
 
Monday through Friday, I look forward to going to my in box and getting [the now sadly defunct] “Katya’s Non-Profit Marketing Blog.”  Yesterday, her article alerted me to a study affirming something I already knew: pictures make a difference. I love it when science backs my intuition. 
 
Roger Dooley from Neuromarketing describes a series of studies done in New Zealand showing that a photograph accompanying a story, even if it is untrue (for example, stating a celebrity was dead – even though the celebrity was really still very much alive), is perceived as being true because of the photo. He called it a “truth bias” associated with an image. 
 
In another experiment, researchers made the claim “Giraffes are the only mammals that cannot jump,” accompanied by a photo of a standing giraffe. Once again, people said the claim was “true” even though, if you give it much thought – you might assume that an elephant, rhino, or hippo aren’t exactly built to jump either. In fact, giraffes are technically capable of jumping…but not very high or well as seen in this pretty entertaining 40-second video.
 
In no way should you mislead your congregation by throwing in any old photo for the sake of a visual. 

However, a photograph can enhance your message and give it greater credibility. And the best ones? The ones with the most integrity? Not stock photos of “perfect people” but photos of real people in your congregation. 
 
Remember: Whenever you send a thank you letter, or do an update in your quarterly giving statement, or run your fall finance campaign…a picture – not of a giraffe – but of a person who people recognize and respect, will speak more than a 1,000 words.
 
Originally published November 7, 2012.