Have a look around.

Every picture or image you see right now has a story to be told on how it was taken, created and it’s overarching purpose.

‘A picture is worth a thousand words’

Often enough as marketers and growth hackers, we spend hours creating content, writing ad copy, creating emails and more.

But how much time do we really invest in choosing and creating the right image?

More than likely, not enough time.

Especially as marketers, we often understand the power of imagery but choose to focus on other components instead with much more detail (I can say that even I am an offender of this). It’s ironic I say this because what a person usually sees first is the image, not your writing.

I decided to put together a 5 Criteria Check List of things to go through before you select your next image for that blog post, content or even website.

1. Is Your Image Relevant To Your Audience?

The most obvious point but also overlooked. Generally, as a business, you should know who your target audience is and what that audience expects to see.

Just like your content, your photo should be relevant and should help make your content flow.

2. Is The Quality Of The Image Up To Scratch?

A high definition image can speak wonders for itself versus a low-quality one.

Focusing on a high-quality photo can make your content look professional over one that isn’t. When you see a blog with a photo that is pixelated, you more than likely be put off by it and assume little effort was put into choosing the right image.

3. Is It The Right Size?

Emails, landing pages, blogging and more, all have different dimensions depending on the sizes of your own content. More than likely if it’s your own content, you need to understand the right size to fit.

If not, your image may scale off the side and make the content you poured hours into unprofessional. The last thing you want is a wonky image!

4. Does It Keep To Branding?

It’s always important to keep on brand.

Does it need your logo in it? Does it abide by branding standards? Does it match the professionalism of your company?

If you’re a high-tech modern design firm, the last thing you want to do is selecting a photo that may not represent this. Make sure you know you know your branding guidelines and the photos your business may or may not allowed to be used.