Best Photo Practices for Partners

With the advent of social media and technology, images are increasingly important to marketing your business. Here are the best photo practices for working with Travel Lane County to promote your business, service or product to visitors.

1. Share with us at least 3-5 high-quality, horizontal and professional photos of your business, service or product. These are for your partner listing. If you don’t have any photos or need updated ones, this is the time. Imagery is increasingly important in our day of social media and is a worthy investment. We can refer you to partner photographers, just ask!
2. Make sure we have a clean jpg or tiff of your company logo on file. This won’t be featured prominently on your listings (photos are required to be in the first position on the image carousel). Still, it will be ready for us to use quickly when working on collaborative projects or promotions with you.

Recommended captioned photos might include:

• An exterior of your business
• An interior of your business's main shared space (lobby, restaurant, studio, store)
• Individual rooms (particularly important for B&Bs) 
• Signature dishes, drinks or product shots (not studio)
• Meeting spaces in a variety of set-ups
• A friendly interaction showing the proprietor with visitors
• Any special feature that makes your business unique (special equipment, pet-friendly, views, details etc.)

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Photo FAQs

Is there a limit on how many photos I can upload? Technically, no. But that doesn’t mean you should load everything. Users may experience photo fatigue scrolling through too many. Instead, choose the very best images you have. Ten is a reasonable self-imposed limitation unless you have a very strategic/arguable case for more.

Should I include pictures of community attractions (lake famous lakes, landmarks, etc.) – after all these are the motivators for our area? No, this can confuse users. For your listing, only select photos that show what is immediately available at your business, or as it can be seen from your business. This is about you. Remember, your listing is living within an online environment that is showcasing the whole community. When a user has clicked into your listing they no longer need to be sold on the area – they are now considering which vendor to use for lodging, dining and activities.

I have a wonderful photo of my business in the snow. Should I load this? Yes, seasonal photos are excellent to showcase your business year-round. But it will require more attentive management on your part. Rotate your photos each season so the leading photo corresponds with the current season (or keep them at the end). Future planners will appreciate seeing a winter or a summer photo in the carousel. 

Can I upload branded images or flyers to my listing? Yes, but please be aware that they may not display well. And we will not place them in first position in your listing carousel per our site design requirements. You will still need at least one main photo for the front of your listing.

What about deals and event photos? Can’t I just use a photo already in my listing carousel? Sure, you can, but it has more impact if it's an image specifically related to the deal or event. Load a few extra images that showcase the elements of possible deals or events and keep them loaded but not linked in your listing carousel. When you do have a promotion, you can link them to that specific deal.

Will you take a photo of my business for me? In a pinch, a staff photographer may be able to grab a quick shot but this is not a partner benefit (and not always possible). For the best photos to promote your business we recommend hiring a professional so that you can get the features, angles and look that you want for your marketing. 

Can my photos be used elsewhere on your website? Yes, but we need a higher-resolution photo than what we can pull out of the partner portal. Second, we need your express approval for any editorial and advertising use of photos outside of your listing. And third, we prefer not to have duplicate images in the header or copy that are also in the listings. What we’d really like, and what you’ll like too, is if you upload your additional fantastic photos to our Barberstock system – now they will be in our library of possible photos to use at the best resolution and with permission for use. Attribution will be given as possible. 

I sent photos to Travel Lane County but I don't see them in use. There is no guarantee we will use your photos, however; your odds have just gone up for additional exposure whether through our web headers and editorial copy, print publications, destination ad campaigns, social sharing or media use. And often, if we have a great photo we are more likely to feature your business in copy and pitch it to the media. 

Sharing photos with us is free, pro-active marketing – because when the media contacts us with a last-minute request (and they always do!), we can get them what they need right away. And that can translate into a big win for you!

I need help with photos. Who should I contact? Megan Temple will help you get your listing photos in the Partner Portal set up correctly. She can also refer you to partner photographers for your professional needs. Melanie Griffin can assist you with understanding photo sizes, photo releases and loading them into our asset library system for general Travel Lane County use.

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