A Picture is Worth 140 Characters

With shorter attentions spans, the ubiquity of high-quality cameras in our phones, and multiple platforms to share images, photos are becoming a critical marketing tactic for events. Images can convey the mood of an event with more authenticity than any carefully worded tweet. The images taken at an event show what is really happening and hopefully make people want to be a part of it. While it's not critical that images be National Geographic quality, some thought should go into how photos from your event will look. Create an environment that encourages and enables great photos.[Tweet "Images can convey the mood of an event with more authenticity. #GovEventsBlog"]

We've pulled together a couple photo-centric considerations to add into the event planning mix.

• Consider the platforms - When choosing photos to post, consider how social sites like Twitter and Facebook crop images to fit in newsfeeds and posts. Nothing is worse than having your keynote's headshot show up as just the speaker's forehead. If an image is cropped oddly, use something different.

• Make it an insta snap - Consider adding Instagram and Snapchat to your social plans. Both sites are designed to maximize the presentation of photos and offer opportunities for branded filters. Both Instagram and Snapchat have a younger demographic using it, falling in the 18-35 age range. These platforms hold huge promise for reaching younger attendees. Both platforms also skew a bit female, again helping events grow their reach to women.[Tweet "A Picture is Worth 140 Characters. #GovEventsBlog #EventPlanning"]

• Use pictures to tell a story - Develop a storyline you'd like to tell with your pictures. This may start with images of the set-up, a picture of the ballroom before the doors open, crowded sessions, happy people talking, demos happening, and finally a closing shot taken after the last guest leaves. What are the key messages you want to convey? Is your event all about networking? Then concentrate on getting pictures of people deeply and dynamically engaged in conversation. If it's about showcasing the latest technology, get great images of demos.

• Think like a pro - A professional photographer takes time to think about the photo before it is taken. A quick, sweeping shot of a crowded room (taken from the back, camera held high) is not very visually interesting. Instead, take time to set up your shot. Find something in the foreground to focus on with the crowded room as the backdrop. Vary where and how you take photos. This variety will keep photos from looking too staged.

• Encourage attendees to go rouge - Provide a number of cool backgrounds throughout the event for people to take selfies and group shots. Make sure event hashtags and social accounts are well advertised so people have an easy time tagging. As you take your own photos, make sure you tag people in them as appropriate.[Tweet "Provide cool backgrounds throughout the event for people to take #selfies. #GovEventsBlog"]

We'd love to hear your tips for getting great photos at events. Let us know what's worked for you in the comments.