MARK SAMPSON – PICTURE PERFECT

OH, WE WILL JUST USE OUR CELLPHONE.. EVER HEARD THIS BEFORE?

ARTICLE BY MARK SAMPSON PHOTOGRAPHY

Oh we will just use our cell phone…. heard that before? It’s an all too common quote used for golf days and creating images to showcase an event or golf course.

While a cell phone can take amazing images, the person using it, as well as editing and formatting may become an issue when posting the image to social media, websites and print. In this digital age, most platforms are based on content – both stills and video. If bad quality is being posted and printed, does it entice the audience to engage? Although hard to prove as well as quantify, the short answer is yes.

Engagement with low quality content is reduced. Simply put this means the market you are engaging with spends less time on your platform.
Essentially the opposite of why the content is being posted.

The more engagement, the more conversions into possible business. Whether it be rounds of golf played, new members signing up or sponsors getting the exposure promised to them from the golf day.

THE OPPOSITE IS ALSO TRUE

A stunning image with the sun rising over a perfectly manicured course engages better with the audience. Is it more enticing, and visually pleasing and does the audience spend more time looking at it, reading the advert and aligning with the product? Again, although hard to prove, the simple answer is yes. More engagement means more clicks, as well as elevating the status of the course or occasion.

The question, therefore, begs as to why courses and those in charge of golf days do not employ someone who creates such content.

Lack of budget is the most obvious answer, however, it runs deeper than that. The perceived value of the content may be undervalued and therefore seemingly not worthy of the price tag attached to it. Unfortunately, this seems to be a growing trend, inverse to the direction of the world looking for good quality content. A great image will last a lot longer in the memory of the golfer and bring them back time and time again. Maybe it is time to relook at those budgets.