By Matt Hillier, Senior Digital PR Strategist, Reachology
As journalists face increasing content demands with shrinking resources, your Digital PR campaigns need that extra edge to stand out. When used correctly, visual and video assets are not just supporting elements. They can be used as powerful tools for securing high-quality backlinks and gaining coverage in major publications.
Why Visuals and Videos are Powerful Assets for Digital PR Campaigns
Visual assets have long been a powerful tool for Digital PR. If you’re crafting a news story with complex data points, a well-designed graphic can help readers better understand the information. Travel journalists often rely on stunning imagery to help spark wanderlust. Using reverse image search to gain an extra link has long been a staple from link building.
However, video content is increasingly becoming an asset, particularly for securing coverage in high-traffic tabloid-style publications. A few years ago, I attended a PRCA meetup which had editors from The Sun and LADbible on a panel discussion. Both journalists agreed that major publishers actively seeking video content. This was because video-based articles generate higher engagement and ad revenue for publishers. If your campaign includes compelling video assets, you stand a much better chance of securing placements in these publications.
That said, video production isn’t cheap. Creating a video purely in the hope of landing coverage can feel like a risky investment. A smart workaround is to collaborate with your social media manager to repurpose existing video content. This approach also makes the video feel more authentic and organic, rather than overly produced, making it more appealing to publishers.
How to Use Images for Link Building and Digital PR
Conducting a reverse image search is a tried-and-tested method for securing backlinks. Over the years many SEO industry bigwigs such as SEMrush, Ahrefs and Moz, have all discussed this practice.
However, outdated guides often recommend manually searching each image using Google Image Search or TinEye. I have found a way to improve this process using Pixsy, a free tool that streamlines reverse image search, especially when paired with a correctly set-up Flickr account. I call this the “Pixsy and Flickr Method”.
If you are unfamiliar, Pixsy is an online program used by artists and photographers to conduct multiple reverse image searches. If an artist’s work has been used without their permission, they receive a notification. The software can be used for link building. If publishers are using your images without linking back, Pisxy finds them and lets you know.
How to Use Pixsy:
- Upload your client’s images manually or sync Pixsy with their social accounts.
- Pixsy scans the web and identifies where the images are being used.
- It categorises results based on factors like country and commercial use.
- Reach out to site owners requesting a link attribution if they have used your image.
Certain industries naturally have more visual assets (e.g., e-commerce, fashion, and interiors) but every brand has original images that can be used for this method:
- Logos (including old versions)
- Product images
- Visual Digital PR Campaign
- Office and staff PR images
- Infographics
- Data visualisations
- Social media images
How to Use Flickr for Passive Link Building
Publications and bloggers frequently use free, high-quality images to use in their articles. Setting up a Flickr account allows you to passively generate backlinks by making high-quality images available under a Creative Commons license.
Lisa Barone highlighted this strategy on Search Engine Land over a decade ago. Today, best practice is to explicitly request that users cite the client’s domain as the original source rather than just the Flickr account.
How to Set Up a Client Flickr Account for Link Building:
- Select Professional Images: Opt for high-quality, stock-style images without branding.
- Be Creative: The images don’t need to be product-focused. Scenic shots, food photography, or industry-related visuals work well. Something which resembles a stock image
- Apply a Creative Commons License: Use an attribution-required license to ensure proper credit.
- Optimise Metadata: Use relevant keywords in titles, descriptions, and tags for better visibility in searches.
- Upload Regularly: Adding new images periodically increases exposure in “recently added” and “trending” sections.
Combining Pixsy and Flickr for Maximum Impact
By syncing your Pixsy and Flickr accounts, you can track how your images are used and ensure proper attribution. You can set Pixsy to send email alerts for new matches, making outreach efficient.
You can change Pixsy’s email settings to send match reports monthly or send over match reports as they happen.
When outreaching to new matches, it’s a good idea to have a generic email template saved and ready to go to speed up the process.
Sample Outreach Email
Subject: EDIT: Incorrect Photo attribution on [Insert Title of Article]
Email Body: Hi [Insert Name],
Thank you for using our image in your article on [URL of article].
Would you mind linking to us as the source, using the following link in the citation? [Insert target page]
I’d be happy to share the share the article on our socials as thanks!
Many thanks
[Your name]
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, Digital PR isn’t just about outreach. It is about creating a compelling story for journalists to write about. Visuals and videos can play a part of that. If you can provide visuals or videos that help journalists craft their stories and be SEO minded when sending out images, you’ll not only build links but also strengthen your brand’s authority and journalists will be more receptive to your pitches.