High-quality, professionally images are among the must-haves if you want to secure media coverage. So much so, that when I begin a relationship with a brand if they do not have an existing library of images, a photoshoot is scheduled within the first few weeks of our partnership. Of course, professional images are used for much more than PR. They are essential for websites, marketing pieces, and social media.

Not only do images give writers and editors a look at your facility and products when they are being considered for coverage, but superior images can also make the difference between whether your company or another spa makes it into the story. Sometimes, a media outlet will send a photographer to your facility to photoshoot for the magazine, newspaper, so forth. However, that is only after the story is assigned (thanks to great images and a well-written pitch). In most instances, you will be asked to supply images.

Debra Locker is the president and owner of Debra Locker Group, which she founded in 2008. The award-winning, boutique agency specializes in the luxury lifestyle market. Clients are featured on “The TODAY Show,” in SHAPE, Marie Claire, The New York Times, Huffington Post… to name only a few. Locker is the co-author of “Women of Courage.” The book is a compilation of stories from women who have found wellness and happiness following a struggle. Prior to launching DLG, Locker was the PR director for the International SPA Association. Before her PR career, she was a television reporter