The old adage of "a picture's worth a thousand words" is an all-encompassing one in today's 21^st century society. As the internet has become the primary form of communication for millions of people the world over, businesses often emphasize the importance of their media assets. While print magazines and newspapers struggle to maintain their relevance with a digitally-focused generation of media consumers, online organizations and companies are able to capture the attention of countless users effortlessly using only a handful of eye-catching photos or entertaining video clips.

In an age where a single social network update can steal the spotlight from one's competitors, media resources are being used increasingly frequently by online marketing firms. From SEO agencies to PPC companies and various internet advertisers, everyone has caught wind of how valuable eye-catching images can be. It's also something that small business owners and companies hailing from every industry should be taking note of.

Capturing the Media that People Want
Many company owners have no doubt recognized the power of imagery in marketing, but don't have a clear cut idea of how to go about getting their media. Sure, stunning images and interesting videos can be powerful motivators for getting social media users to click through links, but obtaining these resources can be a challenge in and of itself. This task is made even more difficult when one needs to consider what elements make up the media that users want. As such, business owners will want to look towards the following venues for good content.

Image Databases: High Quality Media Content Made Easy
Sites such as Shutterstock offer access to tens of thousands of royalty-free images for a monthly fee. These photos come in a variety of sizes and are taken by professional photographers. Many budding businesses turn to image database services when trying to find relevant photos for their websites. The one downside of this is that some images on Shutterstock are so widespread that savvy users may recognize a common shot as being a stock photo. This can potentially reduce the impact of content from the site.

Hire a Photographer: Original Content with a Professional Eye
It is always recommended that small business owners either hire a photographer or purchase a high-end camera for capturing images of their company. Quality images and video of a business' staff, locations and sponsored events are incredibly valuable for a number of reasons. For one, these photos can be implemented into a business' official website as well as its Google Places or Bing Local listing for a more robust user experience. Also, unique original content can also be shared on social networks as a way to interact with followers and regular customers.

By building up a collection of quality media assets, a business can provide itself with visual elements that will prove useful in its marketing and social media efforts. For additional advice about quality content generation, I can be reached at jwersits@webimax.com.