In today’s world, where visual content takes center stage, mastering the creation of powerful visuals is key to promoting our clubs and connecting with our communities. By utilizing the right strategies, tools, and best practices, we can design visuals that not only grab attention but also clearly communicate our mission and values in a creative way. Let’s work together to boost your club’s visibility and engagement through the impact of compelling visuals.

Why Does This Matter?
We live in a fast-paced, quick-consumption society, where visual media enables us to tell our stories and share our messages efficiently. With a wealth of tools and professionals available, creating these elements has become easier than ever. Visual content fosters creativity and offers greater opportunities for extended engagement. Especially compelling visuals have the power to set us apart.

In general, photos and videos are not only easier for teams to create but also more accessible for audiences to consume. These visual formats allow information to be quickly conveyed in a way that’s engaging and straightforward. With the ability to capture attention instantly, they make it easier for teams to communicate their message effectively, while audiences can absorb and connect with the content without much effort. The visual nature of these media formats also encourages deeper emotional engagement and retention, making them a powerful tool for communication.

Telling Your Club’s Story
When approaching this work for Sertoma, I often begin by working backward. What is the message I am trying to convey? Once I’ve crafted the caption or description, the process of selecting or creating the right visual—whether it’s a photograph, artwork or video—becomes much clearer. The ultimate goal is always to captivate the audience, prompting them to act, read further or engage with the content.

As BDI Agency, a nonprofit marketing firm, aptly puts it, “a picture is worth a thousand blurbs.” However, it’s not enough to simply showcase emotionally compelling images to capture a donor’s attention. We must go beyond the visuals themselves and focus on telling the story that lies behind them—context that drives deeper connection and action.

The Mood of Messaging
Research has shown that the emotions expressed in photos can inspire different responses from audiences. For instance, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has discovered that images featuring smiling, happy faces are more likely to increase engagement, while images of sadder expressions tend to evoke a sense of urgency, prompting actions such as volunteering and donating.

It’s important to align the emotional tone of your visuals with the intended message, using photos that reflect the story you want to tell and the reaction you wish to inspire. By thoughtfully selecting images that evoke the right emotions, you can create a stronger connection with your audience, ensuring that the visuals not only capture attention but also drive the desired actions, whether that’s engagement, support or advocacy.

So, how can you apply this knowledge to Sertoma? Consider one of club’s favorite photographic tropes, the check presentation, and why we recommend trying to get photos of service in motion instead. Action photographs of community service are far more impactful than posed snapshots of check presentations because they capture the genuine spirit of involvement and effort. These images showcase real moments of people actively working together, helping others, and making a tangible difference. They convey the energy, dedication, and passion of those involved, offering an authentic representation of the cause. In contrast, posed photos of check presentations often feel staged and lack the emotional depth that truly resonates with viewers, making action shots a more powerful tool for inspiring engagement and conveying a club’s mission.

This post is an excerpt from our education session, Creating Compelling Visual for Club Promotion and Outreach.