Put a Picture in Your Review

You’ve heard it time and time again: a picture is worth a thousand words, showing is better than telling, and yes, pics or it didn’t happen.

We are living in an age of unrivaled sharing power. No longer do we pass on stories or recipes through oral tradition, we post that stuff on Instagram and Pinterest. No longer is our mind’s eye the artist and canvas all in one. The internet is the only medium we need, and it channels forth our thoughts, feelings, and experiences farther than our voices could ever carry.

And on the waves of the web, it is ever so simple to cast off messages in bottles; only in this case, our bottles are the ones doing the rescuing for whomsoever is the recipient, because our bottles are stuffed with reviews. Sweet, salty reviews.

A review in and of itself can be useful, but just like an image can capture far more emotion, nuance, and intrigue than a mere word, so can an image elevate itself above a review, pulling the words into greater definition.

Because let’s face it, product images online can be downright suspect, especially if you’re dealing with an unknown source. You’ve never seen this thing, you don’t know how big a 6 oz. cup is, you can’t measure gnome statues in your head. But a user-submited image can clear things up. An image takes away the glam and shows the product in its true form, where you can see that it’s a knock-off or that doesn’t match the provided image at all.

Even when dealing with trusted sources, it can be tricky deciding who to believe on the internet. Do you trust Home Depot saying that these bird feeders can hold the biggest, fattest, most well-fed birds? Or do you trust the handful of reviewers who say the product fell apart, didn’t stand up to even light bird use? You trust Home Depot (even though that silent “T” still irks you), but these are your fellow people. Now what if your fellow people all had visible proof of the product’s failure? Then it’s a no-brainer, sorry Home Depot, but it’s time to go Depot.

The glam effect can also be rooted out at restaurants, hotels, and every dreary convention center in the country. Sure, Frank’s Diner is popular - it was on Triple D after all! - but is the cinnamon roll really that big of a- oh, my word, look at how big that decadent roll is. So big I need to take a night at the AmericInn to recover; the images online looked quaint. But I guess quaint meant worn carpet and dim lighting. Oh well. What can you do?

Um. Trust the pictures you see. And post your own.

No one necessarily needs to see your family around the table at the Mongolian grill, but a pic of the buffet, sure. Your husband may look pretty cuddly on that bed, but keep that photo to yourself, miss. And gosh, buddy, you really should have put on some sunscreen. Ouch. The beach looks nice though!

The point I’m trying to make is that not every picture is going to enhance a review, and not every single one is worth sharing, at least in a review. Goodness knows there are plenty of places to share and share and share.

But the sharing we’ve been talking about here is knowledge. Because that’s what reviews are. You’re sharing your knowledge of a good, an experience, a service, with someone who hasn’t had it yet. It’s knowledge from their potential future, and some people are visual learners.

So if you need another excuse to whip your phone out, make it as altruistic as that. You’re helping your fellow human learn and make a wise decision, one camera-click at a time.