For a lot of small businesses, professional photography of their product or service gets put to the bottom of the to-do list. I often hear ‘my phones got a camera I’ll just use that’, ‘I’ll just use stock photos’ or ‘I had photos taken years ago so I’ll just use those’, and you’re right, you can do all of those things, but are they the best representation of your business?
Personal branding photography can make a huge difference to your business, and here’s why…
It saves you time
Have you ever spent more time than you’d care to admit trying to take a perfect selfie for a headshot? Or moving your product around different places in your house trying to get a photo with that perfect light? Or have you sat trawling google for tips on how to take photos in the first place, or spent hours looking for the perfect stock photo? Think of all the time you’d have to put towards your business if you didn’t have to do those things, and how much extra money could be made with that time. A few hours set aside for a personal branding shoot can give you months of content - a whole folder filled with photographs that show you, your product or your service off at it’s best. You don’t need to spend time hunting online for stock photos, or scrolling through your phone looking for photos, you’ll know that you have a set of photographs you can quickly access that are good to go. You don’t need to worry if they look right on your feed, you don’t need to spend time finding the perfect filter and you don’t need to spend time worrying if they’re the right file size or type. Quick, easy, quality content.
It boosts the confidence your audience has in your business as well as the confidence you have in yourself
Customers are more likely to buy from a business that they have confidence in. And that confidence can come from lots of places - reviews, the language you use, the quality of you're product etc. But it can also come from photographs. Personal branding photographs help to show your audience that you are invested and passionate about what you do, they give a sense of professionalism and quality, and help show how much you care about your business.
Professional photographs can also have an impact on your own confidence. Positive photographs of yourself and your business can boost your self esteem. It helps you take a step back and look at what you’ve achieved and what you have to be proud of. Maybe you haven’t shared as much of your business as you want because you’re worried it doesn't look good enough, or maybe you’ve shied away from approaching the media or other opportunities because you don’t like the way you look in the only headshot you’ve got. Trust me, photographs that show your business off at its best will boost your confidence and when you have that confidence in your business others will too.
It keeps your brand consistent
Running a business can be hard enough, but it’s so much more than these days isn’t it because it’s about building a brand. Your brand is the language you use, your logo, the colours you use, the values you have - basically your branding is what helps to make your business recognisable and memorable. Consistency is key for a brand because without it you’re sending out mixed messages of who you are as a business which is going to be confusing for customers.
Personal branding photographs can help keep your brand consistent because the images are focused around the things that make your brand stand out. You, your product, your service, your colour scheme, your values - your personal branding photographs encompasses them all. So you know no matter which of the photographs you post they will all coordinate together (especially for that all important Instagram feed)
It helps your customers connect with you
Customers these days love to build a connection with businesses they buy from. They like to get to know the person behind the business and get a feel for who you are before they even enquire. Personal branding photography gives them a natural insight into what you do and who you are. It might not just be your product that draws a customer in, show your personality and interests in your photographs, especially if they relate to your ideal customers interests.
Photographs that include people create a common point of interest and help strengthen that connection so don’t shy away from showing your face and your team in your marketing images. Personal branding photography can also be a great way to show your audience how your product will impact their life, by showcasing your product in a lifestyle environment or by showing a customer using your service, you are prompting your audience to imagine the product or service in their own life.
It helps your business stand out
Your audience is bombarded on a daily basis on social media with images. We are in the habit of continually scrolling and so your images need to really stand out in order to catch attention. Professional photographs that are creative and unique to your business are more likely to catch someones eye than generic stock or low quality photographs.
If you're thinking about a Personal Branding Shoot for your business or have any questions about how it might benefit your business, then get in touch lucyhannahphotography@gmail.com
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