To make sure your photographs are working their hardest for you, it's important to have a strong understanding of your brand.
When I work with a client I send an in-depth questionnaire that helps me understand their business, their ideal customer, and what their images need to show. I'm going to share some examples and explain why they can help create better photographs.
Who is your ideal client?
Having a strong sense of your ideal client means that you know what they like and what will appeal to them. Think about your ideal client as a whole - the type of person they are, things they like, places they would visit, what type of work they would do. By knowing this you can bring elements of what they like into your images.
If your products are photographed in an environment or with props that appear to your ideal client they are more likely to make a connection with your product and imagine it in their own life.
What are your business values?
The values you hold in your business, or the words you use to describe your business dictate the feelings that you want to be evoked when someone looks at your images. Creating a feeling within your images helps your audience to build an emotional connection with your business. An emotional connection to a business is more likely to lead to loyal and repeat customers.
What problem does your product or service solve for your customer?
If you don't understand your customer's pain points then how can you demonstrate how your offering will improve their life? Your photographs will be more impactful if you can show it's benefits. We process images far quicker than text so being able to show the benefits as well as just describe them means your audience will gain an understanding of your product and how it helps them quicker. They'll be able to visualize your offering in their own life, and if they can see themselves using it, they're more likely to convert to a paying customer.
Knowing your brand, ideal clients and their problems mean that your images and what's included in them will be more purposeful and will be more likely to attract the right kinds of people.
If you haven't already, think about ・What your brand stands for ・Who your offerings are for ・How your products or service help your customers Then take a look at your photographs, do they show your brand in the way that you want it to be portrayed? Do your images appeal to the kind of people you want to attract? If they don't, don't worry about trying to fix images you already have but instead focus your energy on thinking about the above things next time you're taking or posting a photo.