Why is Personal Branding Photography Important?
As a brand photographer based in Elgin but covering Aberdeen to Inverness for brand photography, I have written this article as a guide to highlight the benefits of personal brand photography.
What is Personal Branding Photography?
Personal brand photography is a relatively new term to describe a photography session that builds the story of your business and those behind it. You are your brand.
Personal branding photography communicates.
WHO your business is or WHO is behind your business!
WHAT your business does!
WHY you do what you do!
By building the story of your business, you are creating content for marketing on your website, social media and printed materials. A branding photo session styled to create compelling visuals for your business is a potent marketing tool.
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Visual Identity of Your Brand.
In simple terms, the logo, colours, typography, illustration, and photography create an aesthetic that differentiates you from your competitors—working together to create a consistent representation of your business.
First Impresssions Matter.
A customer's initial experience with your brand sets the tone for the rest of their journey with you. You may only have seconds to capture and secure that lasting first impression, never more so in today's fast-paced digital world.
Establishing a connection for your brand is essential and can be done subtly using visuals. And this is where photography can play its part by capturing your brand.
Building Trust and Credibility.
We are now in the digital age, and a lot will come from social proof, building your credibility online, humanising your brand and connecting with your audience. What your brand stands for, what you say, and how you behave online are massive parts to play.
"Humanising your brand means being likeable in communicating with prospects and customers by creating a brand personality and making memorable connections with your target audience."
There are a few ways that you can help with humanising your brand.
- Avoid using stock photography. Real photos created for your site will come across as more authentic.
- Use video. Creating a video where you talk directly to your audience will make you more engaging.
- Create a team page. What could be better than a page where you introduce the team behind the business?
- Highlight your previous customers. An excellent way to add a human touch is to showcase earlier clients with the exact needs of those you are trying to reach.
- Don't be afraid to be wrong. We can't always be right, which will show our vulnerable side.
- Consistency. None of this will happen overnight.
By doing all or some of the above, we will connect personally with clients and those we are trying to reach.
Setting Yourself Apart.
It would help if you were clear and concise on this. What sets you apart from your competitors? Your strengths and weaknesses and what you offer that no one else is.
By innovating in your business, you will stand out from your competitors, which could be products or services. So, think out of the box and come up with something new.
Creating a memorable experience is sometimes mentioned, but that shouldn't be what sets you apart, as this should be a given anyway.
Consistency Across Platforms.
Consistency across your social media platforms, website, and marketing materials is critical, whether it's your logo, typography style, or colours. You also need to post consistently to your social media, allowing you to get your message across, be visible, and get your audience to know you.
Enhancing Your Online Presence.
Social media has elevated marketing for small to large businesses. With relative ease and low cost, you can reach your targeted market. By using social media schedule software, it is possible to set up posts in advance. Creating these posts makes it easy to be consistent with your message and branding. Being visible consistently allows your audience to get to know, like, and trust you.
Personal branding is thus even more important nowadays as businesses are more visible to their target audiences, with your consistent branding reaching ever wider audiences.
Authenticity in Business.
Personal branding photography and authenticity go hand in hand. By using genuine photos created for your business, your current clients, plus those you are trying to reach, get a sense of connection. They know the people behind the company and the products or services supplied. Authentic brand photography creates trust in your business and the people behind it.
Storytelling Through Imagery.
Brand photography is not just a series of pictures; it's a story about you, the business owner, and those who work with you. What it is like to work with the business and a story of what products you supply or provide services. If put together, it will give a complete picture of how you work from start to finish. Get this right, and it will connect with your audience, creating emotion and trust.
Professionalism and Perceived Value.
Using professional photography bespoke to your business creates a sense of professionalism, which is different from stock photography. The perceived value of professionalism will feel like value to your clients, and there will be less friction to your pricing, meaning you are not competing on price.
Investing In Your Success.
A Branding photography session isn't an expense but more of an investment. You are investing in your brand and business, as a cohesive set of brand images often pays for itself. But it's an investment that will last. Planned out, it can look like various shoots, with outfit changes and fun team sessions in the working environment.
The photos can last for years and be used on social media, websites, and marketing materials, giving an excellent return on investment. It's worth investing in professional brand photography to convey your brand story and bring it to life.
Video.
Humans find visual processing easier, so video and images are remembered longer than text alone.
Storytelling connects your customers on a brand level. The storytelling of video brings a brand to life. If you can connect to a customer's imagination, you will inspire them and get them to communicate with your brand.
In today's social media lead world, video can stop viewers for a few seconds, which can instantly be shared easily on mobile devices, spreading the word very quickly.
In Summary.
Think about your brand and what it means to your customers. Custom brand photography is crucial to how your clients remember you.
WHO- WHAT - WHY.
Key takeaways
- Brand photography helps support the perception of your brand.
- Your audience will remember your business story because personalised photography breathes life into your brand.
- Maximising your investment with custom brand photography is an investment which will reap rewards for years to come.
- Video content is worth adding alongside photography as it is visually better for awareness and gets more shares.
For Brand Photography, I cover Aberdeen, Elgin, Inverness and everywhere in between.
To find out more about my brand photography or combine it with video clips for a hybrid experience, then:
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My Approach.
Investment.