I recently posted about 8 different ways you can use your brand photos, but outside of the specific ways that you can use your images, there are four key things that they should be accomplishing for you – regardless of where/how you’re using them!
Just like parenting, building a business is a whole lot of surface tasks with a ton of mental work always happening behind-the-scenes. Your brand photos should be useful in both of those areas. On the surface, they should be usable to fill your website, social media feeds, etc. On a deeper level, they should reinforce, validate & connect. Whew! That’s a lot!
Here’s a breakdown of the 4 key “boxes” that should be “checked” by your brand photos:
- You want to feel confident about them & like how you look (so you’ll want to actually USE them on your website/social media channels!). This hits that surface/usability portion, but it also hits the validation factor. For a lot of my clients, stepping in front of the camera as the face of their brand isn’t natural. However, time & time again my clients go from the start of the session saying “I’m not comfortable in front of the camera” or “This is so awkward” to ending the session saying how confident & comfortable they felt throughout the process. One client recently said that during the session I make her feel like Beyonce – now THAT is confidence, my friend!
- They should reinforce your brand identity: the vibe (polished, laid back, bohemian, classic, etc.) AND your color palette. We want your photos to be STRENGTHENING your brand recognition. To do that, it needs to be consistent with the overall vibe of your brand/website/copy. Having photos that evoke a consistent style helps your audience associate that style with your brand. For example, there are a lot of cosmetic companies, right? CoverGirl’s brand & vibe (bright, happy, girl-next-door kind of style) is very different from MAC’s more edgy, editorial, glam style. And that’s how they want it! AND that’s what their photography projects as well.
- They should have personal touches that reinforce parts of your brand story. If you have a personal brand that mentions specific things (favorite drinks, snacks, foods, hobbies, pets, family, places, etc.), then your photos should have some of those elements as well! If you have a styled desk-scene flat lay, make sure it includes that favorite drink you always mention – for me, it’d be an ice caramel macchiato. These little aspects of your personal brand/marketing are what help build connection with your audience (when they love the same things, they instantly feel like they “know” you).
- They should connect with your ideal client. This ties into the brand as a whole.. you want to be sure that the way you’re representing your products or services connects with the your ideal clients. Your imagery should be doing the same thing! If your ideal client is a very classic, reserved lover of all things vintage, then your images should probably feature lots of black & whites with a timeless vibe. If your ideal client is young, vivacious & joyful, your images should be fresh & joyful as well! Add in tip #3, and you’ll be connecting with your ideal clients instantly when they come across your images!
Being able to have all of those things in your brand photos strengthen your brand message & will connect with the ideal client your brand is built to attract & serve!
Click here to tell me a little bit about you & your business, and to get more information about the options I offer for brand photography sessions & let’s start checking all four of those boxes!
