Branding is so important in business. With so many companies out there all doing and selling similar things, if you want to succeed you need to stand out and it’s your branding that will allow you to do that. But it’s so much more than just a logo and company colours- branding should come into every element of your business. And photos are a huge thing that shouldn’t be overlooked. Not only do your photos need to look professional but they need to all tie in with your brand, message and image. Here are a few areas of business photography to think about.
Product photography
If your business sells physical products or items, then getting high quality pictures is absolutely crucial. If you’re the kind of business that buys and resells, don’t just settle with the simple photos from the manufacturer, you want your business to stand out and you want to make that connection with your customer. Other businesses might be selling the same things, but your company is unique so consider your niche and your target market. Depending on what you sell you may want to invest in an experienced product photographer to take lifestyle type shots of the products in action. For example, for clothing this would be pictures of items worn by models. For homeware, it could be the item in staged homes styled alongside other pieces. This can give customers a much better idea of what it is they’re buying- it also helps to sell an ‘idea’ and not just a product.
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When a customer is buying a new item it’s important to remember that they’re not just buying the product, they’re buying into the idea that this product is going to improve their life in some way. You want to reinforce this, the idea that purchasing will make them more confident, more organised, a better parent, spouse or student. Go back to your brand’s values and consider who your target market are and what your selling points are. They try and capture this message within your product photography. This is important for businesses selling services as well as products. With a clear brand message in mind you can really tailor your photography to be as appealing as possible to your potential customers.
Website photography
The photos on your website are incredibly important. Your website is essentially the ‘front page’ of your business, for many customers this will be the first impression they get of your company. It needs to look professional, inviting and give a good reflection of what you are and what you do at a glance. Avoid stock images which will cheapen the look of your site and make you look less reliable- genuine photos of your business, products, staff and more will all help to convert website hits into sales. They show that you’ve invested time and money into your site and photography and can help customers connect more with your brand.
Website photography isn’t one size fits all, it will depend entirely on what you do and what you sell so it’s crucial to think this through. Thanks to new technology in drones from companies like www.drdrone.ca it’s now possible to have incredible arial shots captured which could be ideal for venues, landscaping companies and other companies who need to show finished large-scale projects. If you sell services, photos of your actual team doing their job in the office can give an approachable yet professional vibe to your site photos. Avoid posed model shots with people looking at and smiling directly at the camera which can come across as a little cheesy and stock image-like. Working with an experienced photographer and a marketing agency will give the best results.
Blog photography
If you’re not yet blogging for your business then you’re missing out on many great opportunities. The benefits of blogging for business are now well established, it’s fantastic for your business’s online presence and can really help you to grow your audience, getting more organic traffic and showing your customers you’re a legitimate business. It makes your business appear more reliable, trustworthy and authoritative. Writing great content is the first step, if you’re unsure how to go about this there are many talented freelancers you can find on sites like Linkedin or outsource to a blog writing company. The next step is to use high quality imagery to boost the visual appeal, and again this is a good opportunity to have photos taken. Show your products or services in action, keep pictures cohesive so that all of your images can be recognised as a brand. Again, think back to the underlying message that you’re trying to create with each photo- it should be more than a pretty picture. While the image is what will grab a reader’s attention, it should tell a story and align with your brand’s message.
Having all of the visual elements of your brand work together cohesively is important in maintaining the brand consistency of your business. Research shows that brands that are consistently presented are three to four times more likely to experience brand visibility. Before investing in any photography for your business do your research, work out what you’re trying to achieve with the images and research photographers. Having the same photographer and style throughout will go a long way in keeping everything consistent.
Have you given much thought to your business photography? How have you ensured that your imagery is consistent with the rest of your brand?