Have you ever Googled yourself?
I’m serious. Have you ever gone to Google (or Bing or any other top search engine) and typed your name into the search box and clicked “search?” Then clicked the images tab and looked through what photos came up? What did you see?
It can be surprising to see where your name (or more specifically for our purposes – your face) shows up. Do the images that load complement the professional that you are today, or is it a scary old cell phone selfie from a few years ago when you needed a last-minute headshot? Or worse – a photo where you looked ok but you were surrounded by other people so you just cropped yourself out.
No matter how big or small your business might be, you are your business. And when you are your business, you never know where your face might show up. You do not want to be caught unprepared when the opportunity of a lifetime presents itself and you need to look your absolute best.
What is “Brand Photography?”
When we think about “branding” the common branded materials come to mind: business cards, websites, social media… but what about all the other critical industry opportunities like directories (hello TripAdvisor, Angie’s List, Houzz) alumni programs, podcasts (Google Play or iTunes), interviews, and other professional platforms? Is your brand identity being properly represented visually?
Branding is the complete experience that you create around your business, and your brand’s photography is a big part of that complete experience.
Brand photography is specific imagery, designed curated to visually represent your brand, business, team, and clients in a more targeted and authentic way. Helping them to envision what working with you would both look and feel like. This often comes in the form of styled photo sessions in controlled environments where you can illustrate a brand narrative to tell your story to your fans, followers, and clients – both current and potential.
These images will evoke a more personal response, resonating with your ideal clients and helping to establish a stronger sense of trust and relatability from the start.
Think about some of your favorite brands today and look at not only what images they use, but how they used them, style them, and apply them to their brand product or service campaigns.
Why invest in Brand Photography?
As professionals, it’s our job to seize every potential opportunity to position ourselves as the best in our client’s minds.
In today’s oversaturated consumer marketplace, our clients are often overwhelmed with brand choices. What ultimately separates one business from another is branding. You can read more on branding vs brand identity in our post here.
Personal brand photography provides you with an engaging professional visual image that helps to position you as an expert in your field. When you look like the best, it’s easier for clients to trust that you really are the best option for them. We are a hugely visual species, and photos help us to identify and establish a connection early on with a brand or business. This is why Social Media platforms like Pinterest and Instagram took off so successfully and have consistently grown their user base.
As professionals, it’s our job to seize every potential opportunity to position ourselves as the best (or more specifically – the best for them) in our client’s minds. Consider all the ways in which your client’s come in contact with your business; business cards, social media, signage, Google searches, industry directories, pitch decks… oftentimes, these brand touch-points require a headshot or business photo to visually represent you, your business or your team. Logos are great and incredibly valuable brand assets, but no matter how awesome a logo may be, people will always connect with a face before they connect with a logo.
What about Stock Photography?
Stock photography is great and definitely has its place. We wrote an entire post about the value of stock imagery and our top stock photography shops for unique images. But no matter how great a stock image is – unless you can purchase an exclusive license for that photo – the chances of that image being used by a competitor or similar business are always out there. And it happens more often than you think. Brand photography images are yours and yours alone, making them truly exclusive and one of a kind.
Make it easy for clients to connect with you.
In a rapidly growing digital world, provide a human connection for your clients through professional brand photography, and give your brand that elevated visual creative edge.
