Setting a business apart from the others is no easy feat. In today’s world, not only does a business plan have to be solid, but business owners must find ways to differentiate themselves and stand out among the competition. Branding helps customers create a connection. With so much at stake, using stock or low-quality photography sends a low-quality message to the people that your business is trying to reach. Professional photography and branding go together, and if a business wants to be taken seriously, they can’t afford to rely on anything less. Here are three ways to professional photograghy and branding go hand-in-hand.
Bad photos are distracting.
A brand is supposed to build confidence, and if all the headshots on your website and social media are not consistent, customers aren’t going to be sure what to expect. When one photo is a selfie and the next is a blurry 10-year-old family picture, there’s no consistency. Customers may be left to wonder who they will even be dealing with and if the business as a whole is reliable.
Stock photos = lying.
Yes, really! Stock photography doesn’t represent the real business or the real people. It might even shout, loud and clear: THERE’S NO TELLING WHAT YOU’LL ACTUALLY GET WITH US! Take the time to get headshots of your real staff, or great photos of your product or office. The point of branding is to built trust, so use photography that builds trust.
Professional photography offers consistency.
It’s hard to trust something that looks like it’s going in a million different directions. If some photos are boring and stiff while others are silly and playful, it may be difficult to express a culture of trust. Plus, good professional photography that is consistent between social media and the company website helps the brand to build trust by sending the message that you’re consistent across the board.
Don’t take the chance of letting customers create their own images in their mind. Guide them with your brand. Give them an experience. Let the vision of your products, services, and headshots tell the customer a story and help them imagine giving you their business. If that isn’t something you can confidently do yourself, then do yourself the favor of hiring a photographer and build a brand that tells customers the right story.
