“Brand photography is one of the best ways to build credibility and increase like-trust-know factor with your savvy audience.’’
– Hilary Hartling
A few years ago, you had your headshot taken professionally and proudly uploaded it onto your LinkedIn.
Now, years later, you’re still using this headshot. It appears across your website and all of your social media channels.
After all, it looks polished, and it’s high-quality, so why not keep it all consistent?
Well, probably because this headshot doesn’t reflect the long way you’ve come since it was first taken.
It doesn’t depict your entire story, doesn’t illustrate your brand narrative, and doesn’t convey the right emotions to your consumers or audience.
They can’t get a feel for your brand with this one headshot. After all, a headshot is just one tiny piece of your branding puzzle.
That’s where branding photography comes into play!
Wondering what it is exactly and if you really need it?
This post will explain what branding photography is and why photography editing it is so critical to any business.
Follow along, and you’ll soon be on your way to crushing your competition 😉
What is Personal Branding Photography?
‘’People do not buy goods and services. They buy relations, stories, and magic’’.
– Seth Godin
Personal branding photography refers to a set of photos captured to perfectly reflect your personality, business, values, and mission through specific tones, props, composition, and much more. Branded images typically include striking and engaging visuals of you and your team. They can also include behind-the-scenes shots, photos of your products or offer, and anything else that relates to you and makes your brand so unique.
But branding photography is more than just taking pretty pictures of you, your team, and your products.
It’s about capturing your company’s essence, personality, and culture and conveying it through striking visuals. It’s about harnessing the power of imagery to tell your story and your brand’s story in a compelling, entertaining, and unique way.
A personal branding photoshoot gives you the opportunity to express yourself, showcase your personality and what you and your brand are all about. It’s your moment to show your audience why you do what you do and show them who the real person behind the company’s name is.
This will help you connect with your customers as they can relate to you as an individual.
In fact, if executed properly, personal branding photography will encourage your audience to embark on a unique journey with you to experience your brand.
Why is Personal Branding Photography so Important?
First Impressions Do Matter
Imagine that you’re going to a shop. The salesperson doesn’t greet you as you get in and never smiles or interacts with you apart from when cashing in.
What would you think?
Probably that this is not the greatest experience and that you won’t come back. That’s unless you have no interest in human interaction yourself, but we’re going to assume otherwise 😉
Whether offline or online, first impressions matter. A lot.
Now more than ever, consumers are craving authenticity, experiences, and real connections. And they know exactly what they’re looking for when deciding on a brand.
For instance, it takes about 0.05 seconds for consumers to form an opinion about your website.
By providing them with authentic brand imagery conveying your passion and the genuine you, you’ll increase the odds of them sticking around for longer.
This will, in turn, give you the opportunity to build trust and credibility and turn them into loyal customers.
Setting you Apart from Your Competition
As mentioned before, people buy relations and stories, more so than they buy products or services. They want to connect with you, your story, and the magical experience you created as a brand owner.
Terrific!
This means that you need to give them professional-looking imagery that still reflects the real you.
The good, the bad, and the ugly. Ok, maybe not the ugly 😉
But showcasing different facets of your personality during the photoshoot can really differentiate your brand from any competitors offering similar products or services.
Custom brand imagery will give you an edge over your competition as it’ll make consumers fall in love with you. They’ll feel like they know you, and they can trust you.
Need some more convincing?
77% of consumers are more likely to purchase from a company whose CEO is active on social media!
Amplifying your Brand Material
These days, both media algorithms and consumers favor profiles that regularly post new content. This means you always need to come up with fresh, dynamic, and engaging photos and videos.
Having a set of branded photos means that you can use them across multiple channels, including on your social media feeds, to showcase your personality. Rather than just posting about your products or services, it gives your feed a more personal and relatable feel. It will also allow you to give your page a lifestyle brand appeal rather than a pushy sales company vibe.
How to Take Your Branding Photography to The Next Level?
Branding imagery allows you to give your brand a voice and create magic for your customers. Yet, this is an area small businesses often overlook.
So, if you want to beat your competition, you shouldn’t. And the best way to stand out and produce high-quality editorial branding imagery is to work with professionals.
Sure, it might sound like an investment, but remember that you’ll be able to use these gorgeous and engaging photos across multiple marketing channels. They’ll help you give a fresh and genuine feel to your social feeds and boost your brand awareness.
What’s more, branding photography can even be used in your ads to make them more personal and relatable. And, this can really drive your ROI.
Looking for the perfect San Diego photography studio to elevate your personal branding and improve your brand awareness and sales?
At dk3 studios, we provide our clients with the optimal rental space for their personal branding photoshoots. Our experienced team of talented photographers is also always keen to provide guidance to help you maximize your photo sessions and get the best results. We’re committed to helping you tell your story and turn your vision into a powerful marketing asset for your brand. So, don’t hesitate to book your next session with us. We’d love to meet you!