Drive Business by Using Branded Photography

Remember how much fun Show and Tell was when you were a kid? What made it so great was people didn't just talk at you, they showed you something cool and kept you engaged!

Show Them, Don't Just Tell Them: Let Your Website Drive Business by Using Branded Photography!

I recently wrote an article published in the HuffPost titled 9 Ways Personal Branding Photography Can Massively Grow Your Business.

To help you maximize your investment and leverage your assets for maximum value, the next few blogs will go into more detail about each of the 9 ways I listed.

• • • Above PayPal SHOWS us how simple transferring money can be! • • •

FIRST on the list was Place photographs throughout your website. Having images sprinkled throughout your website keeps people engaged. Attention spans have grown shorter therefore people rarely sit there are read all those words you painstakingly wrote. People want what they came looking for, and they want it FAST! And we know that people process and assess visuals very quickly.

Photographs help tell the story, show them who you are (as a business and/or a person) and illustrate what you are trying to tell them. People are less likely to spend a great deal of time reading your website, but they CAN easily ingest the images you use. Therefore having branded photography throughout your website and marketing is important because it establishes you as an expert and gains more trust from your potential clients. And the photographs illustrate the story of your business, your brand and your unique value proposition. I believe every business can stand out from the competition by being PERSONAL in your approach to marketing.

• • • Above MailChimp SHOWS us how easy it is to send better email and how easy it is to add our own custom branded photography. • • •

BASIC PHOTO REQUIREMENTS

Ok, so you know you need photographs. But I'm not talking about using just any photographs. To help you stand out, your photographs should:

Reflect your brand. Showcase your products and/or services. Showcase you or your team at work. Some industries may even showcase a lifestyle. If YOU are your brand then you definitely want to have personal images of you living your brand!
Be high quality images. Low quality images are not going to get people's attention or garner any love!
Be interesting and engaging. Relevant and interesting photos will keep people on your site longer and invite them to move through your site.

• • • Showcase your services and communicate your brand! • • •

WHAT TYPES OF IMAGES

If you are new to the idea of having personally branded images for your business, there are 3 different TYPES of photographs you'll want to have to begin building your library. And below I'll share ways you'll be able to use these on your website. Over the next few weeks I'll continue to show you all the numerous ways I mentioned in the article that you'll be able to LEVERAGE these images and grow your business.

1. The most basic photograph you absolutely can not live without is a HEADSHOT!
At the very LEAST, you want to have your headshot on your website. People are more likely to contact YOU versus a business that has a no headshot on their website because people want to know you are a real person. Some of my clients have shared with me that they had customers contact them instead of one of their competitors BECAUSE they had a photo. Their customers said they felt my client took their business more seriously and that they appreciated being able to see who they were doing business with.

2. Personality Photos
When you personalize your business with photographs, you create trust and establish authority. It also visually tells the story of your business, your brand and your unique value proposition. People do business with PEOPLE, not businesses. (I know, I say it all the time, but that’s because it’s true!) If YOU are your brand then you will definitely want to have personal images of you living your brand!

3. Illustration Images
These are images that showcase your Product or Services, or illustrate what you are trying to communicate. They can show you and/or your team working. You can have images of your office with people working and activating the space. Some industries may want to illustrate a lifestyle that your brand promotes. Images can illustrate your unique value proposition. You can illustrate SO MANY THINGS! This idea of illustrating an idea may stump you a bit more than the other two types, therefore having a good branding photographer is important. They can find many creative ways to illustrate what you want to communicate and help meet your marketing needs.

• • • I love this image used on the Contact Us page. It showcases how fun their practice is and that it's not scary to go to the Dentist! • • •

WHERE ON MY WEBSITE

So when it comes to WHERE to put images throughout your website, I think you should have an image on EVERY page. You may think this is overkill, but start looking at other websites. I rarely see a page with just text, and if I do I cringe and keep moving. It's a bit overwhelming... Think of a photo as a nice warm invitation for people to linger and stay awhile! You want to SHOW, not just tell!

HOME PAGE - A photo somewhere on the very first page is a must! Depending on your business, this could be a product or service photo, a personality photo, or maybe even your headshot. It depends on your business and how your website is laid out.
Place one or more on your ABOUT ME page. Images of you doing the things you love, living the lifestyle your brand represents. Use images that illustrate something relevant about you or brand.
If you have a page about SERVICES WE OFFER, this is a great place to show them what it looks and feels like to work with you.
If you sell PRODUCTS, make sure you show your products in different real world environments. Your shop will have your studio shots, in addition you can put styled product shots throughout the site showing them being used by people. Maybe come up with some interesting ways to use the products that fall outside of what the product was created for. Showing people other ways they can make use of the product!
Put one on the CONTACT US page. This could be your headshot or a photo showcasing you personality and/or you embodying your brand. Your contact page can even show someone (from your team) on the phone or sending an email, you know, one of those illustration images.

CLICK HERE to see how I use images of me on my About page

All of these suggestions need to be tailored to your type of business, your brand, and your website design. Leave a comment below and tell us where on your website you think you can add an image to create a bigger impact and engage your viewers!

How do you use images to drive business?

CLICK HERE if You're Ready To Work Together

0 Comments

Previous Post Next Post