Branding should be a key concern for every business. Branding is all about giving your company an identity and connecting with customers and clients. There are multiple ways to build a brand and enhance your brand image, but one of the most powerful is through visual media.
If you’re on a mission to engage with customers, create incredible first impressions, showcase your business and tell people what you’re all about, have you thought about taking advantage of professional photography services? If you don’t already work with a professional photographer, here’s a useful guide to outline the benefits when creating and developing your brand.
The benefits of professional photography for branding
It’s very common to think of branding as a logo, a name and a strapline, but branding is so much more than this. Branding tells your story, it gives consumers an idea about your company culture, and it allows you to use creativity to attract new customers and create a buzz around the products or services you offer.
When you think about branding, you want the buyers you’re trying to target to think about more than your logo or your business name. You want them to get an insight into how you tick and to connect with you on a deeper level. Professional photography offers an array of branding benefits. Here are some of the most significant advantages professional services can offer:
Creating the right first impression
Did you know that the average human being takes just 7 seconds to form a first impression? In business, it’s vital to make those seconds count. Think of yourself as a consumer for a moment. What kind of images would impress you and how would you feel if you were looking at a basic, low-quality image next to a sharp, clear, professional shot?
With branding, it’s not just the beauty or the clarity of the image that matters. It’s also the message the photograph conveys. If a business makes the effort to hire a professional photographer, this is going to have positive connotations for the customer. This is a brand that takes itself seriously and that goes the extra mile to impress. Poor quality images and web pages or social media posts that are thrown together are likely to have the opposite effect and customers may assume that the company cannot be trusted or relied upon. With only a few seconds to work with, it pays to ensure you make the right first impression every time.
Giving your brand an identity and showing off your personality
Images and photographs are an excellent way to give your brand a unique identity and showcase your personality. The saying ‘a picture paints a thousand words’ could not be more relevant to branding. You can use snaps and shots to provide potential customers or investors with information about your brand, to introduce the team and to enable your target buyer to find out what makes you different from others.
Think of a team shot, for example. If you’re a corporation, for example, a bank, a law firm or an accounting business that prides itself on reliability, trustworthiness and delivering an outstanding, efficient service, a formal ‘meet the team’ post with a professional image will help you convey your brand message. In contrast, if you’re looking to sell your business as a quirky, fun, individual venture that will appeal to kids, for example, an informal snap with a fun theme and a standout background will help you achieve your objective. Whatever the target market and the mission in terms of generating the right perception of your brand, a professional photographer will help you capture the mood and connect with your audience.
Engaging your audience through visual media
One of the most crucial aims of branding is to engage with your audience. There are several ways to do this, but in an age of apps, social media and web pages, galleries and portfolios, it has never been more beneficial to understand the impact of visual media. Studies show that our brains process content like images and video clips much faster than written text and we respond positively to visual cues.
If you hire a professional photographer to capture images for your social media feed, your website and marketing materials like brochures, this could make the difference between a customer choosing you or a rival. The quality of the image will undoubtedly affect a client’s perception of your brand, but the essence and theme of the shot and the creative involved in putting the picture together will be even more influential. If you have an Instagram feed for your business, you don’t just want followers to skim past your shots or glance at a new image. You want to use those shots to provoke a reaction, to send a message and, hopefully, to inspire that user to take the next step. That may be to share that photo, to subscribe to your mailing list, to visit your website or to purchase a product, for example.
Promoting your business in the best light
Brand reputation is extremely important, especially as up to 90% of consumers now seek advice in the forming of asking for recommendations or reading reviews before making a purchase. If you’re looking to bring in new customers and promote your brand, you want to make sure that you sell it in the best possible light. A professional photographer can help you enhance your brand image by capturing and sharing high-quality images that encapsulate what your brand is all about and showcase the benefits customers could enjoy by getting on board.
Branding is a critical concept for businesses on a mission to impress customers and create a positive reputation. If you’re looking to dazzle customers, to tell your story in a unique, creative manner and to celebrate your identity, we’d love to hear from you. At Leah Desborough Photography, we specialise in commercial photography and we have many years of experience in producing incredible shots and campaigns for businesses aiming to build relationships and enjoy their moment in the spotlight. If you’re keen to find out more about our professional photography services, don’t hesitate to get in touch today!
