Why is it so important!?
By now you have mostly likely heard of the term “Personal Branding” and are wondering, do I need to jump on this band wagon too?
Anyone from a Sole Trader to a ‘mover and shaker’ in a larger franchise creating their own identity as a point of difference, Entrepreneur to SME can build their unique ‘Brand’ to exploit on some level to enhance their reputation, to grow their businesses and attract more ideal clients.
Building memorable business branding is much more than a cool logo or a tag line. It takes time and we all have to start somewhere but ideally, it will be of a high standard from the outset with a small portfolio of images that can be used consistently across your media platforms, adding to it as you go.
First impressions count and the creative possibilities are endless! We need to create Positive Brand Perception – yes it’s a thing!
Building recognition in your industry requires consistency in the way you show up – in person and online. Your trusted reputation – your personality, transparency in (some) life aspects and business plus authentically real interactions with your key communities all have an important role to play as you build your unique stock library of images.
And I don’t mean the ubiquitous royalty free istock images seen and used by all and sundry – including your competition!
What you want your customers to SEE is YOU and your business – your unique combination of style, values, culture, expertise, character, skills and experiences. That is your Personal or Business Brand. Otherwise known as THE GREAT DIFFERENTIATOR!
Now the thing is, not all newbie Photographers who claim to be ‘experts’ are, nor do they truly understand concept development surrounding Branding Strategy, Marketing and the art of Visual Communication. It takes much more than a few Instagram filters believe me!
Body language, colour psychology, thoughtful purposeful composition, the Elements and Principals of Design all play a huge part in creating powerful images with impact. And most importantly, ones that speak directly to your target audience.
So where do we start!?
Personal Branding
Definitely by having a chat! I would love to understand more about you, your industry, how you are breaking through the noise and how you want to be perceived as a leader in your field. What words resonate with you that we can reflect through your imagery?
Are you approachable, a thought leader, innovative, high energy, insightful, relatable, a disrupter!? Do you love to laugh, rock a power suit, lead a healthy lifestyle, teach others, love your dog, create things or know exactly where you are going and how to get there?
Who are you?
Another great idea is to start a ‘mood board’ on Pintrest with inspo images to really start pre-visualising possibilities or check out my portfolio.
Do you have Brand colours you would like to incorporate with the look or intended feel to your website and social media?
We can talk different locations, props, live speaking events, working with ‘client’ shots, lifestyle feels, wardrobe and of course, would you like professional hair and makeup with that to feel 100% photo ready?
Or would you prefer to shoot in my beautiful new air conditioned Lumen Studio just 20 mins from the City?
I have a variety of photography packages that have been tried and tested over the years but of course, we can also tailor something to suit you exactly. It doesn’t matter if you are starting from the beginning or needing to enhance your already established presence – a new set of creative eyes and ideas will work wonders.
Need some fresh Social Media content shot in the style you love? Easy! Let’s leave the studio lighting behind, grab the camera, head out to your favourite hood with a few outfits with your props and shoot for an hour. You will receive a gallery of fabulous naturally edited web ready images for just $395 ready to post!
How to build Brand Equity!
“Build it and they will come!” – so the saying goes… But it will take quite a bit of strategic planning and time to develop and grow a recognisable brand. People don’t trust too easily these days and that’s where the ‘time’ comes into it.
Just like any relationship, showing up every day in a consistent, positive and appealing way will slowly but surely win hearts and minds!
To get you started – here are 6 steps to build your Brand Equity
- Craft your core Brand Values and stick by them
- Build awareness – what does your Marketing Strategy look like?
- Create positive Brand perceptions – this is where the visual elements of Photography kicks in in colour, vibe and locations
- Build strong loyal bonds – be consistent with your messaging
- Continuously improve the Customer Experience – engage with your customers on social media, presentation and provide support
- Keep the community active and fresh!
And a big tip of the day… Stay true to YOU as you grow!
Business Branding
It might seem like a daunting task to refresh your age-old website images or even start from scratch, however all it will take to get the ball rolling is a great brain storming and strategic planning session and we are off! Or if your Marketing Department has a creative brief they would like fulfilled, we are half way there and I love collaborating with other Creatives as well.
The old school approach to populate your web page templates is to fill them with the same-same common royalty free stock library pictures. Just like your competition! But you know what the problem with that is right?
Not only does your images look like everyone else’s, in truth it’s actually not YOUR business or company culture, your people or brand message that you are showcasing. How can your clients know, like and trust you and believe in what you are ‘selling’ when you are showing them a different face?
The aim is to build strong loyal bonds with your Clients. Provide them with a positive perception, show them incredible customer experiences and your points of difference with new ideas that complement your brand values and value proposition.
These images are your biggest Brand Asset and you need to stand out head and shoulders above the competition.
Similarly to a Personal Branding exercise, let’s meet to discuss the direction of your project and work through a shot list together that will truly provide you with a powerful image library that you can use and swap out at a moments notice for multiple uses across your website, marketing, social media and editorial uses.
A Business Branding shoot can last from half a day to a day with multiple people and locations involved, and perhaps incorporate new corporate portraits for the Team. We can definitely decide what ‘look’ will suit your business if you have the freedom of a fresh slate or indeed shoot to similar portraits in the past.
Does the CEO need new executive or editorial style shots for the media? Let’s shoot a mini portfolio of ‘Personal Branding’ images – ready to go.
I regularly work across many industries from Hotels, Medical, Media, Aged Care, Construction, Tourism, Hospitality, Education, Finance, Science, Engineering, Project Management, Manufacturing, Beauty and Law just to name a few.
It’s the people who I love working with and bringing out their best is what I do best! Even with the worst camera shy people…
Quotes can be provided for large national scale branding exercises – remember, consistency is key!