Visual Communication
5 Reasons Why Your Brand Needs Better Quality Photoshoots
By Celia Topping - 6 min read
In today’s increasingly visually engaged world, fresh, striking imagery is of paramount importance to establish a brand’s identity, grab customer’s attention, develop loyalty and maintain those all important authentic connections.
“A picture paints a thousand words,” declares the old adage, and not only can an image convey a message far more succinctly than text, but we process that imagery 60,000 times faster than the lowly word. With bespoke, beautiful visuals, brands make an immediate and lasting impact on their would-be customer.
1. Build your Brand
You have your logo, you have a website, you may even have a good media presence. But what is your visual identity? Does your brand photography encapsulate who you are? Does the essence of your company emanate from every image? If not, then your audience does not fully understand you, which means no emotional connection is being made.
Millennial customers are visually sophisticated and demand cohesion in a brand’s storytelling - a picture’s potential power lies in it’s ability to enhance instant recognition. For example, we all know what a ‘Taste the Feeling’ Coca-Cola photo looks like, even if we take away the logo itself, we know what drink is in that bottle (https://bit.ly/2Xq2MEF). We can feel the presence of the brand immediately, and more importantly, want to share in that moment.
2. Skimping on Photography is a False Economy
Maybe the cost of a professional photo shoot could be off-putting for some businesses. But think about what you’re gaining and what you are potentially losing. As we have already established, imagery is critical in gaining attention, and you only have one chance to make a first impression. If a potential customer sees a low quality, poorly shot image on your site, which you are using to represent your brand, this gives a poor perception of your services and products and a lack of credibility in what you are offering.
If you take your brand photography seriously, then customers will take your brand seriously. Low cost alternatives for professional photography may seem like an easy, cost-cutting strategy for your budget, but can have a long term effects on your bottom line. “Cutting corners on your visual identity increases the risk that you’ll disconnect with your customers” Fabrik Brand.
3. Authenticity is Key
There is a time and place for stock photography, but in building a brand, does it really represent who YOU are? A generic photo of a burger can be really enticing, but is it your burger? Is it using the right bread? Is the cheese oozing just like yours does? Are the chips as crispy? A stock photo can give the wrong impression. On the other hand, original, fresh, authentic photos for your brand will give an honest representation of who you are and showcase your product in the way you want it.
A tailor-made photoshoot offers your brand the opportunity to shoot the images you need in a way which is unique to you, rather than a boring image from a library. If you were a novelist, would you give a customer someone else’s book and say, “Mine is a bit like this”?
4. Content is King
There are many aspects to search engine optimization, and images is one of them, “Visual elements increase people’s willingness to read content by a staggering 80%” states Digitalist Magazine, with Facebook posts generating 65% more engagement with photos than those without.. so optimizing those elements increases your brand’s chances of cutting through the clutter even more.
What is the point of SEO if the initial image isn’t a captivating one, which will emotionally engage your audience? Attracting your customers with relevant SEO information to your original, purpose-shot imagery is far more likely than a generic stock photo being used all over the web.
5. Capitalize on a Professional’s Experience
You may have an idea of what you want, but a pro photographer can give you what you need, plus so much more. The value-add of hiring a professional is trusting their knowledge, experience and equipment to take your ideas to another level. Having a focused conversation before a shoot will ensure you are getting the most out of it. A photographer will be able to suggest different angles you hadn’t previously thought of or perhaps introduce a key element to make the image pop, maybe using staff members for a more human approach, and discussing how some images can be shot with space for copy, with a portrait and landscape version of each to make sure you have all bases covered.
Photos are a powerful and versatile commodity so your brand images should be able to be used in an infinite number of ways, on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pintererst, LinkedIn, blogs, articles and so much more. A pro will ensure consistency across all your brand imagery, and guarantee all assets are customizable to exactly how you want to use them.
Bonus: EyeEm Custom Productions
EyeEm provides stress-free photo and video productions with ‘no agency’ pricing. With our easy-to-use tools, we can deliver global projects at the local level.
Importantly, no two projects are the same at EyeEm. Because of our leading industry network, we can ensure higher quality outcomes on project budgets of all types. Our optimised sales process is dedicated to your individual needs.
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