First of all, what is a branding shoot? It´s a commercial photoshoot for a brand, a small business or a professional freelancer such as life coach, yoga teacher, creative artist, etc. The goal of the branding shoot is to create professional images of you or your products targeted towards your ideal client, and that can be used on all kinds of marketing, for online content creation, social networks, campaigns and website. A branding shoot will give you images that tell the story and essence of you or your brand.
Capturing some behind the scenes shots, props or accessories you use or scenes from your daily work also help your clients get to know you and your work.
I think most businesses agree that if you are selling a product, you need to photograph it professionally in order to sell it, right? Here is where many small shop owners get it wrong by trying to take the photos by themselves. But what if you are selling you? What if you are selling a service? We can agree that if you are the face of your brand, you need to look professional and trustworthy in order to make people buy from you.
So Why do you need a branding shoot for your brand or business?
1
Great Photos Sell More. Period.
The objetive of the branding shoot is for my clients to sell more to their ideal clients. A few decades back, the famous tennis player André Agassi (I´m reading his biography for the third time now) did a Canon campaign that said “Image is everything”. We all judge a book by its cover and unfortunately, as with everything, the packaging (i.e, the images you use to sell your products) is just as important as the content or product you are selling. Whether you are the product or name of your brand, or you are selling corporate gifts, the better the photos, the more you will sell.
Great photos sell more. Shall I repeat it once more?
2
Great photos will make you look more professional and trustworthy.
We only buy from people we like and trust. This is where professional photography makes a difference. If you want to sell more, you need to make your clients feel like they can trust you. And they´ll like you better in good photos, taken in the right location with the right light.
3
Sell at a higher price.
Whatever the price you are charging, if everything else stays equal, you can charge more for a product presented with more professional photos. Great photos will help you elevate your brand and jump to the next level. For example, let´s say you want to sell an iphone case on Amazon. With great, professional, sharp images taken from the right angles in the right light you will be able to sell your iphone case at a higher price point than the exact same one taken with poor photographs.
4
Great photos will help you connect with your ideal client and stand out from the competition.
Yeah, that´s true, why? because for starters if your competitors have mediocre images, and you have great photos, you will stand out. And if your competitors have great photos, then you will need great photos too…but here is the trick….drum roll please…you will also need great photos that show your authentic and genuine spirit, your true self, what makes you or your brand unique…
Show What Makes You…YOU!
The only way to differentiate from the competition is to showcase who you are and why you do what you do, what is the energy and soul behind the business. We are people buying from people and you need to show the real you. And that will make you stand out because there is only one YOU and your brand is unique!
5
It will help you show the best version of yourself.
You need to be genuine but you still want to look your best. A pro photographer will capture the essence of who you are and make you shine brighter. Taking photos with your iphone will only work if you are extremely proficient at lighting and have a great phone camera plus know about composition and colors. Selfies are ok too but the quality you get with a real professional camera and proper portrait lenses cannot be beaten (as of today). Trust me, I have a great iphone and the difference in quality is still very big.
I hope this helps and if you need some killer shots for your marketing, give me a shout!
My next post about branding will be How to Plan a Branding Shoot….stay tuned!!
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