Posts that include images produce 650% higher engagement than text-only posts. -https://www.inc.com/larry-kim/visual-content-marketing-16-eye-popping-statistics-you-need-to-know.html#:~:text=Posts%20that%20include%20images%20produce,has%20grown%20by%20120%20percent.
Professional photography can assist in creating a clean and recognizable brand identity for your business.
Often times websites get filled with a ton of stock photography and wordy descriptions. While those things can get the job done, they don't do the best job at showing off your brands unique style and personality. Humans are very visual, and a first impression with an eye-catching feel for what your business is will help keep potential customers engaged.
This is how professional photography can really make your business stand out from the rest!
1. Establishing Brand Identity
Think about some of the most successful brands that you know. They all have a well-established brand identity.
Coca-Cola. Pepsi. Target. Nike. McDonalds. Google.
I bet that you can put an image in your mind for everything I just named. People associate images with how your brand makes them feel and to get a feel of who you are. How do you want customers to picture your brand? What do you want them to remember about your company?
You can then use the images to promote your business to your customers and community. Photographers have an eye for lighting, angles, setting, background, and visuals that will paint you in the best light and capture the mood that you are looking to establish. They’re professionally trained to bring your brand to life in photos.
2. Unique Images Over Stock Photography
A lot of businesses opt to just purchase stock photography, but there are a few reasons why this isn't always ideal. Stock photos are best utilized in blog posts, and other such articles covering a more broad, less brand-focused, situation. A bit of stock photography is a good tool to take advantage of, as they are easy to access and cover most topics. However, you don't want your site loaded with only other people's photos that can be found in many other places on the internet. You want to create something that people will make people think specifically of your brand or business. When it comes to your brand, do you really want a random stock photo reflecting your entire brands image and online presence? Probably not, right?
Professional photographers will equip you with a collection of quality images that will represent your brand and your brand only. They’ll be unique to your identity and no one else will have access to them except you.
3. Quality Photos Give Off A Professional Feel
If someone were to visit your website and they were met with photos that were well lit, in focus, properly framed, with balanced and detailed editing, they would be more likely to take your brand seriously than if they were met with photos taken with a basic point and shoot camera or a cell phone camera. As impressive as many cell cameras are these days, they just do not have the same quality and editing flexibility as a professional photographer with a DSLR can provide.
Sure, anyone could buy a professional camera and shoot away, however learning to use a high-quality DSLR is not an easy task. The auto setting does not give you the best results, and it is best to leave it to someone who is well versed in the camera settings and editing techniques to get your best possible results.
When a customer lands on your site and they see average, boring photos, it could make a bad impression. You want your brand to have a put-together appearance. Consumers don’t know you and can only go off of your online presence. They will judge more critically based on appearance. Using higher-quality images will build your credibility. If they see that you put care into your image, they are more likely that you put care into your business as well.
4. Showing Is Better Than Telling
You can tell people all day long that you have a diverse work team, that your establishment is clean, that your product is beautiful and well made... But words are just words. Instead of asking your customers to take your word for it, let them see for themselves!
Group photos will show potential clients the team that they will be supporting, humanizing your business, and establishing a human connection. A photo of your place of business will help them see that you are a working, organized, well-running business that they would enjoy visiting. Seeing your product will give them confidence that they are using their hard-earned money on what they are truly looking to acquire, without relying on their imagination.
Displaying your brand front and center, and showing pride in what you have built, will help others feel your confidence and, in turn, build their confidence in you as well. Having professional headshots of management and owners is another good way for customers to get a sense of who you are and the faces behind the company. People want to work with others who they feel they can identify and work well with.
5. Professional Shots Are Best For Advertising
When you take a photo with a camera phone, or with a regular point-and-shoot camera, they may come out nice. However, the real issue comes in when you consider resizing. DSLR cameras have higher megapixels and a higher resolution. If you attempt to enlarge a photo from a lower-quality camera, you will begin to lose detail. Your photo will become grainy, and the quality of your photo will decrease greatly. When considering advertising outside of your website, you will often have to resize your photos and manipulate them to fit your ad space. For this, you will need to have access to your photographer, who will hold your raw files for future use to help create sharp and high-quality advertisements.
6. Photographers Have Valuable Industry Knowledge
One fabulous perk in working with a professional photographer is that we often have valuable and helpful knowledge of the industry. Many of us have worked with a large variety of businesses, and know-how to position your company in a way that isn't robotically the same as all of the others around, setting you apart from the competition.
You can also bounce ideas off your photographer about how to best show your brand's personality. They can take your suggestions and turn your vision into reality. If you aren’t sure about how, exactly, you want your photos to reflect your business, your photographer will likely be able to give you some ideas and try a variety of options to help you decide what feels right for you. They will bring your brand to life and help it shine in a sea of other options.
Summary:
Professional photography will establish your brand, help you stand out from the competition, and create a more professional and well-put-together image for your business.
If the customer sees that you have enough faith in your company to invest in professional photos, it will build trust and give them faith in your company as well.
If you’ve been wondering how to enhance and grow your business, then it’s time to hire a professional photographer.