by Courtney Henry
Your brand, your genius in the world deserves polished and professional photos that represent it to the fullest. Hiring a photographer can be a simple investment with an infinite return!
Because how many times have you found yourself scrolling through your favorite online platform seeing the same girl with her motivational coffee mug tucked neatly into an all pastel background, wistfully “working” away.
Maybe the journal is placed to the left of the succulent instead of the right this time–either way, how intrigued were you really to sift past all that vanilla and find what the content was about?
I’m willing to bet the answer is…not so much.
What does pause that scrolling fingertip to actually click and learn more?
As sophisticated and evolved as we all think we are, our inner puppy will forever salivate at the sight of the bone. And in this case the big juicy T-Bone is your online photos.
Thanks to COVID-19 folks are now working, studying, connecting,and BUYING online like never before.The first weeks of March alone saw an 18 percent increase in in-home data usage compared to the same period in 2019, with average daily data usage rates exceeding 16.6 GB.
In this hyper saturated atmosphere you have no choice but to elevate yourself above the fray. Which is why hiring a professional photographer to provide you with your own personal “stock” of photos is a simple, instant way to polish your website and social media presence.
Investing in your business by using professional photos is A MUST for your Brand. Here’s why…
BRANDING 101: Be An Original
Consumers are craving authenticity in Brands more and more. They hate feeling ‘duped’ and are looking to relate to the story of the product so that they too feel a sense of ownership and trust in where they recycle their dollars.
Being the Boss Lady that you are, you harness this powerful knowledge and meet your ideal client right where they are. Who needs fluff and gimmicks these days when you have the truth on your side?
And the truth is YOU. You in all your personality, quirks, and varying hats you wear even outside of your business.
Hiring a professional photographer gives you the freedom to really let your individuality shine through.
Whether that be in your Wardrobe: By infusing your online photos with personal style you not only feel confident (and comfortable.) You also really *pop* against all that BASIC filling the rest of your feed.
*Note: You still want images that will grow with you so while I’m all about taking fashion risks, it helps to think timeless instead of ‘trending.’*
The Unique Location You Choose : Coffee shops, desks in front of windows. We get it, you’re productive.
Let your work ethic speak for itself in how you show up for your clients, and let your visual representation show off some local flavor. Perhaps highlight some artwork, inspiring architecture, or energetic intersections.
Incorporate Authentic Scenes & Props: This is where you can really let loose by choosing things to compliment your wardrobe and your location with material that is unique to your Brand/life.
Maybe being transparent about being a working mom is something you take pride in, show off you juggling those gorgeous kids! Or if diversity is a pillar of your brand, set up a client meeting scene and be intentional in using POC…and of course actively seek out those clients after the shoot!
Marketing Schedule & Social Media Calendar
Once you have your own awesome database of photographs for your business you can then seamlessly plan your future content months in advance. Leaving you more time to grow your business.
Make your life–and your copywriters life easier by planning your content around an already creative, irresistible image. This is a brilliant hack that thousands of successful content masters swear by.
You simply go through your arsenal, choose the order of pics you’d like to share for the month, focusing on design and aesthetic only, and then schedule the accompanying Copy out and around that framework, at the most optimal time for that particular platform.
This batched approach works wonders and the beauty is you never have to worry about continuity or formatting because that work is done upfront. AND you just saved yourself hours of deciding which royalty free image you haven’t already seen, or used before.
Playing the Long Game In Your Business
Screen time notifications these days are telling you your activity has gone up 400%! This may read as bad news for one’s productivity, but is oh so good news for your business that now lives online.
Now when I say live online I don’t mean camping out at Grandma’s.
I mean Brands that show up as your dream home with a guest house. Spilling over with personality, warmth, authentic engagement, and of course your excellent service/product.
In other words, LIVINGGG.
Your business must be sustainable in order to achieve this and believe it or not having clear branding imagery helps keep the mission unmuddied and growing.
More Pro-Tips to make your investment stretch are:
- Spacing out the image leaks. This builds suspense and keeps your content feeling fresh and inventive.
- If the photographer is open to it, request that “background” photos be taken. These photos may be used to help fill in the gaps and provide buffers that are still “on Brand” for your website and other profiles.
Your brand, your genius in the world deserves polished and professional photos that represent it to the fullest.
Snagging your ideal customer is really only a FLASH away.
Courtney Henry is a Renaissance Woman who resists through thriving. In just three decades she has shone her light all over the world as a professional ballet dancer, poet, and educator.
Courtney is now a Business Owner and Copywriter in the natural hair and organic beauty niche. And is passionate about empowering women and people of color to find the perfect words to upscale their business and connect them with their ideal clients, authentically.
A wanderlust at heart, she splits her base with her husband and first born between Dakar, Senegal and the U.S.
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