The digital revolution is here to stay: Harnessing social media and your online presence through brand photography.

6 minute read

1st February  2021

These are strange times and for many of us,  most of our days have been spent wearing slippers to work as we shuffle from one zoom meeting to another and weekends spent sipping ‘Quarantini’ cocktails whilst attending virtual house parties. Whilst we have all been locked away in our houses for the best part of a year  the digital revolution has accelerated, with digital solutions being adopted at unprecedented rates, catalysed by the pandemic. Most people would agree that this year the world has gone slightly mad. Whilst we have been unable to go about our lives in a normal manner, our online lives have become a portal, transporting us beyond the confines of our four walls, to connect us with the rest of the world. During this time, we have relied on the digital world for most of our shopping, to provide us with engaging content on social media to make us feel connected to other people and for vital information.  Experts across the globe are asserting that this is not a trend, but instead a global cultural shift that is set to grow even more in the next decade. 

What does brand photography have to do with it all?…

One of the areas that has been most effected, is marketing. For many companies, implementing successful digital marketing strategies will determine whether they survive or not. For the best part of a year, we have witnessed an almost-total disappearance of traditional marketing like live events, pop-up shops and face-to-face selling. On the flip side, there is opportunity in the midst of every crisis, and the pandemic is no different – presenting the opportunity for brands with strong digital presences to take centre-stage. 

With visual-based social media platforms like Instagram free and available to everyone the business landscape has been somewhat democratised, now every business small or big, one-man show or giant corporation can speak directly to its customers. Although it has become increasingly difficult to stand out and this is where brand photography will help give you and your business a competitive edge and leave a lasting impression on your potential customers.

Brand photography is a collection of professional images that represents your brand visually, helping you to covey the narrative of the lifestyle you wish to promote. It focuses on storytelling and it communicates the human side of your brand, helping to differentiate you from others in your industry. It can include photos of you, your team, your workspace, your product, your process and anything that makes your business unique, allowing you to connect with your customers in a genuine way. We all like to have a peek backstage and this is a chance to communicate your brand with beautifully captured professional photos to create an emotional bond and for your customers to meet you in a less formal way. 

So how is it going to help you?

High quality, higher prices  

High quality photography is a must in communicating your professionalism in your online content. With the best will (and photographer) in the world, photos taken on your phone will always be lacking in digital quality. You want to be proud of the visual elements of your brand and inspire confidence. 

Connection 

Brand photography is all about you. It has the ability to show your customers what it looks and feels like to work with you and allows your personality to shine through. Storytelling photography brings life to your brand that help your customers to get to know, trust and like you. Creating unique images that stock photography just can’t provide helps connect you to your customers and helps them see the creative process behind your brand.

Visibility  

You’ve probably heard of SEO or search engine optimisation before but if not then it’s the process of strategically optimising elements of your website content for better performance in search engine ranking results. This applies to your images too and unique, optimised photos perform better allowing you to become more visible to your customers. Engaging content will keep customers on your site for longer and encourage them to choose you over your competitor. 

Versatility  

It’s tough running a business (as I’m finding out) and the constant struggle to produce high quality, on brand content can be time consuming when your attentions are required in other areas, especially if you are a one person show. Having a collection of your own personalised brand photos can give you endless possibilities for content, not just on your website. It can help to grow your following on social media platforms by engaging your customers with your work and blog posts are far more appealing with a higher photo content. Your brand photos can be used across all your marketing channels to provide a consistent look and message.