Why You Should Invest in Brand Photography for Your Business

Branding

Mar 31

When you’re at the point in your business where you’re looking to invest in web design, it’s important to make sure you get the most out of your investment. You don’t want to spend thousands of dollars creating a site that is lackluster. That totally defeats the purpose of the investment!

I am of the belief that investing in brand photography specifically for your website is super important. I have seen firsthand how brand photography plays a direct role in the growth of a business via its website. In today’s post, I’ll outline 2 stories where brand photography had a direct effect on a website, and highlight the different reasons why investing in brand photography in tandem with website design is a good idea.

How Brand Photography Up-Leveled My Own Business

The first story I have for you is about my own brand. I started my business as a side hustle in 2017 with the goal of eventually making it my full-time gig. Of course, like any new business starting out though, I had no clue if my business would be viable long term. I decided to spend the minimal amount of money I could on my business at that time. I put all my resources and funds toward developing a website for myself and skimped on everything else.

While that sounds like a sound financial decision, it left much to be desired. My website looked very hobbled together and it lacked the pizzaz that helps websites stand out online. At the time I couldn’t put my finger on what was actually holding my website back, but I knew something was missing. It wasn’t until about a year later that I figured it out.

Fast Forward to 2019, I finally decided to invest in professional photography for my business. I was tired of looking at the stock photos on my website that didn’t quite fit my vibe, and I was overwhelmed about taking my own photos for marketing on social media. Luckily I had a friend who I was able to hire for my first brand shoot for my business. I had no idea how transformative that shoot would be for my business, but it absolutely was.

After this first shoot, I immediately noticed a difference in my business. Not only did my website look more professional after I updated the photos, but I felt more professional too. I actually felt like I was a legitimate professional in my field! It’s crazy how such a seemingly small thing can make such a big difference. On a more tangible level, I saw an uptick in inquiries after this brand shoot took place. This was especially helpful after I went full-time with my business about a month after this shoot took place.

This shoot was so transformative for my business in those early stages that I now regularly do shoots for my business. I shoot about 2x a year, sometimes more depending on my needs. Not only is this super important for my social media marketing, but it’s important to ensure my website stays up to date with the most current version of me and my business. I will mention that because I am so closely tied to my business, my brand shoots usually involve me being in them. Depending on your business, you may not always need to be in them.

How Brand Photography Made All The Difference in a Client Project

The more I work on websites for clients, the more I realize how important brand photography is for the overall results of my work. Websites are such visual platforms and photos make a big difference in the overall look and feel of a website. I consider my web design work to be fully creative and artistic in nature, so ensuring I have the highest quality photos possible for this work is extremely important for my process.

I recently shared a case study for my client Carolyn Egan’s website. In it, I outlined the process for how we were able to create the work that we did together. One of the things that really made a difference for her was working with my photographer on brand photography.

I worked with Carolyn on both branding and web design. By the time we got to the web design phase of her project, it was pretty clear to me the direction I was going to move forward with for her web design. It was bright and airy, minimal and professional. I put together mockups for her home page design and we were both in love with the direction I had chosen for the site. But there was something missing, and that’s when we decided it was important to invest in brand photography.

When we initially decided to work together on her website, Carolyn expressed to me that she was going to take her own headshots for the website. I had told her this was fine at the time, knowing that this was a more economical choice as opposed to investing in brand photography. When Carolyn saw the website mockup I created for her though, she shared that she felt she needed to step things up. She didn’t want to play small anymore and felt that she needed to create visuals that lived up to the beautiful website design I had created for her. It was with that mindset that she decided to reach out to my brand photographer and invest in photos to use specifically on her website.

I worked with Carolyn to create direct her brand shoot. I helped her form a shot list of photos to take for her site and also helped with streamlining her outfit choices and location in order to ensure her shoot stayed on brand. I even went to the shoot to help out and assist whenever needed. Together, I was able to work with Carolyn to make sure we got all the photos we would need to create a visually interesting and engaging website.

The photos we took for Carolyn’s brand had a tremendous effect on her website aesthetic overall. It elevated the look and feel of the site and made her whole business appear so much more professional than before we had the photos integrated to the site. We even had an easier time sourcing additional stock photography for the site because we knew stylistically which types of photos would fit best on the website.

Overall, Carolyn’s website launch was a major success and she has already gained several new clients even with only having the site launched for a few months. She has shared that her clients report being so impressed with her website and love her approachable yet professional persona that she showcases online. I know her brand photography helped get her to this point, and love that the investment has already had positive results on her business!

Why is Brand Photography so Impactful?

I think the reason brand photography is so impactful is because it tells a story. Humans are inherently visual creatures and you know what they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. When you have the chance to curate your own photos with the specificity of your brand story, values, and visuals incorporated in them, this makes a huge difference. It can be the difference between a potential client understanding your brand or not.

1. First Impressions Matter

The world is now digital and it’s only going to become more so over the course of time. Making sure you stand out from the sea of other online professionals in your industry is super important these days, in fact, I would venture to say it’s essential. Brand photography helps you stand out because it’s catered to you. It gives you visuals you can use for your marketing channels that are tailored specifically to your business. No more blending in with every other business using the same stock photo as you. With your own branded photography you really get a chance to shine among a sea of monotony. This will help your potential clients see you in a more positive way and draw more of them to you.

2. Brand Photos Can Benefit Your SEO

Another factor that not many people consider is the effect of brand photos on SEO. When a person lands on a website, you have about 10-15 seconds to grab their attention before they leave the site. This is an extremely small window, and brand photography can help draw them in during this crucial window. If users consistently make it past this window and stay on your website, this has a positive overall effect on your SEO. It gives you a little boost and can even have a positive effect on your search rankings. So, overall, if you’re thinking about the longevity of your web design investment, it just makes sense to invest in brand photography at the same time. It will literally have a positive effect on the performance of your website over the course of time.

3. You Don’t Just Have to Use Your Photos on Your Website

Just because you used a photo on your website, doesn’t mean that’s the only place you can use it. The beauty of brand photography is that it’s able to be used in a variety of different channels. A great use of brand photography is on social media, where you probably are already marketing your business. You can also use it in branded content such as workbooks and presentations. The opportunities for your brand photos are endless and there are so many possibilities. The investment is well worth it and will help your business grow way beyond just on your website.

I’m not kidding when I say this, within a few hours of writing out those abundance affirmations I had 3 new clients come through for branding/web design work. These were completely unexpected events and I was not anticipating them at all. I honestly was shocked when they came through and feel strongly that my affirmation practice helped put me in the right mindset to call these clients in. To me it felt like I performed a spell and I saw instant results.

Since coming back to my affirmation practice, I have had more abundance in my business than I’ve had the entire time when I was not practicing affirmations. I’ve had several clients come in to work with me, and have had inquiries from all kinds of different people. Mind you, at the time of writing this I am only 1 week into my affirmation practice again. I find it shocking in the best way that I am having direct financial results in connection to this practice.

I will point out that I am a pragmatic and practical person. I think that practicing affirmations has had a profound effect on my mental wellbeing and mindset. It has helped me feel more positive and strengthen my belief in myself. Through the affirmations that I am writing out each day, I am allowing myself to be the best version of myself. And by being the best version of myself, I am magnetizing my ideal clients to me. What’s not to love about that!

Conclusion

Overall, brand photography is an investment that shows the world how serious you are about your business. It can help both your audience and you see the potential of your business. Stop playing small and allow yourself to build the brand of your dreams.