How can photography help your business?

By increasing your visibility on the social media channels where you operate. Your content will differ according to your industry, and may vary depending on which platform you're using but building in professional photography into your marketing will make a difference to your online presence. 

Visibility is part of building awareness of your brand. And like it or not, if you're reading this, chances are high that you are part of your brand.

That's right. YOU need to be IN the photos that represent your business.

Please allow me to break up the text by walking my talk.

Now you know what I look like. Or it reminds you of what I look like because you might have met me before, or we might be connected on LinkedIn. This is also the type of thing that I wear when I do a photo shoot. Of course I swank it up a few  notches if it's an awards function, but if I'm shooting outdoors, this is most likely what you get. Including the smile.

Having your own images helps you step away from stock standard. Stock images *look* like stock images. And they do have their place from time to time, but they won't have your personality. The spark that makes your service special (hint: that's you, you're the spark). Now that you've stepped up visibility, consistently being present contributes to familiarity. Have you noticed that the number of touch points from awareness to conversion is increasing? If you're using stock images for remarketing, those are pretty easy to ignore. But if it's you? It's a subtle reminder that you've already provided value to your potential client. That you're a real person that is ready to serve.

You are your best asset. If you're still in start up phase then you might be organising your own photos. That's okay - it is perfectly possible to create your own. If you have the time and inclination I'd recommend this over using generic stock photos. But no matter what stage you're at, you have knowledge that helps add value to your clients. Match it up with an image of you (and add your logo if it's something shareable that's going to surf social media waves) because that's going to be more memorable than text on it's own. 

By now, you either believe me or you don't. I may not be the photographer for you, but that's not to say that you don't need better photos in your business life. Being in more of your images helps people get to know you. And it helps filter out the ones that aren't really right for you. It's up to you to determine the balance of fun and professionalism that is required for your business, and communicating this clearly with the photographer you engage with so that you get the images that will work for you.