In the world of marketing, everyone is trying to get ahead. Social media is the one marketing tool that is accessible to everyone; free and easy. It is a public billboard that anyone can find at any time. This visibility, however, comes with its benefits and detriments. The benefits far outweigh the detriments, but if your company’s brand presence is not up to par, this will impact your overall perception. Branding photography, on the other hand, can boost your overall perception and potentially bring in more of an audience.
1. Understanding Branding Photography
The first thing you need to consider is the purpose of branding photography. The overall goal is to convey a brand’s personality, values, and story. However, there is a great deal more to it. Branding photography is the thing that binds together the public persona of a brand and the experience for the audience. Not to mention, there are variants of branding photography; product-focused, lifestyle, behind-the-scenes shots, etc. But together, those three can provide a well-rounded image to the public. Behind-the-scenes adds a bit of personality to the brand, while product-focused or lifestyle may be representative of the company itself.
2. Identifying Your Brand's Visual Identity
Every company needs to emphasize a consistent identity, especially a visual identity that lines up with the brand’s values and target audience. Ultimately, you need to know what lines up with your brand image and you can direct your photographer towards that end goal. However, the photographer, if they are studious, should be able to identify what aligns with your brand and what works against it. By defining key elements of your brand, such as color palette, typography, and the general aesthetic, you will be able to better understand and identify what your brand needs. The best advice I can give is to create an audit of what your brand encompasses. Namely, consider the products you provide, the services you offer, and the image you want to convey to your audience. Line those up and you will accomplish what you set out to do.
3. Planning a Branding Photography Shoot
Understanding and identifying what has made your brand successful thus far will help boost that image forward. But you will need to plan ahead of time what you want to achieve in the end. The most important component is the cohesiveness and the professionalism it conveys. The easiest way of doing this is probably to create what is called a shot list. It provides a clear direction for the day. Now I am sure you’re wondering what a shot list actually is comprised of. The simple answer is to say the images you imagine in your head. You can also create a mood board, which lends itself to the style of what you are going for. Other factors include locations, props, and models, but at the end of the day, the primary focus is communicating your vision to the one who is in charge of its execution.
4. Editing and Enhancing Branding Photos
Now, this next section is something usually relegated toward the photographer, but it may provide a level of clarity for the brand. As I mentioned previously about color palette, lighting, and other adjustments will take place in the editing process. Certain things will be cut, certain things will be enhanced. Whatever you do, make sure it is clear to the photographer that the images will be consistent with your brand. One thing you can do to enhance the prospect of your images turning out how you want them to is to familiarize yourself with the common editing tools and practices. By doing so, you can provide a concise guide on what your expectations are, namely consistency.
5. Integrating Branding Photography into Social Media Marketing
We’re getting into the crucial part. This is where a little bit of strategy must come into play. Each social media platform is different. Facebook is more text-centric, but photography tends to boost the content in the algorithm. X, formerly Twitter, is essentially text-based these days. Imagery does not enhance impressions nearly as much on the platform. Instagram is the most beneficial when it comes to brand photography being incorporated, but you must play your cards right. Time and dates play a massive role in how much traction you gain. Dimensions, aspect ratios, and files size will play a part in this too, but I won’t pretend to be an expert on that level of detail.
6. Engaging the Audience with Branding Photography
Here’s where you can really make things interesting, setting yourself apart from the rest of your competition. If you know your target audience, this should be a fairly easy thing to incorporate. With this content you’ve commissioned, you can create a storyline to compliment your brand. One that can develop the emotions you are seeking to cultivate, as well as draw the audience’s attention where you want it directed. Now, you can do this through the images you’ve created as well as the captions and hashtags you generate to compliment it.
With this six-step process, you will be set up for success. Social media is an excellent tool for your brand and for some it can even be considered crucial for long-term success. Through it all, remember what your vision is and guide your audience through it. With the aid of the photographer, you can create something that is timeless but representative of what you seek. In the end, it should provide the tools to build your brand’s recognition and customer loyalty. I hope to have added something of use to your day.
Warmest regards,
Logan Clark