As a small business owner it can sometimes feel like there’s more money going out than coming in, especially when you’re just starting out. So how do you prioritise the things you need to invest in?
First of all think about your return on investment: is this going to help me connect with new clients, and potentially bring in more sales? If the answer is yes, then it should be on your priority list! If you’re not sure if Personal Brand Photography can give you a return, here are my 5 reasons why it should be on that priority list. Grab a cuppa, get comfy and don’t forget to let me know your thoughts in the comment section at the end..
1. People buy from people
We hear this all the time, especially in the small business world. When you’re personally buying from a small business, or looking to use a service, what helps you make a decision? For instance, if you’re looking to buy flowers from a local florist and you find two websites; both have lovely images of their flowers and arrangements, but one of them has images of the actual business owner. We’re not talking about phone images but beautiful images that tie in with their brand colours and website design. There are images showing the florist actually creating the arrangements. Images that show behind the scenes, and also the florist’s personality. Which one would you buy from? I know I’m more likely to buy from someone I can actually see and also one that I feel I can connect with. Without any images of yourself, how can your ideal client connect with you? Personal Brand Photography will capture images that help you connect with potential clients and, therefore, bring more sales in!
2. Images can show you being the expert in your field
You know your stuff and you are an expert at what you do. Show your potential clients this and that you’re the business they want to invest in to help with their pain points. Without any of images of you, how can you do this? Capturing you, doing what you do best, showing you being the expert in what you do, means you can draw in more clients. You can assure them that spending their well-earned money with you will make a difference to their life too – so, you get a return on your investment with personal brand photography and they get a return on their investment with you. Win, win!
3. Making the right first impression with your brand images
When your potential clients are searching for a service, how do you stop them scrolling past you on social media? High quality and professional images, showing the story behind who you are and what you do, will certainly help. When I’m looking for a service I want to invest my money into, that first impression can be a make or break moment. I’ll either stop scrolling or move on. It can also mean someone will click onto your website which is where we ultimately want them to go. Social media is the flyer to the gig and your website is THE gig. So, whether you’re being found via social media or through your website, both need to have a first impression that makes your visitors want to stop and read more.
4. Brand consistency (and saving time!)
Stock image libraries can be an absolute time suck! Searching for that perfect image, only to find it actually doesn’t look right, takes up time that should be spent elsewhere in your business. When you have your own library of images, that are consistent in the way they look and feature your brand colours (and you!), you can pick an image to use for your posts, or your website, that doesn’t take half a day! If the process of finding an image also causes you stress, that’s a huge reason to invest in personal brand photography so that you can have your own library of images. You want people to start recognising you from the look of your images, too – brand consistency helps lead to that all important brand recognition
5. Bring more money in
If a luxury handbag company used average phone images, do you think you’d be inclined to buy them? I certainly wouldn’t be. So, if you want people to buy into what you’re selling – you need to show them that you know what you’re doing and if you’re charging premium prices, you need to look premium. By investing in personal brand photography, you’ve also invested the time and money into your business to make you stand out from others. You don’t use stock images because you want to show them the person behind the brand. The stories behind what you do and that you’re an expert in what you do. You’ll then be able to connect with your ideal client. Build up the ‘Know, Like and Trust’ factor and ultimately convert them into a paying client.
So, in a nutshell – get that personal brand photoshoot booked in and start connecting with more clients. If the world of Brand Photography is still new to you and you want to know more, have a quick read of my previous blog.
