In the 21st-Century business, marketing is defined by visuals that are competing for space and attention with hundreds of other visuals. Consumers are bombarded with information, and most all are visuals. As the competition for space and attention increases, so does the need for professional branding photographs as part of your content creation.
There are some fantastic, professional, and beneficial stock photographs available which have their place but, having unique photographs that are as distinctively representative of your brand as your logo is, is so much better. All too often, you will also find your competitors using the same stock photos, which won’t look professional.
Branding photography is vital if you’re serious about standing out from the crowd. Branding photography will tell the story of your brand; it will visually build a mood around it and become instantly recognizable as your brand, even without your logo.
A professional photographer can use various techniques to create a common thread through all the photographs taken for your brand. This creation can be formulaic enough that even different photographers will be able to capture images with the same unique look and feel. The subject, being photographed at a consistent angle, the use of a particular filter, the colors and tones can be defined to maintain a natural flow through all photography for your brand.
Branding shoots should be carefully planned according to your content calendar. You need to consider the weather, the location, the deadline, and the props, wardrobe, and equipment that will be needed. You also need to prepare a shot list so that you have a list of each piece of content that needs original photographs, how many and what the main subject of the shots is.
It’s essential and pays off to take your time with branding photography. If you have your content planned, you can do all of your branding photography for your content for the following month, done over a period of a few days. Branding photography is most successful when it is done less often over two or three days rather than rushed in a single day. Longer shoots result in the collaboration between the brand manager, the photographer, the models, and the crew that is gaining momentum, and the creative juices are flowing. The results are not only more photographs to choose from, but images that are richer with the mood and style consistent and on-brand.
Professional branding photography should be a priority when it comes to content creation. Usually, the focus of content creation is on the text, and reams of excellent content are created, but not enough attention is paid to the imagery that accompanies it. Unique branding photography will ensure that prospective customers notice you and existing customers recognize you, and they click through to read the content that your writers have so carefully crafted.
You should consistently be taking branding photographs just as you are consistently creating new content. Since social media is the primary platform for marketing and advertising, visuals are essential.