So you’ve taken that step to show you’re a serious business, you’ve invested in your brand, now you have a suite of incredible branding photos featuring you, your services/products and your team if you have one.
What next?
So many Oh Tilly Brand Photography clients come along requiring branding images for a new website build, or because their social media manager or coach has told them they need professional images. But many business owners aren’t aware of all of the wonderful ways they can use these images to increase their visibility and credibility in the public eye.
Here are 10 places you NEED to be using your brand images for maximum reach and impact (and ultimately the best way to maximise your investment)
1. TikTok/Ig Reels/FB Stories Slideshows
Some of my favourite Tik Tok and IG channels to follow give brilliant tutorials on creating slideshows using apps with really fun transitions and animations. These slideshows look so cool that you don’t need to use video all the time. Which is great because you can use all of your brand photos in this unique way.
2. Infographics
A lot of businesses aren’t using infographics and it’s sad because they have very high rates of engagement. Share an interesting series of facts about your industry or service, something that will pique your audience’s interest.
3. Education
Following on from Infographics, it’s so important to educate our audience. Educate them about your products and services, how they can get the best out of them (just like this post) and all the things they need to know that also set you apart as the leader in your industry.
Branding photos SHOULD include images of you performing your service, or of someone using your products and these images tell a story. That is the key to educating your potential clients. Show them how and why and they will understand better.
{the above image is SET in WordPress as the Blog Featured image for this blog post and will automatically show up as the image when this blog post is shared anywhere online}
4. Blog Featured Images
Being a business owner, I have been connected with many businesses on social media for many years. Blog posts come across my feed multiple times a day and something that is often lacking is a ‘blog featured image’. When you share to Facebook for example, Fb autopopulates your post with the blog’s featured image. If you leave this blank your post will use a random image from your website.
This is the perfect opportunity to select the branding image that you want people to associate with that blog post. Start that story, educate and use a relevant branding photo as your blog featured image.
5. Email Signature
Usually within a week or two of delivering a client’s gallery of images I receive a thank you or review email and it makes me so excited to see a new headshot in their email signature.
Many times this is a person’s first opportunity to see your face, so use a great headshot from your branding session to set the tone for your brand interactions.
6. Services Guide & Price List
Gone are the days of boring price lists and service guides, today’s guides can be digital (rather than the old paper ones), glossy magazines with high quality printing etc and this is the perfect space to showcase your services or products in all their glory! Discuss ahead of time with your brand photographer what points will be published in your guide and make sure you have an image for each page to show you/your product at work and have the best service guide in your industry.
7. Client Onboarding Materials
Once a client has officially engaged your services, they should be put through an onboarding process, sometimes this is just filling out a form other times it’s more complex.
Excellent design and beautiful documents is a great way to instill confidence in a client’s decision to go with you over your competition. As they move through the onboarding process you have the opportunity to underwhelm them or to inspire them into excitement for the work you will do together. Beautiful brand imagery will inspire them and help you both to achieve the best results you can from your relationship.
8. Press or Media Kit
A lot of business and brands will be approached by the media from time to time to share stories with their community. Our local paper here sends out a photographer who has been taking the same sad images for decades. The next time your local paper or news station contacts you for a story about your business, an inspiring client or your brand story: wouldn’t it be great to have stunning images to offer them instead of being at the mercy of a press shooter. This is professional control of your public brand imagery and sets you apart from the crowd.
9. Website & Blog Posts
This one goes without saying, but have you considered all of the ways you can use your images within your website and your blog?
Here’s a list within a list, a list of ways your images can work overtime for your website and blog:
- Hero Image
- About Image on front page
- Large Buttons to direct to different pages and areas of the website
- Featured products or services widgets
- About page (you should be using at least 3 images featuring the PEOPLE behind the business on your about page or team page)
- Prices or Services page – one image per service or product
- Pop up (hot tip if you’re not collecting leads are you even in business?)
10. Socials Instagram/Facebook/LinkedIn/TikTok
As a business it’s great to focus on the social media platforms that your target audience are on the most. For me they’re across Ig/Fb/Li and I need to be sharing across all of these. But how?
I have consistent headshots across all social media platforms. For each post that is shared to every single platform there is at least one accompanying image. For educational posts and content there is at least one image and often that has text for a title or call to action on the image.
On Instagram Reels (and Tik Tok) you can create slideshows with trending sounds for more impact and views.
On LinkedIn and Facebook posts with photos do far better for views and engagement.