Shannon Ciricillo August 19, 2019

10 Reasons Why You Need Photography For Your Business

In order to build a successful business that grabs the attention of consumers, you need high quality visuals. Let’s discuss 10 reasons why you need photography for your business.

photography for business — 10 Reasons Why You Need Photography For Your Business | Photo by Zach Leung for Rise x H Agency

There’s no denying that quality images add to the success of a business. In fact, with today’s highly visual society – there’s truly no other way to market your brand effectively than by using professional photography.

If you work with a knowledgable and talented photographer, you’ll be able to effectively bring your business to new heights. By building brand identity, recognition and voice – images can craft a story that is understandable for any consumer.

Now, if you’re thinking – sure, images are great, but I can probably just take them on my own. We’d have to say that isn’t the best of moves.

The truth is, photography for your business is much more than snapping a few product shots and posting them to Instagram. You don’t take pictures just for them to look pretty and earn a few likes.

Instead, it’s important to realize that photography is a tool for building your brand. It’s a strategic marketing and advertising technique that has true value, intention and results.

So, if photography has such an important place in the growth of your business. You need to hire a photographer who can develop and execute a creative plan. Someone who understands how visuals and imagery build communities, showcase businesses and sell products.

Let’s cut to the chase and talk about 10 reasons why you need photography for your business.

10 Reasons Why You Need Photography For Your Business

To Build Your Brand Identity

Whether you’re just starting your business or you’re an already established company, brand identity is one of your most important assets. It’s the way consumers understand what your business is about. And, it’s how they identify you within the marketplace.

A brand identity consists of various elements. Such as your logo, design and color palette. It even goes a step further to include what we call brand voice, which is the way you communicate with your audience. Including your tone, jargon and method of conversing – whether that’s more inclined toward personal or professional style of voice.

In all, brand identity is how your business is presented to the outside world. In order to fully complete your packaging, you need photography to capture images that align with your vision and mission. These images will become the pillar of your company. And, be used in every instance to properly market and show off your business’ capabilities and offerings.

In fact, try this: When you think of a business, let’s say Apple, what does your mind focus its attention on?

Most likely, it will be an image of their sleek, well-designed phones and computers embossed with the iconic Apple logo. Do you see how your mind is automatically drawn to an image to represent the brand?

By creating images that focus on what your business is about and help to develop a strong identity, you can allow consumers to recognize and remember your brand through the use of stand out visuals.

Showcase What Products or Services You Offer

To generate sales and conversions, photography for your business is used to showcase what products or services you offer. In fact, this is the most important reason to use high quality visuals within your business. Because if your business isn’t profitable, then what’s the point of having it?

We all need to make money. It’s a simple and sweet fact of engaging in the consumer marketplace. If we know that money allows us to run our business, wouldn’t we want to used proven methods to increase our visibility and sales?

Photography is one of the best ways you can generate income for your business. In order to showcase what products you are selling or the services you are offering, you need images that can visually explain your business to the consumer.

Before a purchase, a consumer will want to see every element of your product. That includes the package design and the item in action. Therefore, you need to ensure that your images are top notch and truly show every piece of your product.

With the vast amount of competition, consumers can go anywhere to buy a product. So, why would these choose your brand over another?

In order to close the gap and attract new consumers month over month, you need photography that captivates and grabs their attention. When it comes to product imagery, hire a professional who understands how to creatively capture your inventory. And, who is experienced in the e-commerce space.

You have a short amount of time to land a consumer’s interest. Don’t waste the opportunity. Use professional photography to seal the deal.

Highlight The Standout Elements of Your Inventory

In addition to capturing your products or services, photography allows you to highlight the standout elements of your inventory. As we mentioned, what is it about your brand that makes it better than the rest?

In fact, you most likely have a element of uniqueness about your company. Whether that’s the way your products are designed, the service model you offer or simply your brand presentation. So, if you know what makes you different – you need to show these off in your images.

Understand what makes your company a strong outlier and use that in your creative work. Show how your packaging is some of the most creative on the shelves. Or, visually explain how your services combat all the rest. Photography isn’t just about simply showing what you have to offer. It’s about creating a connection, mood and feeling that your consumers can identify with.

By using photography for your business, you will allow your consumers to understand the value and distinction of your brand.

Photo-Marketing And Advertising To The Masses

photography in business — Photo Marketing & Advertising to the Masses | Forrest Smith for Alexis Bittar x H Agency

Once you’ve created some knock out images of your brand, what exactly will you do with them? This is where the concept of photo marketing comes into play.

The creative images your professional photographer will capture will be used to market and advertise your business to the masses. This includes using your images for:

Your brand’s website
On every social media platform / profile
In email campaigns, print advertisements, mail outs
For any use of direct outreach to new or returning customers

Photo Marketing allows you to reach your audience through the use of visuals. While these images should be accompanied by call to actions and engaging copy, the images should be able to tell the story of your business.

Launching a new product? Create a bold, powerful image of your latest item.

Want to appeal to a certain set of consumers? Capture photographs with subjects that reflect your ideal audience.

Have a holiday special or event? Develop a themed shoot that gets everyone in the spirit of shopping.

As you can see, photography for your business can be used in various marketing messages. You should never capture a few images and call it a day. Photography is a process that grows alongside your business.

In order to advertise with fresh perspective, you need to look at photography as a tool that is in constant use. It’s a strategy that is consistently updating, capturing and educating your consumers about each and every step of your business.

To Land New Customers

We’ve talked about how your business uses photography to show your products and services. But, what about the way it’s utilized to build and gain brand loyalty?

Using photography for your consumer base has three levels, the first being to land new customers. If a potential consumer is unaware of your business and what you offer – how can you convince them of your greatness? How can you turn subtle interest into full fledged dedication and devotion?

In order to land new customers, you need images that impress. You need images that leave your competitors in the dust, wishing that they too had hired a professional photographer. You need to play hard ball in the game of creative visual assets.

Let’s try another quick exercise: Think back to a time when you discovered a new business. Maybe it was a beauty brand, fashion line or tech company. What made you interested and intrigued by what they had to offer?

Was it their brand name? Probably not.

Maybe it was their distinctive color palette? Chances aren’t likely.

Or, was it their high quality images that showed off their products in a creative and unique way? I think we have a winner.

You may not even realize it, but photography is constantly influencing our purchase behaviors. Of course, you’re going to be drawn toward the brand with images that spark a feeling of intrigue. That’s our visual nature as human beings. More aesthetically pleasing advertisements, please!

So, if we know that consumers see images they identify with and use that to drive their buying decisions. What other way is there, than to utilize photography for your business?

Build a Community

The second level to using photography to interest consumers is to build a community. Despite what some may think, a brand exists for many reasons other than to just make money. While being profitable is key, there are social and personal reasons to grow a business. Such as to build a community.

Building your own community of loyal consumers strengthen’s your company’s moral. By continually gaining new customers who love your brand, you are gaining valuable individuals who will be open to spreading the news and positively talking about your company. Did someone say user generated content?

Plus, a community develops a sense of togetherness. You’ll no longer be just an entity that sells products or services. Instead, you’ll build a group that feels connected to what your business is about and is invested in its future growth.

Keep The Attention On Your Brand

The final level to using photography for your consumers is to the keep all the attention on your brand. If from the start, you capture your audience with the images you create – you’ll want to keep that momentum moving forward.

Images should be a tool that continue to get better over time. You’ll want to start off any of your efforts with high quality visuals and push to be more creative and unique with each and every marketing campaign.

If the photography for your business is outstanding, it shows that you’re serious about your business. And, it will keep your consumers engaged and interested, that there’s no need to look elsewhere.

With creative elements, you have to stay on top of the ball. In fact, creating content constantly is a good motto to building your business. The more images you produce, the better the results. And, the more likely all the attention will stay focused on your brand.

For Creative Continuity

One of the many elements that brands often forget is that creative needs continuity. This means that no matter what, every piece of your business from start to finish should feel like one whole, complete project.

While many invest in their inventory, build a beautiful website and a logo to represent their brand – they skimp on the visuals that will drive their sales. They use iPhone images, pictures that don’t tell a story or just plain, boring shots that give the viewer nothing to feel connected to.

You can’t invest in every part of your business and forget the one thing that drives your marketing in a digital age. Your consumers are on their phones, laptop and tablets daily. And, what type of media do they ingest the most? Photographic visuals.

If you want to develop a product with killer packing, a website with creative functionality and a logo that screams top of the line branding – you can’t forget the photography to cement it all. Don’t kill your chances with potential consumers, take the advice from us and practice creative continuity.

Integrate Your Brand Into The Consumer’s Lifestyle

Photography for your business all comes back to the consumer. Why are building brands in the first place? To share and promote our offerings to the millions of consumers in the marketplace.

We’ve talked about how you can grab their attention and allow them to land on the page. So, what’s the next step you should take? It’s more than just showing your audience what your product is. Now, we need to show them what it does. And, how they can use it in their everyday lives.

Photography shows how a consumer can integrate your brand and products into their lifestyle. In fact, we have even have a name for this – lifestyle photography, easy enough right?

Lifestyle photography shows your brand in real time, in live action being used by your consumers.

So, how exactly do you craft lifestyle imagery? Work with a professional photographer to execute your ideas. Take a look at these examples.

Do you sell a beverage of sorts? Let’s say coffee in a can. Show your consumer opening, drinking, pouring your drink. Have them share it with their friends, keep it in their fridge and grab it on their way to work.
Maybe you produce a line of stylish handbags? Capture images of your subject carrying it on the street. Grabbing daily essentials from the zipper pouch and swapping out their old, tired bag with your new and improved design.
Or, let’s say you own a furniture brand. Chairs, tables, what have you. Show your consumers sitting, eating, sleeping and hanging out. Your products are made to be used. So, show us how they work!

With these lifestyle applications, your brand is a part of your consumers’ lives. Photography for your business can achieve a multitude of things. Showing how your products and services can become a valuable part of your customer’s life, is icing on an already sweet cake.

For The Professional Look That Will Make Your Business Successful

If you’ve made it this far, you’re ready to take your brand to the next level. You’re serious and dedicated to the success of your business.

So, for our last point of advice – if you want to build a company that beats the rest, you need the ultimate look of professionalism.

High quality photography says that you care about how your brand is perceived by potential consumers. It shows that you have a creative intention to show off your business in a fresh and unique light. Therefore, if you want people to take you seriously, you need to hire a professional photographer for your next brand campaign.

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As you can see, these are 10 key reasons why you need photography for your business. And, with the help of a professional photographer, you can take the consumer marketplace by storm.

Did you know that the H Hub connects brands like you to skilled, talented creators for your next creative project?

Check out our platform and how it works here. To get started right away and post a job, just sign up here.

Need more information on what type of creative content you need as a growing brand? Check out our guest post – The Ultimate Content Checklist For New Brands.