Do I really need professional branding photos for my business?

Do I really need professional branding photos for my business?

The quick answer: Yes you do!  Branding photos, professional photographs of you, that really capture you, your personality, your brand, what you do and who you are, will be a huge asset for your business, helping you to build your brand and find more customers or clients.

Read my previous blog for an intro to what exactly branding photos are, and how they help your business. 

Why do I really need branding photos?

Branding photos are a really important part of your visual brand, helping to set the tone of your business, appealing to your ideal clients / customers, and helping to add a consistent visual style to your brand.

You need professional photos of you, so that your business looks professional – both headshots and a range of branding photos. 

Adding your personality into your brand, through your brand photography, sharing what you’re really like, sharing your story and a bit of your life (it doesn’t have to be everything!) will really help your business to grow.  People buy from people after all: they want to buy from someone they can get to know, like and trust, rather than a faceless business. 

So seeing photos of you online really helps your customers / clients to get to know and like you, and to begin to trust you and want to buy from you.   

What will I use the photos for?

Use them everywhere, for everything! 

They will be perfect for adding to your website, for using all over your social media feeds, and in blogs, emails, Facebook headers, sending off in PR and client pitches, and any other marketing that you do. 

Anywhere where it will help your clients to get to know you, see the real you, see the person behind the business, see what you’re like and whether they’d like to work with you / buy from you.

But I don’t like having my photograph taken!

Haha, I know how you feel.  But really, you don’t need to worry about that.  Find a photographer that you can get to know, who you like, and who knows what they are doing. 

(If you choose me, you’ll find me relaxed, normal, calm, and friendly, and I will make you feel at ease 🙂   Plus I know how to gently pose you so that we create some gorgeous photos of you that you will love, and love to share too.  I have plenty more tips to share that will help you to feel more prepared, and more confident in front of the camera too, see more at the end of this blog).

You don’t need to worry about not looking perfect in your photos either – perfection may well even put off potential clients.  They want to see that you are friendly and approachable, and someone that they’d like to work with.  Even if that someone has a double chin (which I can reduce the effect of when posing you by the way!) or some other feature that you don’t like about yourself – please remember that they most probably won’t even notice it.

I’ve already got headshots, do I really need branding photos too?

Professional branding photos aren’t ones that you can easily capture yourself, and they show so much more than a mere headshot or selfie! 

They will generally show more of you than just your head and shoulders, including your work space or your environment. 

They can capture so much more than a headshot: your personality will shine through them, whether you’re being posed or photographed whilst you work, and they will be such a useful addition to your headshots for using everywhere throughout your business.

My husband / friend / child takes some ok photos of me, surely that’s good enough?

Well it might be, if they really are a good photographer, understand the point of branding photography, and are happy to do exactly what you want them to, if you know enough to direct them. 

But a professional really will know what to do, how to get the best from you, use their professional equipment, and know what to do with the lighting and location conditions. 

They will use their experience and training to really capture the real you, and your brand, to provide you with a cohesive set of images that you will really love.

They will edit the photos too so that they are the right size and quality for you to use, and to go with your brand. 

It really will be worth it!

How much does it cost?

Fees will vary between photographers, depending on their experience, confidence, and the kind of clients they want to get. 

It is an investment for your business, but one that is essential to do at some point, so why not now?  It will pay you dividends, because the fabulous photos that you get from it will really help to build your brand, set the tone of your business, and capture the attention of your potential customers when they are scrolling their social media feeds so they stop and read your posts.

So, do you really need professional branding photos for your business?  Have I convinced you how essential they are?!  

I have various packages, depending on your needs, from a one-off shorter session to a longer shoot, to a recurring seasonal shoot package where we can really get to know each other – the more you are in front of the camera, the more you will relax and feel more comfortable posing, plus the more I can get to know you and your business and what sort of images we need to get. 

Have a look at the Capture Your Brand page for more info and prices, and let me know if you’d like a chat about the sort of photos you’d like and see whether we get along – I’d love to photograph you if we do!

Next Steps:

- Interested in finding out more about my branding photography packages?  Here you go: Capture Your Brand.  

- Ready for more personal mentoring, brand, visibility and marketing strategies that work for you, a community of fellow ambitious introverts, training, and accountability to put it all into action?  Come and join my Brand Plan membership, and get support to show up, stand out, and sell more🤩

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Blog topics / categories: 

#All About Branding Photos, Headshots And Selfies

[This blog was first written in July 2019, then transferred to this website and updated, January 2024]