Entrepreneurs are known for their ‘do-it-yourself’ mindset, but when it comes to promotional photography, doing it yourself may not be best. Whether it’s for your website, billboards, printed materials, or social media, appealing and professional photography will make your business seem more reputable.
Unfortunately, during the business start-up phase, the expenses involved in hiring a professional photographer seem like one of the most expendable on the list. It’s all too easy to fall into the trap of using stock photos, or even trying to perform the task yourself. According to Vancouver-based photographer, Lindsey Donovan, professional photography is central to growing your brand early on.
“Ultimately, you are your brand. Having professional imagery reflects the essence of your goods and services,” explained Lindsey. “It’s the old adage, ‘eye appeal is buy appeal’ and it tells potential clients you are operating with a level of professionalism and dedication to quality.”
Here’s six reasons why you should be investing in professional photography for your small business.
Professional Photography is More Professional
Right off the bat, having professional and personalized photography presents you with the opportunity to gain an advantage over your competitors. Clear and creative photo designs demonstrate the credibility of your company and will result in customers trusting your brand as authentic and one they want to support.
“As an entrepreneur, your social media presence, website, and other marketing material is the first impression a potential client has of you and your company. It’s so often the first thing to go when putting together a budget, but it’s quintessential to a business,” Lindsey said.
Putting Your Best Foot Forward
The photos you use on your marketing collateral represent your business just as much as your staff or the products and services you offer. Low quality, amateurish photos reflect poorly on a business. After all, if you’re skimping on the photography, what else are you potentially skimping on? Anyone with a passing interest in marketing will tell you that content is king. With the rise of digital marketing, visual languages have become the primary means of communication between businesses and customers, and your business is no different
Photography is Extremely Shareable
The benefits of an engaged social media community that shares, likes and retweets your content are impossible to overstate. Displaying professionally taken photos alongside your social posts makes them far more likely to be engaged by your desired audiences, growing your brand and reaching more potential customers organically.
Less Hassle
Deciding what you want to convey through your photography and how to achieve that may seem like a daunting task. Luckily, professional photographers are usually more than happy to take over the logistics of the creative process, as they know what they need to do to make sure that your wants and needs are addressed. As well as having them take the logistical reins, using a professional photographer means you get their skills as well as lighting, equipment, editing and retouching. It’s a hassle-free solution that’s worth the up-front cost. To ensure you get the results you envision, Lindsey has one further tip:
“It’s important to do your research when hiring a professional photographer. You should make sure their style of imagery aligns with the feel of your company and brand.”
Professional Photos are Cost Effective
Earlier we mentioned how it can be easy for small business owners to dismiss professional photography because of the upfront costs. But, what if we told you it can become one of the most cost-effective aspects of your business? Having a cache of professionally taken photos can create free publicity for your business, and have the added benefit of building effective brand recognition.
Visual Story-Telling
One of the most important aspects of establishing an attractive brand is the ability to clearly convey who and what your business is, while offering your customers something that’s immediately recognizable as desirable. Professional photography empowers you to tell this story without saying a word.
Here to Help
No matter what stage of business, or what problem you face, Small Business BC offers a range of seminars and one-on-one advisory sessions to suit any business.
Nominations Open for the 2021 SBBC Awards
Celebrate the successes and resiliency of small businesses in the 2021 Small Business BC Awards. Nominate your business, or a business you love, across six diverse categories. Nominations run until March 8th. Good Luck!