Show, don’t tell.
Remember the old saying ‘’you eat with your eyes first”? Long before you have taken the first bite of your meal the visual stimuli that is your food has already altered how you perceive the dish is going to taste and smell. The same can be said for brand photography. In a rapidly evolving and competitive market where consumers all have equal access to technology, you only have one chance to engage with your target market and leave a lasting impact.
As a business, you’ll know the importance of having an impressive website, logo and advertising as these are what your customers are going to remember. The same goes for all photographic materials.
If you’re contemplating why you should invest in brand photography, read our top reasons why we think you should:
1. Build recognition and trust.
Brands are relying on all sorts of platforms to spread their message that it’s easy to get lost. Having consistent, visually appealing photography across websites and social media will assist in brand recognition and building trust with consumers. In the online realm, if you don’t look consistently professional, your brand will lack credibility and trust. Conveying your brand with high quality photography will breed trust which is critical for someone to feel comfortable enough to even make an enquiry.
2. Showcase your personality – extract emotion.
Visual stimuli in the form of photography subconsciously tells your consumers how to feel about your brand. There’s more to a photo then what the lens captures. Professionals take those images and enhance them to create meaning and emotions. Photography can be used to assist in how you want your customers to think and feel when they think about your brand.
3. Brand identity begins and ends visually.
First impressions count. Strategic and professional brand photography will assist in positioning you as a professional and the expert in your field, which is far more appealing to consumers. On top of communicating your messages, tactical brand photography will assist in building relationships with potential customers – a paramount step in your businesses’ operations. As we have discussed, the right visual imagery is a vital point of difference in developing brand recognition, credibility and consumer trust.
4. Be the Competitive Edge.
In saturated markets key points of difference such as powerful brand photography is an invaluable tool. Creatively using photography to represent your brand is an effective method of showcasing your brand identity to consumers and creating your desired visual impact. Research suggests, content that includes powerful and compelling images average approximately 94% more views than that of competitors using non-visual strategies or poorly executed visual imagery.
5. Consider what you’re selling.
Whether you’re selling a product or service, professional shots will help to increase sales. Consumers want to be able to see a product in detail or a service in action: essentially, what their precious money is going to get them. Stock photos can be a great, cheaper alternative, but these images could also be used by your competitors. We believe it’s important to find a style of photography that suits your brand identity.
6. People are reading less and less.
There’s no denying that text is important, and it certainly has its place. In terms of communicating a message fast, visuals are the clear winner in getting your message across. Consumers make decisions in seconds based purely and simply on the visual imagery used in your marketing mix. Remember – you eat with your eyes first. Statistics reveal consumers remember 80% of what they see visually as opposed to only 20% of what they read. Interestingly, it is also estimated that images are processed up to 60,000 times faster in the brain than text.
7. Invest: poor visuals cannot be forgiven.
Though quality photography can add value and build brand equity, bad photography can have the opposite effect. The new wave of millennial consumers don’t just expect great images, they demand it. Growing up with technology at their fingertips has completely changed the game. With these high standards becoming the ‘norm’, poor photography simply cannot be forgiven. We recommend doing your research or consulting your trusted marketing experts to find the right photographer for you and your brand. We can all change a tyre, but that doesn’t make us a car mechanic. Photographers have the equipment, skills and experience to assist you in building your brand. Don’t risk disconnecting with customers by using lesser quality images or taking images with your mobile, as this can devalue your brand.
As a boutique branding agency, Viabrand’s “strategy first” ethos highlights the importance of incorporating visual assets as part of your content marketing strategy and thereby creating more engaging content. Designs and images are all tailored to connect with your desired market audience and Move Your Brand to the next level.
If you are interested in engaging with one of our experienced brand consultants, please get in touch on our contact page or 07 3180 1416.
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