Social media, marketing materials, websites. No matter where people discover your business, chances are, it will be through a visual medium. Photography is an immensely powerful tool in catching attention and encouraging people to explore further. It’s hard to argue with the idea that a piece of professional photography is immeasurably more digestible than enormous bodies of text. Better yet, the things you may convey through thousands of words, can be showcased instantly through effective photography. A business’s services, products, vision and even values can be broadcast with incredible ease through photography. Actually, that brings us on to the next point...
For any brand to succeed at any level, it’s absolutely imperative they have a considered and effective identity. Photography is an imperative piece of that puzzle. In fact, for a huge number of companies, photography is actually likely to be the medium you implement most often. It’s an incredibly accessible way of showcasing the best elements of your brand and culture to potential customers and employees alike. A point that becomes even more relevant when you take into consideration the fact 75% of job seekers consider an employer’s brand before even applying for a job according to Linkedin. The more established each element of your brand identity, the more memorable it will be in the minds of consumers, with photography serving as a cornerstone in that effort.
Irrespective of what story you are trying to tell through your business, photography is an incredibly useful tool. Narrating your business journey, sharing behind-the-scenes insights, showing off the office or introducing new team members can all be brought to life through photography. Unlike other visual mediums, photography connects to audiences on a far more personal level. Having the ability to demonstrate the ethos and working environment of a business is imperative given 77% say they would consider a company’s culture before applying according to Withe.
Social media’s heart and soul is visual content. Plain and simple. Using effective and compelling photography is a herald of engagement. Regardless if your goal is likes, share, traffic to your website or to garner a sense of community, photography is an amazing vehicle for all. In fact, we are in an era where personality is everything. Audiences no longer engage in the way they once did with inauthentic content or content they feel is attempting to sell them something. Instead, coming in droves to brands and creators that foster an authentic tone of voice and insight into their culture. The phrase ‘people buy people’ has never rung truer. What better way to showcase your brand’s personality than using photography and bringing the personalities behind your brand to life?
If nothing else, high-quality photography is a statement of intent for a brand, immediately demonstrating how seriously the brand takes itself and how much it values its output. Without saying a word through a caption or blog post it effectively communicates to all those that encounter your business just how credible it is. Building a sense of trust from the off. Photography is a window directly into how a brand not only wants to be perceived but how it perceives itself. Taking both time and effort to capture such effective photography is something that will set you aside from competitors. All the while, sending a clear message to anyone that encounters your business just how much it cares about its presence. A massively valuable trait for making it a more attractive option for consumers and potential applicants alike.
The role of photography in business’s online presence, outputs and brand identity cannot be overstated. It serves as a gateway into your brand’s mission & values, workplace culture and tone of voice, articulating in an instant what may take entire blog posts to get across effectively to your audience. Through photography comes the opportunity to generate engagement online, drive traffic and showcase the personalities that make a brand what it is. Not only that, but the more effective your commitment to using photography as a visual medium, a brand can showcase their standards and how much they care about their quality of work. After all, if a business puts that much time and care into their own work – consumers know they’re in safe hands.
