I’ve found being a small business owner quite overwhelming with the many hats I have to wear to run it. I’ve spent years trying to understand what branding is and what it means to me and, more recently, to my clients.
I built up my photography business by researching my genres deeply to give the best service and images (to not be the wedding photographer who seemingly delayed/ ruined the whole wedding day or the family photographer who did not help parents and their children relax and have fun in front of the camera). I’ve set about doing the same for my branding photography clients.
So I delved into the question “What is branding, and why does my small business need it?”
Understanding my brand should have been simple enough. After all, I did have some relevant skills, having spent some time in my early career on the marketing and PR of films and pop stars and helping military service personnel work out what they had to offer the civilian workforce. I already had a brilliant logo (√) and a genuine reason for choosing it (if you are interested here’s more on how my Butterfly logo evolved), for which I’m pretty chuffed.
But as many brand and marketing experts have said, past, present, and no doubt long into the future, a brand is so much more than a logo, fonts, and words.
My branding journey turned out to be a deep dive into my life, loves, fears, blocks, and desires.
Who knew?! Well, it turns out lots of people…
For now, here is what I’ve learned from one small business to another that has made sense to me.
Growing up, we’d pop into our nearest town to go shopping. I remember even today that the shops/ services and the people who owned them were all known to me and my family, and they knew us.
From Edna, who ran the teashop, which was decorated with her massive collection of pottery frogs, to Michael, who ran the butchers and made amazing sausage rolls, My mum would pop into these places, getting what she needed, interacting, chatting about their lives.
We returned to those Butchers or that café not just because of the product or social interaction but also because of the person.
We knew them, we liked them, and we trusted them.
Simply put, Branding is YOU. It’s your business’s personality and identity, its core values.
It is the reason people come back to you rather than your competitor.
Branding is the way to connect with and keep clients. As not everyone can pop into your business to see what you do and how you do it, visual images are essential to growing the ‘Know, Like, and Trust’ that leads to people choosing your services above others.
Not surprisingly, this is where Branding Photography can help to forge that human connection over the ether.
How can brand photography help grow your business?
Visual images are more memorable than lots of text. They evoke memories and feelings. Making your business more memorable and stand out makes you easier to recall than your competitor. Seeing photos of you, what you do, and how is the closest you can get online to be a real person who cares.
People connect with people.
It gives you credibility and creates trust.
Professional, well-designed, and thought-out visuals signal credibility and trustworthiness. That you invest in your business with high-quality professional photos and a website and logo instantly conveys a level of professionalism. It shows you are a real person with a company that is more likely to provide the service or product you offer.
It shows your differentiation.
It’s much easier to show what you do or what makes your business different than the next with photos.
It helps with Consistency.
Visual branding images ensure Consistency across all touchpoints with your audience. Whether it’s your Website, social media profiles, advertising materials, or physical shop, a consistent visual identity reinforces your brand’s message and makes it easier for customers to recognise and engage with it. Also, having a load of on-brand photos to show easily to hand helps you turn up consistently – returning to credibility and trust.
Once done, you can repurpose the images across so many platforms to market your business and connect with your audience, including :
Your Website: from profile photos to blog posts to your newsletters.
Social media – Instagram posts, reels, ad stores, Linkedin, Facebook and Pinterest
For PR featuring you and your business in magazines and newspapers for reviews and adverts
For your online courses or e-book
Google Ads
Podcast artwork
Visual images are vital to your brand’s identity and communication strategy. They can help create a solid and lasting impression, foster emotional connections, build trust, and differentiate your brand in the marketplace, all essential for long-term success.
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