If a picture speaks a thousand words you want all of them to be good...
To many businesses, their catalogues, brochures, websites and socials are like shop windows. They allow us the opportunity to showcase our products and services. This is why, good photography is essential. At best, poor photography means you go unnoticed. At worst, it will be detrimental to your brand.
Get your photography right and you have an effective sales tool. Get it wrong and you could miss your chance.
Good photography in advertising
Modern life comes at us fast. Our brain has to filter thousands of messages every day, each demanding our attention.
Good images in creative can be a useful shortcut, helping your adverts to stand out and cut through the noise. Not only does great photography help your communications stand above your competitors, it also shows your product or service in the best possible light.
Advertising is your chance to quickly and effectively communicate your brand's value to your customers. Whether you are going for a straight forward product shot or a more aspirational lifestyle image, it's hard to have an effective advert without good photography.
Photo content on your socials
Social media lives and dies on content. Nobody likes and shares "blah"...
To stop the scroll you need images that jump from the screen. However, grabbing attention isn't enough, the photos you use also need to be relevant to your brand, your offering and your customer. Nailing this is no mean feat, lots of brands fall short in this aspect of their marketing but those who commit and invest in their images see the benefits.
Good photography on your website
If you're an e-commerce business this a part of your marketing strategy that you simply can't afford to get wrong. The photographs of your products are what convince customers to buy. By showing them looking their very best, you highlight their worth, allowing customers to purchase with confidence.
If you're service related, photography can help demonstrate your work. Customers like to know what they can expect and clear, detailed photography of what you can offer enables them to assess your offering - think of it like having a virtual showroom. Standout photography of impressive projects are an excellent way to build trust and inspire interest.
Good, creative photography on your website can tell your brand story, without getting bogged down in copy heavy detail. Photos of your team, your premises and your offerings can all be used to give your business personality. By allowing customers a real insight into what you're all about you build those all-important relationships and positive feelings.
Invest in photos for great brochures
Brochures are an important resource for many businesses. An essential part of the customer journey for many, brochures are like a virtual (or printed!) sales-person. They show off your product or service with the ultimate aim of convincing someone to buy into what you are offering. If the photography used is not up to scratch, a brochure may do more harm than good. Make sure your brochure photography does your business justice with beautiful shots that work hard to communicate all the benefits you can offer.
What can you do if your photography falls short?
If you've noticed your photography doesn't align with your high standards elsewhere, congratulations! Recognising the need for improvement is the first step on the road to better marketing creative.
The second step is up to you. If you're creatively minded, with decent equipment and a tight budget you can have a go at getting yourself some better images. If you're prepared to put the time and effort in (and can recruit a willing helper...) you can certainly achieve some reasonable results. By studying techniques, looking at other images for inspiration and practicing (a lot!) many people can produce good photographs.
However, if you don't have the time and equipment needed then you should consider calling in the professionals. Depending on your requirements, pro photography can be a quick and cost effective route to getting the images you need. With experience and a studio it can be a surprisingly quick turnaround, one which will make a huge impact.
Whether you need studio or "in the field" shots, at Creative Cupboard we have the experience, equipment and resources to produce great photography that helps your brand shine. If you'd like to discuss how good photography can maximise the potential of your marketing communications, get in touch to find out more.
