What is personal brand photography & how can it help your small business grow?
As a professional brand photographer for small business owners and entrepreneurs, I live and breathe personal brand photography everyday. But I understand that for many small business owners, personal brand photography might be a relatively new concept and you may have some questions. So today, I thought I’d go back to basics and really break it down for you.
I’m going to cover what personal brand photography actually is, why having brand images is so important for small businesses, and where you can use your brand photos. Hopefully this will help you feel a bit more clued up on the subject and you will be able to better prepare for your very own personal brand photoshoot!
So, what is personal brand photography?
Personal brand photography is a powerful tool for small business owners and entrepreneurs. It’s a set of images that you, as a business, can use to showcase and promote your brand. The personal element also allows you to communicate what is unique about your business and helps your customers feel a connection with the person behind the brand (i.e. you)!
A personal brand photographer will work closely with you to understand what your images need to communicate and how to tell your unique business story to your ideal customers.
Personal brand photographs can cover creative portraits and business headshots that showcase you and your personality, as well as working lifestyle images that showcase what your business does.
Having professional, unique and beautiful personal brand images will allow you to market yourself across all your platforms, and encourage people to engage with your business.
To put it simply, personal brand photography has the power to showcase who you are & what you have to offer in order to attract your ideal customers!
Why do you need personal brand images for your business?
It’s common to feel nervous about the idea of having your photo taken, and as a small business owner myself, I understand that it can be scary putting yourself out there as the face of your brand. But what you need to remember is that this isn’t about you, it’s about showing up for the people who need you, the people who need what you have to offer. You also need to remember that personal brand photography has the power to help your business grow!
So, whether you consider yourself a business, a brand, an entrepreneur, creative or something else, personal brand photography is super important for anyone who offers a service or a product.
If you have something to offer, you need to market it. And wherever you market yourself, you need content and you need images. These images need to grab people's attention, tell people who you are, showcase what you can offer them, and ultimately encourage them to buy your service or product.
So how does personal brand photography do this?
Well, I’ve actually already written a blog covering EIGHT reasons your business needs personal brand photographs, so feel free to check it out. But to break it down…
Personal brand photography is engaging.
When you have beautiful, professional images, you’re much more likely to stand out and grab people's attention, encouraging them to engage with your business, which is the first step to gaining potential customers.
Personal brand photography builds trust & credibility.
By showcasing yourself and your unique personality through your personal brand images, people can get to know you. When people feel you are being authentic and honest, they are more likely to trust you, which is super important if you want them to choose your offerings and give you their money. By showcasing what you can offer people and communicating your brand messages via professional images, you’ll also create a good first impression and present yourself as a professional in your field, which, of course, is also key to gaining customers.
Personal brand photography encourages brand recognition & makes you more memorable.
When you show up consistently as the face of your brand through personal brand photography, you are allowing people to recognize you again and again. This will keep you in people's minds and encourage them to think of you when they (or someone they know) need what you offer.
Where can you use personal brand images?
Ok, so we know what personal brand photography is and why you need it, but once you have your shiny new personal brand images, what do you do with them?
Well, you can literally use them everywhere! And you should!
You can use them all over your website. On your social platforms as profile photos or cover images etc. You can use them to create engaging social content, including posts, reels, stories, carousels, tiktoks, gifs, pins, video thumbnails, podcast artwork, and more. You can use them for features, articles, directories, paid ads or in the press. On your blog, your newsletters, your online course, ebooks, pdfs and pitches. And for a range of printed marketing materials too like flyers, business cards, packaging or banners. The options are endless.
Everywhere you use your personal brand images, you will be showcasing who you are and what you offer, encouraging people to learn more about your business and potentially become a customer!
So, hopefully this has cleared up some questions, and helped you understand what personal brand photography is, why it's so important for your business, and how you can use your images to gain customers. The return on investment is limitless, so personal brand photography could actually be one of the most valuable investments you make for your business.
If you’re in need of some personal brand images for your business, I’d love to help!
As your personal brand photographer, I’ll aim to show off your unique personality & your specific offerings in a creative way through the beautiful brand images we create together.
I also want to give you more confidence to show up for the people who need your help, so you can build a strong and recognisable personal brand.
Personal brand photography can really help you stand out, make an impact, and get seen!