Businesses are starting to slowly open back up to allow working directly with people again. It has been a long road for all of us, but we can get back to what we love with the right precautions.
Photographers are a part of Phase 2, so we have been locked in our dark caves away from human interaction like many other business owners in the area. I have been lucky enough that bringing products to life without the use of human models has been perfectly okay through all of this; the downside is products don’t give me as fun of conversations as people do. But we are so excited to get back to safely working with our clients again. I apologize ahead of time if we photographers seem a little bit more socially awkward than usual.
While I know that many of us have changed roles during this time, becoming teachers and caretakers, the news that we can soon open up our doors has got to get you excited again.
With that, over the last few months, what have you done to keep your marketing fresh?
Looking through social media, I have seen some great use of professional images by local businesses that were captured before the pandemic, which is excellent! Staying in front of your clients, even if it’s an image you have used before, is essential to keep them coming back to you. Adding a new word overlay or message to the image can keep it fresh for multiple different uses and catch your customer mid scroll.
Another approach is using what you have captured visually while in quarantine that you can use to promote yourself. Relating to your ideal clients is imperative to keep them engaged and loving what you do. While I do usually recommend using professional images, there are times to use your phone to capture in the moment pictures to share and build genuine engagement.
That brings us to how and where to use what images. If you have great, engaging photos that show the real you, layout a posting schedule to regularly post those weekly. Use them as a way to interact with people on your social media. Don’t forget that while you may love your cell phone camera, using those images over what a professional photographer can deliver may not catch as many eyes as you want, so spreading them out in between your branding images is a good idea.
What images should you be using? I call them scroll-stopping images. This is kind of like show-stopping or eye-catching, but these days, most advertising is done online, so scroll-stopping fits the bill a bit more. So, you want to create something that will make your potential customers stop their scrolling and click on your ad to see what you are all about. Which brings up the question, have you spoken to your photographer yet?
With multiple options of amazingly creative photographers in the area, you can find a photographer that can capture your business’s true soul. Just like any art form, there are multiple styles that you can see that align with the aesthetic of your brand. Myself, I am more dramatic and contrasty with a penchant of using nature as my backdrop. Others are light and airy that rely on natural light and soft edges. Almost every branding and commercial photographer I have spoken to would love to sit down, grab a coffee and nail down what you need for your brand.
So, put down those cell phones and contact one of the local photographers to make your brand stand out and get those people to stop scrolling past you.
Missy Fant is a commercial and branding photographer in Vancouver, Wash. Contact her at www.MissyFantPhotography.com.
