PERSONAL BRANDING SHOOTS AND WHY YOU NEED ONE

Images are a huge part of the success of a website so, when a new client comes on board, I always recommend having a personal branding shoot, or at least a few professional headshots.

Before setting up my website design business, I was a professional photographer and I passionately believe that images can make or break a website. Many small biz owners starting out overlook this very important step to launching a new business, viewing it as a potential cost they could do without. But if you want to stand-out online, a professional photo-shoot is an investment you absolutely won’t regret. Even if the thought of it is a little bit icky at first or if you absolutely hate your photo being taken, I guarantee you’ll find the experience more fun than your think and when you have some wonderful images to promote yourself, it will be totally worth it!

So what are the benefits of a personal branding photoshoot?

It gives a professional image

As a service-led small business owner, you are your business, so it’s really important to create a great first impression when your potential customers visit your website. In this digital age in which we live, this is how you meet clients for the very first time, so don’t miss the opportunity to connect and create an impact. If you thought a selfie on your phone for your ‘about page’ was going to cut it, think again! A collection of personal branding photos showing you in your working environment will help potential clients engage with you and develop a sense of who you are and what you offer, creating a feeling of trust that you are an expert they want to work with.

It elevates your website design

Your website visitors may be looking at competitors sites as well as yours, and they’ll form an opinion of you pretty fast when scrolling through your site. Professional photos elevate your entire site’s look and feel, so they sell you better. Without personal photos, you’ll be relying on stock imagery, and whilst those do have their place, a website of purely stock photos will look like just that - a bit dull and generic, and, not very personal. But with branding photos in the mix, your website will look unique and it will have a lovely, personal touch.

It creates opportunities for marketing

Once your website is up and running, you’ll want to market yourself on social media and maybe professional bodies’ websites or local networks. You’ll have a great bank of gorgeous images for Instagram posts, social media banners, avatars and more. Engagement on Instagram posts is often highest when a business owner posts something personal, an introduction with a photo or two. Your potential clients absolutely love this! They want to see the person behind the business, and unless you have good visuals to use, you’re missing a chance to connect with your target audience. If you’re going to the effort and expense of a professional shoot, then speak to your photographer about how much time you’ll have together and how many images you’re likely to receive and if you can, use at least a couple of different spaces with outfit changes, so that you have a great pool of different images for your marketing.

How to go about organising a branding photoshoot

Think about locations

If you’re a therapist with a lovely therapy room, perhaps you want to use this space and maybe show yourself working with a client? Perhaps you want to give a feeling of being in nature and want to use a beach or park. It’s a good idea to have yourself photographed in a place where you do your work, so your potential customer can visualise the experience of working with you and possibly use some indoor and outdoor settings. If it’s an indoor location, choose somewhere neutral with natural light and declutter the space as much as you can.

Look your best

Try to choose a complimentary palette across any outfits you are planning on wearing, so that the colours and tones are cohesive across all the images. I love soft, neutral, plain colours which can blend in to any branding palette, but if bright and bold is your thing, apply the same rules of keeping the tones similar or choose one or two key colours. It’s a great idea to have a blow-dry for the morning of your shoot, and if budget allows, why not book a professional make up artist?

Find a good branding photographer

It’s important to find the right photographer for your brand image - for example, do you want light, fresh photos, or dark and moody? Branding photography is a real skill so look for someone whose style resonates with you. Browse Instagram for inspiration and make sure you see plenty of examples of branding work from the photographer you choose. These are some of my faves in the Suffolk, Essex and Norfolk areas:

Gemma Giorgio
Sally Rawlins
Kathy Ashdown
Lucy Toms

(The lovely Lucy Toms is responsible for the photos you see of me on this website!)

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