Ever gone through a fast food drive-thru? You look at the menu with all the perfectly photographed sandwiches (or whatever) and your mouth waters. You order what looks good. Then you go to eat it and … it looks nothing like the photo.

Why?

Because big brands understand that reality doesn’t sell. If they used photos of the food as it comes packaged out of the drive-thru window, they’d never sell a sandwich.

But taking the time to make every sandwich look perfect in real life would not be good for business either. Simply put, the photography they use is designed to sell.

Some may say “that’s not authentic.” But think about it this way… the photography is designed to show off the product in its most ideal state; when it looks its absolute best.

Let’s translate that into something that makes sense for smaller businesses…and specifically service-based businesses:

You plan a commercial photo shoot around what you want your ideal client experience to look like. This may require hair and makeup, props, staged scenarios, etc. It’s still you and your company showing what you do. These are images designed to sell; to show you and your business at its absolute best.

Now inject your personality and you have photography that really resonates with an audience.

The key is to make sure it resonates with your ideal audience – the people you want to work with. This is the purpose of investing in quality brand photography – to attract the RIGHT clients, not just any clients.

Now think about the alternative.

Maybe you DIY brand photography or use generic stock photos. Sure, it gets the job done in the short term, but in the long term it could actually be hurting you. People will migrate to the websites and companies they resonate with. Marketing that feels generic will just blend in with all the noise. Are you trying to blend in or stand out?

Brand photography should be designed to sell. Is the photography you’re using sending the right message? If not, we can help. Contact ustoday to see how we can help you stand out from the competition.