All new business ventures, regardless of size or industry, grow from ideas and visual thinking. So essentially, a visual idea is the beginning of a startup company! It is imperative that you incorporate visual and photographic content when marketing a new business, especially in today’s growing world of technology. Having great photographs and images will be key in not only creating your visual brand, but making it stand out among your competitors!
Maybe you’re just getting started, or maybe you have a shoe string budget with which you feel like you can’t afford quality photography. It’s time to push these excuses aside and learn how to be your own photographer (fake it until you make it, right?) to ensure you begin creating a strong and professional brand from day one.
Take a look at these essential tips to get you started…
Build a stock image library of photos from areas around your business or hometown
Having access to quality, visual content when you’re trying to grow your business is key to creating a memorable and consistent brand. The first step is to start looking at your everyday surroundings as possible stock imagery. Get and capture photographs that will be visually beneficial for your business, over a long length of time. Create your image library by photographing landmarks and significant areas surrounding your business. You can also photograph objects that relate to your brand.
As a business owner you can choose to capture these images yourself or you can hire a freelance photographer to provide you with a stock image library. For a small investment of either your time or a professional’s skills, you can gain access to a ton of unique stock images that are both local and meaningful to your business. Best of all, you won’t have to worry about copyright issues like you do with images found online!
Take photos when you travel
Always have your camera handy with you when you are on the go. You never know when you will have a photographic opportunity. Even if you forget your camera one day and you see a terrific photo opportunity, remember to pull out your cell phone and take a quick snapshot. You never know when that photo might come in handy for a future blog post or Instagram update.
Capture photos of your usual workday
Another great way to continuously grow your visual content library is to take snapshots of moments and things throughout your typical work day. These photos can be as simple as a stack of pens or your laptop setup with your piping hot coffee. These types of photos are great for original content and will give your audience a real look into your daily life. After all, it all comes back to creating that “human element” as part of your brand.
Save time with minimal editing
A great tip to know when beginning to photograph for content is to always shoot with minimal editing in mind. A simple, but key factor when it comes to minimal editing is the less cropping the better, so try and be mindful of the “rule of thirds.” As you get more advanced, you can even begin to explore different types of lighting which can really help to cut down on the amount of editing needed to fix “bad” images. When it comes to lighting, there is a lot to understand but beginners can set the camera to an auto setting which should ensure proper lighting. More experienced photographers often prefer to carefully set their own lighting for each shot, but if you’re just getting started, use those auto settings until you learn the ropes!
Your photographs can be simple and still stand out
Believe it or not, you can take professional photographs with little to no fuss at all. Sometimes the simpler the image is, the bigger impact it will have. So don’t worry about making a big production out of finding the perfect background staged with a ton of props. Rather, take the time to plan some of your locations and pay attention to the smaller details, such as your shooting angle. The simplest things can be made to feel artistic and unique based upon how you photograph them. Dare to get a new view from up high or down low – you’ll be amazed as to how your world changes from this angle!
How do you use photography to build a unique brand and make it stand out? Share your ideas and experience by commenting below!
