If you’ve started a photography business or any business for that matter, you may be wondering how you can set your business apart from others! The answer: BRANDING! Yes, branding! I’m going to teach you how you can brand your photography business and help it grow!
What is Branding?
Every decision you make creates your brand: what you post, how you act and treat your audience, the quality of your product and service, your business decisions, and so much more. All of these things create an image as to who you are and what you represent.
To show you more of what I mean, think of products and services you love! You probably love it because the product/service is good, of course, but there’s more to it. You might like the product because of a connection you’ve with the brand; the brand makes you feel a certain way.
I know I’m like this. To show you what I mean, here’s a list of brands I like and what they make me think of when they come to mind:
Nike: I think of exercise and running! I feel empowered like I can do it and Nike believes I can do it. I feel the drive to accomplish my goal!
Patagonia: Columbia makes me want to be adventurous and go outdoors. I think of high quality, sustainable products.
Apple: Apple is all about high-tech, futuristic, and simplistic products. They have told me I can accomplish greatness just like Steve Jobs through their marketing techniques.
Allstate: I feel protected and cared about because of the guy, Dennis Haysbert, who seems super loving and fatherly and “cares” as this logo suggests the brand does, too (yes, you should watch that great branding video by Allstate).
McDonald’s: You can see those golden arches from miles away on the freeway or driving around your town. You know what this bad boy mean to you: cheap and deliciously satisfying French fries
Target: The store that seems to selflessly take all the money from mother’s of all ages because we all love going and we don’t question giving Target our hard-earned money. The store that gives you that feeling of “I’m home” as you enter. The store that gives your bank account a ride down spending street and you still don’t feel bad. The brand that makes you realize that they know their brand and their customers. I’d say a bullseye fits as their logo perfectly.
The Value of Branding
Branding can make the difference between someone choosing your photography business over another. People turn to businesses that they trust and relate to. To really illustrate this, think of name-brand versus off-brand products. You might choose the name-brand product if you didn’t know the quality of the off-brand product.
Brands build a reputation and become trustworthy over time. Every brand will say they have the best product out there. For example, think of the movie “Elf” when Buddy sees the sign that says “World’s Best Cup of Coffee.” You probably wouldn’t believe that it’s actually the best cup of coffee just based on the sign. You’d probably need a relationship with the brand, have someone recommended them to you, or have a positive experience with them.
People tend to look where they know and trust first before going to other options. Building a brand by having a strong social media platform, a good reputation, and having a reliable service grow your credibility. And…credibility is everything!
When I’m in the market for a photographer, I may be less inclined to choose one who doesn’t have a strong reputation or credibility. If you’re needing to build that reputation, a great place to start out is by marketing your business. You’ll create a more solid ground if you have good content and your name is out there.
Anna’s Brand
Anna has marketed herself as an adventurous wedding photographer. She says it, but she also shows it in the pictures she takes and posts. She posts meaningful content geared toward her specific audience. Her Instagram feed shows mainly couples with scenic backgrounds: mountains, rocks, beaches, fields, salt flats, etc. Below is an example of Anna’s Insta page:
Because Anna wants to photograph couples in adventurous places, she posts mainly those pictures. In doing so, she is creating her brand to attract her target market. Potential clientele that are adventurous and want a fun photographer will be more inclined to choose Anna as their photographer because of her brand.
In 2020, Anna took a route of branding her photography services to small business owners. She wanted to work with small clothing brands for women and babies, as well as pursue some weddings and family shoots on the side. Her Instagram started to morph into this:
Your Brand
Now it’s time to talk about you and how you can brand your photography business! Start off by thinking about what you want your customers to think of when they envision your business. You can shape the way your customers think about you. The way you can do this is through your photography style and digital platforms, reviews, and how you treat others.
1. Photography Style and Digital Platforms
Choose pictures that you want to represent your photography business. If you’d like to be known as a family photographer, post pictures of families rather than couples! Make that be the focus on your social and website platforms. The same goes for whatever you want the focus of your business to be.
Ask yourself the following questions to figure out more of your branding style:
Do I like shooting more in the city or nature?
Traditional or Modern?
Formal or Casual?
Soft/Romantic or Edgy?
Wedding/Engagements, family, brand, or a landscape photographer?
These are just the beginning questions you can ask yourself to figure out your niche. Once you have decided on the type of content you want to share, post consistently and with the purpose to grow your social platforms. You’ll attract the type of clients similar to the type you post.
2. Interaction with Others
A major part of branding is how you treat others and interact with them. Be yourself, but always remember to use customer service skills. When you interact with your audience, they’ll see you more as a person rather than a business! They’ll feel more connected with you and put your face with the business.
Anything that will humanize your business will help create your brand. Share personal stories with your audience and ask to hear their stories. The more real you are, the more real your brand will become.
3. Reviews
Another thing you can do to brand your business is to get your clients to leave you reviews! Reviews are a great way to give your business credibility. The more people that stand behind your business, the more trustworthy you become.
Going back to the Elf example, I would believe the coffee place was the best if enough people told me it was! Sometimes it’s not enough just to say something. You truly have to back up your words with evidence. Your clients will be to do just that and prove that you are freaking awesome!
4. Be You
Lastly, the way one photographer brands their business will be different from how you’ll brand your business. You may have similar poses or locations, but everyone will have their own brand style because everyone is different: different personalities, likes and dislikes, different content. So remember that no one can be you, and you can’t be someone else. Be yourself and it will show through on your platforms!
And, don’t worry if it takes a while to get your brand to where you want it to be. It takes time to figure out how to brand your photography business and then to implement it. Brands build over time, so be patient and enjoy the journey!
For more help branding your business, sign up for our free 10 week marketing course!
