Personal Branding – What’s it all about and how can a commercial photographer help? – Steve Edwards Photography

Steve Edwards Photography Commercial Photographer Nottingham

We all know the old adage that “People buy from people” and of course it’s true. In the current climate of less in-person contact we all rely on our websites and social media to help us get our message out and to connect with others.

We’re all aware of the Know, Like and Trust Factor which represents the journey that all your clients and potential clients take. They need to get to Know your brand, once they Like you they may start to buy from you and ultimately Trust you. Hopefully, if you’ve added in an excellent customer experience for them they may even become advocates for your brand which of course would be the ultimate. If you want to learn more about customer experience and how important it is then I’d advise checking out Victoria Taylor’s site, I’ll pop a link at the bottom of this blog.

If your business or organisation shares your name, and even if it doesn’t, then adding the human touch to your website is quite simple to achieve, just add some photos of yourself! I don’t mean posting your holiday snaps that you’ve put up on Facebook as they might be just a touch too personal, and while we’re all human you’re trying to make a good impression. By all means once your clients have become friends you might consider adding them to your Friends List, but for a business page I suggest that it’s not quite the look you might be going for.

Whilst some “normal” professional headshots would certainly achieve the objective, by showing your visitors that you are serious enough about your brand that you have invested in professional images, I find that by throwing in a few “fun” ones too it gives greater flexibility when it comes to promoting our brand.

There’s probably a technical term for this style of pose but I like to call them “Game Show Poses” and whilst you might fell like a bit of an idiot for a few minutes in front of a photographer, they will certainly pay off when it comes to your website design and blog posts. These poses are formal enough to make you look like a professional and not to look out of place on your social media channels, also they will be perfectly lit so you know you’re going to be looking your best. But they add a little fun to them too and that way make you look far more friendly and approachable. I always make sure that there is some “negative space” in images, so there is room for text or a logo to be added at a later date. Also by shooting in a proper studio with a white cove it means we have full control over the lighting and can give that perfect white background without any problems.

Most people feel uncomfortable in front of the camera and being in a studio with a big fat pro lens probably won’t be an exception, fortunately professional photographers are quite used to this and will try to make you feel at ease from the start. Personally I like to find out a little about you prior to the shoot and know exactly what you’re going to use the images for. I then start the shoot with some a few normal style headshots that would be suitable for the About Me page on your website or LinkedIn profile before moving on to the Game Show poses as you will have relaxed into things by then. And of course you don’t need to be in the studio at all, some shots of you in your office/work environment or out and about wherever you live or work would get similar results. You could even make use of any local billboards or signage that could then be photoshopped to include your brand and message later on.

So, to maintain the human touch, your website and social media channels need to be, well just a little more human, and the best way to do that is to get yourself on there so that you can be seen and your clients can take that first step and get to know you.