The Good, The Bad, and Just Good Enough
Let’s face it; we’ve all heard the old saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words” well, it’s worth way more. Consumers usually do not want to be told why they should choose a brand; they want to see it! You are looking for an immediate connection versus, “yeah, right, pal.”
You’ve got a great product, an incredible story, and then a stock photo. It’s just like having a perfectly decorated room that has become showcased on a magazine cover, and all you see is the ugly, boring beige drapes. Most of us already know that a professional photographer can produce stock photos and are used quite frequently because they are free, or you sometimes can be charged a minimal fee. There is nothing wrong with the fact you want to use a stock photo but beware of the visual cliches and choose wisely. When selecting a stock photo for your brand, remember it’s not your vision. It is someone else’s vision, idea, interpretation, and concept. Most clients balk at the professional photography line item in their budgets; why would you ever teeter on such an essential key element to achieving branded success.
Professional photography is a must to help identify your brand and story in a sea of competition. It gives your brand credibility, relevance, and differentiation. How many of you know the old saying, “you eat with your eyes”? When we got into a nice restaurant and sat down to order our meal, our choices are typically made from a menu. If the photos are visually un-appetizing, you simply do not order that dish, even if it is something you like. Consumers do the very same when choosing a brand. For instance, when scrolling through social media or websites, do consumers look at or click on the text to learn more or a visual image? The human brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text, and 80% remember what they see versus 10% of what they read. 90% of the information transmitted to our brain daily is visual. Creating stunning and killer images for your brand is a no-brainer. Visual content tells your story and represents your brand. It is essentially the first impression connecting your consumers to your account. You want to be relevant, professional, unique, trustworthy, but overall memorable.
In today’s ever-changing world of technology, it seems everyone has a smartphone with a camera, and everyone can ‘Take” a photo. Still, it takes a professional to “Make” a photo, which is a critical distinction in successful marketing. When you take a photograph, at that moment, you are capturing an existing scene, and when you are making a photograph, you are capturing a scene by setting it up, using perfect lighting, edits, and retouches.
Do you want to be “close enough” or “just as boring as everyone else”? The average human brain becomes distracted in 8 seconds so hiring a professional expert that can capture and make captivating visual content that is effective and memorable is key to your story, growth, and success.Or go ahead and cut out that most crucial budget line item, and then you become just another member of the “dime a dozen” club.
