In our digital world, the phrase “a picture speaks a thousand words” is more relevant than ever. Visual content is the backbone of brand storytelling, and quality photography has become an indispensable part of effective business branding.
Today, we’ll unpack the critical role photography plays in shaping your business image and share how you can use photography to optimize your brand’s impact on your audience.
The Importance of Photography for Your Business Branding: Why It Matters
So, why is photography such a big deal when it comes to your business branding? Let’s break it down:
Create an impactful first impression: First impressions are always important, and in the world of business, it sets the tone for every further interaction you have with a customer. High-quality, authentic photos can convey your brand’s values at a glance and set your brand apart in a crowded market.
Conveys your brand personality: While your words will define your brand’s personality, your images provide the foundation. Whether your aim is to project an aura of luxury, silliness, or innovation, a curated selection of company photographs can effectively articulate your brand’s character.
It shows you are real people: There’s immense value in humanizing your brand – customers usually prefer to know who they’re dealing with. Company photography that shows the faces behind your business can dramatically increase trust and build a stronger connection with your audience.
Drives user engagement: Users engage more with visual content than they do written content, so eye-catching, attractive (in whatever way that means to your ideal customer) images can supercharge your engagement rates on social media. On your website, these same images will encourage users to spend more time with you learning about who you are and what you can offer them.
What kinds of images should my business use for its branding?
To foster a sense of authenticity in your branding, you should utilize a blend of product/service photography, lifestyle images, and team photos.
Your product photography includes high-quality images of what you offer, or images that allude to what you offer if you offer a service. For example, home builders have this type of photography down pat, and always have beautiful images (photos or renderings) of their homes.
Service-based businesses need to be a little more creative, but can still easily achieve this by showing images of your team at work or with customers (this can be role-played for the sake of the photos).
Lifestyle photographs enable customers to visualize how your products or services can seamlessly integrate into their lives and, ideally, give them the uplevel they’re often looking for. For home builders, this could be a photo of a family enjoying their new living room, or a couple enjoying a glass of champagne in their new kitchen or out on their patio overlooking an incredible view. Regardless of what you’re selling, your lifestyle photographs should sell the experience working with you offers.
Team photos add a personal touch to your brand and give customers people to connect with. We say we don’t like to judge people by appearances, but you’ve likely at least once looked at someone and thought, “That’s the person I want to talk to,” when making a purchasing decision. Whether you choose to share professional headshots or candid shots of your team at work, it will offer your customers an insightful glimpse into your company’s culture and values.
Can I use stock images for my business branding?
So now you know why business photography matters, you’re likely wondering what this means for you in terms of your to-do list and budget. While having a professional photographer come to take lifestyle photography of your team at your office is a must, if possible, the good news is that you don’t have to rely on unique professionally-taken images entirely.
Stock images can be an important tool in maintaining your brand over time. The caveat is that you need to select your stock images carefully and make sure they fit in seamlessly with your branding. Instead of going to big sites like Shutterstock, look for industry-specific stock image libraries. While Shutterstock and similar libraries are convenient, their images rarely have the professional finish you need for your brand.
Private stock image libraries created and curated by a small number of photographers will give you a much more professional and on-brand look. They’re also often just as, if not more affordable, and you won’t be using the same images as a thousand other businesses online.
Photography takes your brand to the next level
Photography holds a central role in business branding, crafting captivating visual narratives that resonate with your audience. Your authentic product photos, candid team snapshots, and tastefully chosen stock images can all help you shape perceptions of your brand. For small businesses and home builders alike, investing in high-quality, authentic photography is a highly effective strategy to carve out a distinctive and memorable brand identity.
In the bustling digital landscape, finding a platform that offers significant reach and engagement is crucial. Instagram, with its visually-driven interface and over a billion active monthly users, has emerged as a powerhouse for businesses looking to connect with potential customers, amplify brand recognition, and stimulate sales.
For businesses thinking of starting an Instagram account, the sheer volume of posts going up on the platform can be overwhelming, especially when they start to think about what they’ll post to attract their ideal customer.
Don’t be so intimidated that you don’t carve out space for your business on the platform. In this guide, we’ll explain why Instagram is so advantageous for businesses and give you our 5 top tips on how to grow your following on Instagram.
Why Instagram is So Important for Businesses
Instagram is a global hub for businesses big and small, as well as a place for individuals to share their vacation snaps, gym gains, and cute pet pics. Instagram reports that 90% of its users follow at least one business, meaning users are ready to follow the businesses they care about.
Instagram’s emphasis on visual storytelling allows businesses to present their narrative in an engaging, compelling manner. It’s a platform to showcase products, share behind-the-scenes insights, and cultivate user-generated content, thereby building a strong brand identity and fostering trust with your audience.
5 Proven Strategies to Cultivate an Instagram Following for Your Business
So, how do you use Instagram in a way that ensures you grow your audience and not just upload to crickets? Here are our top 5 tips:
Consistent, Quality Content: To attract and retain followers, you need to share high-quality content that resonates with your audience and reflects your brand’s values and messaging. Regular posting not only keeps your brand at the forefront of followers’ minds but also encourages interaction and engagement.
Harness the Power of Hashtags: Think of hashtags as the fuel driving your content’s visibility. They help your posts reach more people, increase brand exposure, and attract potential followers. Create a unique branded hashtag and utilize relevant industry hashtags to maximize your posts’ reach and impact. Make sure you use hashtags strategically – don’t just add anything you can think of when uploading. A strong hashtag strategy will propel your business forward.
Engage, Don’t Just Broadcast: Instagram is about building community. Make it a point to respond to comments, ask for feedback, and create interactive content like polls. This not only builds a sense of community but also boosts your visibility and engagement on the platform.
Leverage Instagram Stories and Reels: These features offer businesses an opportunity to share a more authentic, less curated side of their brand. Whether it’s behind-the-scenes content, product launches, or customer testimonials, these features help deepen connections with your audience.
Utilize Analytics to Understand Your Audience: Not every post you put on Instagram will be a hit – sometimes why that happens may feel like a mystery, but on most occasions, you can look to your data for answers. Instagram provides a wealth of insights to its business accounts, including follower demographics, post performance, and optimal posting times. By understanding what resonates most, you can craft a more targeted content strategy.
Overwhelmed? We Can Help
Balancing the demands of an Instagram account while running a business can be taxing. That’s where our social media management services can help. We specialize in formulating an effective, custom-made Instagram strategy that aligns with your business goals.
Our services encompass content creation, hashtag strategy, weekly promotional posts, and more. We’re dedicated to creating and sharing content that speaks directly to your audience, helping you grow your brand awareness and gather new leads. We simplify social media management, making it an intentional and efficient part of your business strategy.
Instagram offers a wealth of opportunities for businesses. With the right strategies (and our dedicated social media management team at your disposal), your business can fully tap into the potential of Instagram. Click here to find out more about our social media management services.
When did your logo last have an overhaul, and who created it? If your answer is more than 10 years ago, or “me”, there’s a good chance your branding could use some work.
But does branding really matter when you need a website so you can start getting leads? Your website is your online home and storefront – it’s got to do a lot of talking for your business, and if the design and usability aren’t there, you risk alienating your clients.
Understandably, with so much at stake, we have clients coming to us hoping to get their website up and running ASAP. But occasionally we end up encouraging a brand refresh before moving forward with the website.
Why? Read on to find out.
Is my branding optimized?
Here are some quick indicators that your branding might need a re-vamp:
Your logo looks like it was made in 1998 (outdated fonts, layouts and graphics can cause your business to look dated.)
Can you tell us the reason behind your fonts, colors, and graphics?If they seem to have been chosen randomly then it might be a good indicator that some branding work is needed.
Are the fonts, colors, and other elements aligned with your business’s offerings or personality?Do they represent YOU and what you offer?
Are you attracting your ideal customer?This is a big one.If you’re having a hard time attracting the customers you want, then it might be time to look at your branding and assess if we can make adjustments to help attract your target audience.
Does your logo and branding reflect what you do/sell in your business?
Essentially, your branding could use some work if it doesn’t accurately convey your business’s message and attract your ideal customer. That’s where we come in!
Why Branding Matters: a Strong Foundation
Your logo and branding are the cornerstones of your business’s identity. Your visual branding is the first thing a potential customer will see from you, and it will set the tone for their interaction with your company, and determine whether or not they even give you the time of day. So much of branding is about connecting with your ideal customer subconsciously – it’s attracting them via the colors, fonts, and design elements – and it all happens at a glance. If you aren’t aligned with what your ideal customer is looking for, they’ll pass you by without any serious thought.
In other words, your branding is the very foundation upon which your website and other marketing materials should be built.
Your website is your virtual storefront; it should reflect your brand’s personality and provide a seamless user experience. When your branding is weak, it directly impacts the effectiveness of your website, regardless of the design. You cannot construct a sturdy building on a weak foundation, and the same goes for creating an impactful website with outdated or bad branding.
The Power of Cohesive Branding
A cohesive brand is essential for building trust and loyalty with your customers. Cohesive branding that speaks directly to your ideal customer will:
Show them you are professional
Makes you look more trustworthy (bad branding often makes people suspicious that you will create subpar work or are even a scam)
Attracts your ideal customer
Deters customers who are not in alignment with your brand (yes, this is a good thing!)
Gives you authority (people will start to associate certain colors and fonts with your brand, making them think of you when they’re out in the world)
When your branding is outdated or ineffective, it undermines your website’s ability to connect with your target audience and achieve your marketing goals. Your brand has to come first.
Investing in Your Brand
We encourage our clients to invest in their visual branding before launching a website. This means ensuring their logo, brand colors, typography, and design elements are all in alignment with their business’s core messaging and ideal customer. Once this is all in place, not only will your website’s design look better and be more effective, but so will all of your other marketing materials.
Working on Your Branding Regularly is Crucial
As your business evolves and grows, it’s natural for your branding to change, too. Your branding may need a tweak to look modern and stay in alignment with your values, or it may need a complete overhaul to reflect a change in the audience you serve.
When you decide to rebrand, it’s crucial to revamp your website to match your new branding. This ensures that your online presence remains cohesive and reflects the evolution of your business.
Think of your website as an extension of your brand – if your branding changes but your website remains the same, it creates a disconnect in the minds of your customers. This inconsistency can lead to confusion and may even make your customers question your business’s credibility. Updating your website design in line with your new branding keeps your online presence cohesive, builds trust, and reinforces the strength of your brand.
Branding is the foundation upon which your website and overall marketing strategy should be built. Investing in strong and cohesive branding before creating or revamping your website ensures that your online presence reflects your business’s identity, values, and goals. Here at Pixel Parfait, we prioritize building websites on solid brand foundations to help our clients succeed in today’s digital landscape. So, before you embark on the journey of designing your website, ensure that your brand is up-to-date and strong enough to carry your business forward.
Small businesses often struggle to stand out in a crowded marketplace. They look at their competitors and wonder how they can get a competitive advantage; should they be cheaper? Should their services be more elaborate, delivered faster, or offer more long-term support? While all of these questions are important, there’s one way that you might not have considered as a way you can get ahead of your competitors: develop a personal brand.
What is a personal brand?
A personal brand is a brand that is a representation of you, not of your business as a whole. While you and your business may share many (or all) of the same values, a personal brand is a reflection of who you really are. It gives your customers someone to relate to and turn to as an expert.
Why do you need a personal brand as a small business owner?
Small businesses benefit from having a “face” – While huge global corporations can do just fine without someone leading as the face of the brand, small brands need to create connections with customers on a personal level to create customer loyalty. Putting a face to your business gives your customers someone to trust; remember, people buy from people they know, like, and trust, not from faceless businesses.
It’s easier to resonate with people – think about a podcast you listen to, you likely found it for the content, but you stick around for the people. We just won’t stay with a brand if we do not resonate with the face of the brand, even if the content’s gold. That means you have an opportunity to truly find your people who want to stick with you over your competitors.
Provides better networking opportunities – if you’re looking for businesses to network with, do you look for their people or what they’re doing? While networking opportunities can come your way through your business, you’re going to get far more opportunities when you are an approachable human putting yourself out there.
You become an expert – Content marketing is all geared towards making your business an authority in your industry, but you can do the same for yourself – and likely have an easier time doing it. A personal brand is all about sharing what you know with your audience, and that means you’re more likely to get invited to speak at industry events, guest speak on podcasts, and guest on industry webinars to share what you know.
Reduces how long it takes people to go from awareness to customer – when people get to know you, they develop trust for your brand far sooner than they would if they only ever saw your business branding. That means they’ll be more likely to buy from you sooner because they know, like, and trust you.
How do you develop a personal brand?
You can develop a personal brand the same way you do a business brand:
Define your target audience: this is usually the same as your business’s target audience.
Define what your values are: your values may be the same, but you will likely present them differently or more obviously than your business does. Think about how this will form your messaging.
Define what you are and are not willing to share: Some people are willing to share all aspects of their lives, while others prefer to keep their home lives private. There’s no right or wrong way, but it’s a good idea to decide ahead of time so you can speak with confidence.
Build your online presence: Use social media to build your online presence and network with others. Consider how you can use content marketing to build your authority in your industry. For example, you could start a podcast for your business with one of your employees or a business friend.
Ultimately, developing a personal brand boosts your brand loyalty, develops trust, and reduces the time it takes for someone to go from awareness to customer. These are all things we want as small business owners, but actually developing a personal brand can be overwhelming. If you need guidance on how to move forward, we’re here to help. We offer consultations for small business owners who are ready to start their personal brand but aren’t sure where to start. To find out more and to book your consultation, click here.
Love it or dread it, social media is central to the success of any business in operation today. Your business needs to be present on at least one social media platform to stay connected with customers and show that you are an active, trustworthy company to work with. But which platform should you choose for your business?
While there is something to be said for choosing whichever platform you can keep up with consistently, consistency will mean little if it’s not a platform your customers spend time on. Below, we’ll guide you through the most popular social media platforms, who each is best for, what content works best, and how to create a strategy for each.
Which Social Media Platform Fits Your Business Best?
Below we’ll cover:
Instagram
Facebook
TikTok
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram
Instagram has a huge user base, so your ideal customer is almost certainly using the platform. Instagram’s organic reach (like Facebook below) has dropped in recent years, so you need to consider using video content to get the most from this platform.
Best for: Businesses serving millennials.
What content: Quality photos and video. Instagram gives more organic traffic to Reels now than any form of feed post.
Strategy: Try to diversify the kind of posts you create. Use carousel posts, videos and photos, create Reels, and post to stories. Don’t upload for the sake of it – think about what you can create that will make your ideal customer pause to look a little closer.
Facebook
Facebook is the oldest social media platform still in use by millions of people, though its popularity among younger generations is waning. It’s also becoming more difficult for businesses to work with because many find it difficult to reach their audiences organically on the platform.
Best for: Reaching people past midlife, i.e. 55 and over. It’s also a good place to reach foreign markets if you market to a worldwide audience, and for those looking to reach a small niche audience. While Facebook has fallen out of favor with younger generations, they will still return to Facebook for the Groups feature to connect with like-minded people.
What content: Facebook is a little more flexible than other platforms, and you should use a mix of video and static posts (with pictures) to see what your audience resonates with.
Strategy: If your business serves people’s passions (sports, animals, hobbies, etc), consider starting a Facebook Group where people can come together to ask questions and discuss their interests. You can be the central authority in the group and answer the questions to position yourself as an authority.
TikTok
When TikTok first came to the US, there was a lot of discussion about whether or not it would stick around for long. Clearly, it has, and its popularity is still climbing. Most popular with Gen-Z, this is where you need to be if your customer base is under 30.
Best for: Businesses with something to teach, a sense of humor, or a mesmerizing or satisfying process (think candle pouring or pressure washing).
What content: Short, snappy videos that capture the viewer’s attention early and give them something they want. That can be a lesson, a laugh, or a thrill.
Strategy: Post 1-2 times a day to find traction and experiment to see what works. TikTok’s algorithms will promote what resonates. Use the platform for a while before you start creating content.
LinkedIn
LinkedIn may not be the most exciting social media platform to be on, but if you’re in the B2B space, there’s still no better.
Best for: B2B businesses.
What content: Informative content that teaches something or shares insight on industry developments. The more share-worthy, the better.
Strategy: Aim to become the authority on your topic or offer something different from what other experts in your industry offer. For example, if you’re naturally someone who makes a lot of jokes, why not bring some levity to your topics? Share at times people will be naturally checking in on LinkedIn.
Twitter
Twitter has been at the center of some controversy lately, so unless you’re absolutely certain that Twitter is where you need to be to reach your audience, it may be best to look to another platform for building a stable audience.
Best for: Witty businesses and those who can best convey their message through a short statement to connect with Millennials and Teenagers.
What content: Share knowledge, updates, inspirational language, or whatever best represents your brand. Use pictures when possible.
Strategy: Start and join conversations. Try to create a community that thrives on positivity and supporting one another.
A note on Pinterest: Pinterest is a great option for any business with products, infographics, or blog posts to share. We haven’t included it here as an option as it is more of a search engine than a social media platform.
Social media is something all businesses need to be managing but is a huge pull on resources (namely, time). You’ve not only got to be present and consistent but you also need to be testing and analyzing what works. If you’re not someone who likes to spend a lot of time on social media, it can sound like more trouble than it’s worth.
Fortunately, our social media management service can take care of everything for you. We create custom social media posts and images, make sure your posts are using the right hashtags, and promote your products or services. To find out more about how we can help you, click here.
Hello, I’m Sarah Haynes and I create beautiful pixels! I currently work from my Prescott home doing all types of design, online marketing and photography. I can't imagine a better job!!
I have lived in Prescott, Arizona for over 20 years and I absolutely love it here. My favorite activities (outside of work) are hiking, swimming and spending time with my wonderful husband and daughters!
Please feel free to contact me anytime with your design jobs! I would be happy to discuss the right plan for your business.
