As more people enter the world of freelancing, branding is a bigger buzzword than ever. It’s for this reason that personal branding photography has also grown in popularity.

You might not realize it, but personal branding photography is an investment and a marketing tool that can help you grow your small business. Why take a chance that people will know what your brand is all about when you can tell them yourself?

You won’t always be able to control how potential clients perceive your brand, but you can take steps to ensure that your story is as clear as possible.

But first...


What is personal branding photography?

Personal branding photography is a form of self-promotion that allows you to showcase your best work. This is done through images that not only show off your skills and talents but also your personality, professionalism, and overall vibe. The goal is to create a portfolio of images that represent your unique style and offering.

The benefits of personal branding photography for any business owner are endless! Here's just some of what you'll get from taking on personal branding:

  • You're showing off your talent - If you know how good you are then why hide it behind closed doors? While your portfolio will showcase your body of work online so others can see it too.
  • You're building trust with new customers - When someone sees your work they immediately start trusting you because they've seen what you can do. They don't need to wonder if you're going to deliver quality or if you're going to do something different next time around.


Personal branding images - Who needs them?

Personal branding photography is important for anyone who wants to be successful in business. If you want to build a strong and memorable brand, then you need to create a professional image that represents you well. A good personal branding photographer can help you achieve this goal.

If you are a freelancer who doesn't have 'products' to showcase, then personally branded photos are even more important for your business! Although your past work and glowing reviews from repeat clients are undeniable testaments to your capabilities as a pro, you need to be noticed by your ideal client first. And a great photograph of yourself is a better marketing tool for this purpose than let's say, a block of text on a website.

Using personal brand photographs on your websites, social media platforms, LinkedIn, forums, and even emails can boost your marketing efforts.


 

6 Ways Personal Branding Photos Can Boost Your Business


ADD COMPELLING IMAGES TO YOUR WEBSITE

If you want to grab a website visitor’s attention in an authentic way, you’re going to need engaging photos. They don’t want to see generic stock photos either – they want to know who they might be doing business with. Copy is definitely still important, but people are also very visual, which is why quality photos matter. The photos on your site should serve a purpose and not simply be placeholders.


PERSONALIZE YOUR MARKETING MATERIAL

If you print business cards, leaflets or design any other marketing material to promote your business, it’s important to have professional images that you can incorporate. By adding photos, your brand also becomes more recognizable to clients – an important factor in building trust.


CREATE UNIQUE SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT

Social media can give your brand a lot of exposure and adding your photo to some of your posts will help boost your credibility. Social media is personal, which means existing and potential customers need to be able to relate to you. Knowing who you’re engaging with online automatically makes them more trustworthy and believable.


LIVEN UP YOUR EMAIL SIGNATURE

An email signature that has a photo automatically stands out more. It also solidifies that you’re a professional who is transparent and confident in what they do. Plus, if you chat to a client over email for several weeks, it makes meeting you for the first time more comfortable and natural because they know what you look like.


SEND YOUR PHOTO ALONG WITH GUEST POSTS

If you are a blogger for other websites, you should always be adding a professional photo to your bio. A bio photo might be small but it does help create a more consistent and trustworthy online image, especially once you start writing for multiple websites.


 ENHANCE YOUR PR EFFORTS

Approaching publications and PR firms about publicity opportunities? Professional branding photos are a must! If you want to position yourself as an expert in your sector, a good photo goes a long way. Plus, a reputable publication or firm will always ask you to send a photo anyway. When you take your business seriously, others will too.


Personal branding photos ensure that you’re showing up professionally and consistently online. It also gives your marketing and content a personal edge that will help you stand out from competitors. A small investment can give you the boost you need to grow your business in a big way.

What kind of photos will I get from a personal branding photography session?


The beauty of personal brand photographs is that they look different for every person. The whole point of taking these photos is for your unique personality to stand out. Of course, this can be accomplished for different people in a myriad of ways. 


Sometimes we take photos of people working on their laptops or enjoying their hobbies, or just relaxing at home. Sometimes we photograph them with their pets, or their friends or team. We shoot personal brand photos at home, in galleries, at parks, in their gardens… anywhere that works! It all depends on which setting will best communicate who you are to your target audience. 

But as always, our goal is to take photos that don't feel posed. Even when the scene is staged and props are used, we make sure that the posing looks and feels natural. 


We also like to take photos that are inspired by stock photography but are, of course, personalized. One example of this is a client holding a book they like, or writing about something that matters to their business. 


And finally, we take fantastic headshots. Everybody needs a really good headshot! Not for Instagram of course, but mostly for LinkedIn and other professional online platforms you might need to join.


Where can I use my personal branding photos?


Everywhere! And we're not kidding. Unlike stiff corporate headshots, lifestyle-inspired personal branding photographs can be used on pretty much any platform. Use them as profile photos for your Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Or add them to your website. You can also use these photos when creating pins for Pinterest. Or as cover images for your YouTube videos. You can also schedule them regularly as social media posts. Can I use them for a brochure? Yes! Holiday card to send to clients? Also, yes! 


A good personal branding photographer should be able to take a wide range of photos for various marketing strategies. Moreover, they should provide you with high-quality images that are good enough for printing.


Do you have any questions about personal branding or having your personal brand photos taken? Leave a comment below or shoot us a DM -- we are on Instagram as @bravoimage_branding!