3 easy tips for great business photos for your website and social media
3 easy tips for great business photos for your website and social media from Sian T. Photography
You’ve got an awesome product, you've got a website, a social media plan and the passion to get your product to the customers that need it.
BUT there's something missing!
Ok you know you need great photos, but you’re probably spending way too long trying to get them and it’s all a bit random and bewildering. Follow my three simple tips for better business photos, and you can save time and create a strong identity for your product through photography.
Siân's Top Tips for better business photos
Pick a signature style
Think about your brand colours - are they warm (more yellow) or cool (more blue)? Is your style clean and graphical (like Apple?) , or complex and rich (like Liberty)? What works best for you; modern or vintage, bright or muted? Try writing down 3 to 5 words that describe your brand look and use those to guide how you create your photos.
A really simple way to start is with your background.
White backgrounds might be necessary for product photos but everyone has them. Consider adding a signature background for your product shots, that aligns to your brand style will help people recognise your product over others. Think about the sort of surface that will show off your product and help you stand out. Then stick to it! Don’t be tempted to keep changing it. All your core product images should be consistent and clearly identifiable. You can buy backgrounds or use what you already have. They could be a plain colour from your brand palette (if you don’t yet have a brand palette I recommend creating one as a matter of priority) or a textured surface like a wood table, concrete worksurface or fabric upholstery. If you’re a service business rather than a product seller, your signature background might be a location in your home or office, a particular wall or room or an outdoor space.
Next think about props
What items go with your product or service? What things would your ideal customer already have or aspire to have that are relevant to your product? Gather these things in colours that work with your brand palette (there it is again!) and your style and keep them for photo purposes only if you can. Having the wrong props can look really jarring so test them out and see what works. For example, if you sell sleek, modern chrome kitchen appliances then having cutlery or crockery in a modern style will be great, showing it alongside vintage floral china may look odd. Similarly if your service is counselling and your brand is warm, homely and rural - pictures showing you reading clinical textbooks won’t be right, but ones showing you writing in a journal might be great.
Take a look at other business working in your space to get an idea of what works and what doesn’t and what you’d like for your brand and then gather a few things that you can use in your pictures again and again.
2. People
Pictures of objects are useful and people need to see what you sell.
But lifestyle pictures of people enjoying those products, make the difference between someone buying your product and a similar one from someone else. Unless your product is totally unique in the marketplace, you will be competing for attention with others making similar products and so you need to think about selling the experience of the product, the feeling of it, the difference it makes to the life of your customer.
This is particularly important for social media and for website home pages. Think about what the customer wants from the experience of your product and photograph that.
Also think about who your target customer is and make sure the people in your lifestyle pictures represent that audience. Diversity is also super important, so think about the diversity in your audience and capture that in your images - whether it’s models, friends and relatives or even customers focus on getting a range of shots with a range of people and remember diversity is not just about race or ethnicity.
3. Variety
A good range of images showing details, products in use and collections of items as flatlays gives your social media interest and prevents people becoming bored and switching off.
I know this sounds like it contradicts number one above but the key is consistency in style with variety of subject. You can create variety while still maintaining a core brand style. Keep your colour scheme and overall style the same, but vary the content of the shots to create interest.
For example, if your core product shots are bright and crisp with white backgrounds, look for homes with all white decor to make shots of people using your products. If your brand is all about warm woods and natural materials, consider making some detail shots outside in a woodland area.
With these three simple principles; consistency of style, lifestyle shots (including people enjoying your product), and creating variety while staying on brand - you can dramatically improve your brand recognition and reassure customers that you’re the right choice for them.
Spend your valuable time getting shots that will enhance your brand using these three tips for better business photography - it’s a no brainer!
Need help with actual photography part?
Give me a call on 07816 585405 to chat about professional photography for your business