You booked a personal brand photographer.
You had your session.
You got your photos back.
And now what?
Have you been in the situation where you received what you asked for and then don’t know how to move forward? I know I have!
One thing I notice quite a lot after working with my personal branding clients is that they don’t actually use their images well enough to make an impact. Let’s change that!
5 impactful ways to use your brand photos
You’ve spent a few hundred pounds (or more) on hew headshots, portraits and beautiful images to represent your business. But then what? How do you use these photos effectively so they can do what you were hoping for them to do: generate business?
Well, first of all, getting new photos is a great step toward connecting with your audience, clients, and customers. But there are certain ways you can use them to make sure you’re being seen and heard. Let me share 5 easy ways to do that.
1. Your online and social media profiles
This seems obvious which is why it’s number 1 on my list: Use a professional headshot as your profile image on Instagram, Zoom, Facebook, LinkedIn. It’s recommended to use the same profile photo everywhere so people can easily recognise you on all of your platforms. Ideally, your profile photo is one where your face is clearly visible, filling the frame and with little to no distraction.
Your photos are also great to use as a Facebook or LinkedIn cover image. Either a different image of your face or a detailed shot of something that represents what you do. Make it easy for people to see what your business is about!
2. Your Social Media feed
Another obvious use of your personal brand photos is to have them all over your social media feed. However, lots of people shy away from it. But it’s important for your followers to see your face. We’re curious and would love to learn more about you – and that includes what you look like.
Your personal branding photos can be used in many ways on your social media feeds.
- To introduce yourself to your audience and share some pieces of information about who you are.
- To show where you work if you got images of you in your office, on your computer, in your shop or workshop.
- To show you doing the thing you do: making jewelry, writing content, speaking with clients etc
3. Your website
Your website should ideally be full of your personality. And for that we need to see you – in different places and doing different things.
Your hero image – it depends on your service but your hero photo on the website, the one we can see the moment we land on your page, should be connected to your services so your visitors instantly know what you’re doing. This can be supported by a headline stating what it is that you do and who you work with.
Do you offer different services? Show images of what you do next to the explanation of it. People don’t like to read – we skim-read to get the gist without spending too much time. Images can really help to make it super clear what your offers are.
Your ‘about me’ page is not just about you – it’s also about your ideal client. BUT it’s 100% necessary that we see your face all over this page so we can find out if we’re a good fit to work together.
Your contact page. This is where people come to reach out to you and you want to remind them of what you look like. Sound a bit much? I get it but don’t overthink it! People buy from people and we want to know who we’re going to spend our money on!
On your blog. Your blog is a place where you share your value. It’s not just about the service you offer but everything else that could be relevant for your ideal client. And part of it is sharing more of yourself which is where these brand images will come in handy. Instead of relying on stock images, you can talk about what you help your clients with and use your own brand photos to show it.
4. PR and outreach
Press releases
To run a successful business, you need people to know about you. That’s not always easy and sometimes you gotta help a bit by shouting about yourself and your services. That’s where articles and press releases come into play.
Depending on your line of business, it can be helpful to create press releases about a certain offer or project you’re working on. Assuming that most people you would send this to might not know you, it can be really helpful to have a short bio and a photo attached to this press release. Using a professional photo for this over a selfie will definitely raise your profile and make you look like the professional you are.
Podcast appearances
Podcasts are great to find a new audience as well as share your knowledge and make new connections. Personally, I’m a big fan of podcasts – and if you’ve been around here for a while you know I’ve had the opportunity to speak on a few already.
When you are asked to be interviewed or are pitching yourself as a guest, you’ll usually be asked for a photo or headshot of yourself to be introduced to the podcast audience. Again, having a high-quality portrait makes you look a lot more professional.
5. Thank you cards
Lastly, your branding photos will likely be a collection of different moments, details, portraits etc. Some of these images could be perfect for a thank you card that you send out after working with a client. These personal touches can have a massive impact and while you don’t HAVE to use one of your photos for these cards, it would definitely make them unique.
This is obviously not an exhaustive list but I hope this article gave you some inspiration for how YOU want to use YOUR photos for maximum impact.
Getting new headshots, portraits and personal branding photos doesn’t mean you’ll automatically get more clients but if used the right way, they help your visibility and how your brand is being perceived by your audience.
Now, when was the last time you had photos taken to represent your business? Is it time to get some new ones or get any images in the first place?
I have limited availability for the remainder of the year so get in touch now if you’d like to have a chat about how I might be able to help you.
