As a business owner who serves other people, you have the opportunity to connect with your audience on a very personal level. But obviously, this can also be a challenge.
Not everybody is comfortable getting personal online in order to make business. But luckily you’re the one who makes the call on how much of yourself you share.
Today I’d like to talk about your personal branding photos and how they can help you with this very topic.
Why your brand photos are more than just some portraits
When you book a personal brand photographer, like me for example (hint hint), they will usually walk you through the process of how your session will go. You can discuss locations, props, clothing, style, mood and all those things that will help you present yourself as the professional you are.
Your brand session can include multiple outfits and locations so you receive a bank of images that show a variety of what you do, where you do your job, who you work with etc. Different outfits let you show a bit of personality too. After all, you’re more than a business owner.
How can you show more of your personality without giving away too much of yourself though?
One thing I get asked more and more when I work with small business owners these days, is whether they are allowed to bring their partner, kids or pets along for part of their session.
My answer to that is always a very loud and clear “Hell yes!”
The female founders I work with, are mums a lot of the time. Male business owners are dads. Most of my clients have a partner, a sibling, a best friend… Whoever you count as part of your family, is a part of your life. Your family defines your values and priorities and including those people in your session gives your audience so much more to connect with.
The same goes for pets obviously. We all know animals and kids get the most engagement online, so bringing your dog to your brand photo shoot for example will have all the benefits. Also, I love shooting animals since they usually make any session way more active and unpredictable.
Bringing people from your personal life into the spotlight with you is a big step. And it all goes back to showing your personality. I wrote about this not too long ago. It’s about showing up as the person behind the brand. Authenticity and honesty are values of mine that I follow in my personal as well as my professional life – and I can only encourage you to do the same.
If you’re not sure what your values really are and how to incorporate them into your business, have a read of this article.
When you let your clients/customers/audience have a peek behind your professional barrier, you can start conversations that you wouldn’t be able to have otherwise. Giving someone else access to an area that’s usually private, makes you vulnerable and not everybody is comfortable with this. It’s about trusting others.
But there is always a small area of your personal life you might be able to share without giving away too much. Nobody needs to know everything!
