They say you have seconds to create a first impression. Those few seconds are the deciding factor as to whether people are interested in your brand and who you present yourself to be. Once you move past those few seconds, well, it’s only a matter if you strike people as the kind of brand they want to associate with. This is why branding photography is incredibly important; to create a lasting impression. Because you only have one shot.
Define Your Branding Goals
The first step of this process is to define your goals. When you have a definitive goal, this will guide the direction of your brand and allow you to focus on what you need to accomplish. Otherwise, you may find yourself floundering with no clear direction. Great brands have planned almost everything out before launching, although those are rare to find. By determining these concepts, you are able to build your strategy (Jenkins, 2023). An example of developing those goals for the photography itself may include setting, colors, lighting, and what clothing you choose to wear. Musicians would wear the shirts of bands that they like that are in their genre, choose a location that fits their genre, and ultimately, work for their brand. Lance Reis (2023) describes this as lifestyle photographs, which is typically used for most personal branding. More professional branding would reflect in the work that your business does, whereas more casual branding would fall under lifestyle.
Develop a Storyline
People love stories. Always have, always will. But the one thing you do not want is to tell a boring story. Even a bad story has its merits, but a boring story holds no one’s interest. When developing a story, it’s best to start at the beginning, to convey the origin behind your story. As your journey progresses, you show the progress that your brand has accomplished. Once you’ve reached a certain distance from the origin, it is good to reiterate that message in order to bring any new people up to speed. In doing so, you must also keep it engaging and perhaps add more details that may have been left out previously, so as to not disengage your existing audience.
Another reason to develop a storyline is follow through with your branding goals, ensuring you convey the right message and properly imply the meaning behind the image (Jenkins, 2023). You want to provoke the right responses from that story too. Whether that is empowerment, solace, or motivation, it is important to consider what response you want from your audience. In doing so, you will establish yet another goal you seek to accomplish.
Evaluate Your Results
When you work towards a goal, it’s best to make sure the results are working towards that objective. Otherwise, what is the point of your work? It is best to ensure that the results justify the work you’ve put in and that they work towards your goals. You need to see what worked and what didn’t. Now, I’ll pose this question. Which is more important: what did work or what didn’t? I imagine the answer is rather split. However, in my mind, what didn’t work is what requires the most focus. Understanding why things did not resonate with your audience, editing your plan slightly, or composing an entirely new strategy to accomplish the goal will all be steps in your evaluation, at one step or another. Understanding success is easy. Understanding failure is a lesson that many have a difficult time learning.
A lasting impression is a hard thing to garner. Just remember, no one person will remain during the entirety of your brand journey. However, don’t let that weigh you down. Always push forward, grow your brand, and develop a brand that people want to associate with. With that in mind, I hope that I have done so, added something to your week, and hope you have an amazing week!
Warmest regards,
Logan Clark
Works Cited
Jenkins, Stephanie. “Branding Photo Strategy Guide [Updated for 2023].” Stephanie Jenkins Photography, 26 February 2023, https://stephaniejenkinsphoto.com/branding-photo-strategy/. Accessed 19 June 2024.
Reis, Lance. “Branding Photography: How It Can Make or Break Your Brand.” Lance Reis, 26 January 2023, https://www.lancereis.com/photography-tips-for-beginners/branding-photography-how-it-can-make-or-break-your-business#theperfectphoto. Accessed 19 June 2024.