It’s no secret that social media is the personal billboard of tomorrow. The biggest difference being that you are competing with millions of people for attention. Adapting to the situation, however, many marketers have perfected the art of social media through content creation. In fact, many people who developed the art of content creation are often social media influencers and YouTubers. One such example of content creation is the use and investment in branding photography. Using branding photography as our jumping off point, let us look into how content creation develops marketing efforts.
Engagement
Utilizing content creation is an essential part of branding on social media and that is because of the potential for engagement. When you engage with your audience by creating and promoting content that aligns with their values and interests, the odds of your audience reciprocating that engagement shoot upwards. Using your content, you have the ability of nurturing a relationship between you and your audience, which is beneficial in gaining understanding of what your audience wants to see!
The photography industry lends itself to content creation. For example, photographers tend to use their day-to-day lives as their content, documenting the work of editing, highlighting their equipment and how it works, and even sharing videos of themselves capturing photos in real-time. Anecdotally, I often share the photos that I capture of wonderful couples on their special day via social media, predominantly through Instagram. It serves as a public portfolio of sorts.
Relevance
By taking advantage of your content, you have the opportunity to establish yourself as an expert on the topic. Now, everyone's an expert with Google or at least they claim to be. In an age of authenticity, it can be disingenuous to copy and paste an article on any given topic without some form of knowledge or experience. For example, a musician who has been playing for ten years should be able to explain things regarding their instrument and their performance. A doctor who performs surgery everyday should be able to provide insight into that process. As a photographer, I have about ten years of experience under my belt where I have learned a multitude of invaluable lessons through successes and failures.
Branding photography as content is often beneficial in highlighting those credentials and conveys that you have the experience you claim. If you optimize your content, develop strategies of how you implement that content into your brand, and examine the results of what worked and what didn’t, you can continue to build the reputation of your brand.
Perception
The main focus of branding photography is creating an image. Not just a physical picture, but a mental perception of who you are and what you represent. Brand photography will push your brand further if it mirrors your identity. The most beneficial way to create that perception is to look toward individuals and organizations that create content in your field of expertise to gain inspiration and replicate the aspects of what your brand promotes. We’ve touched on consumer perception and how that reflects a brand identity. In the article, “The Relationship Between Consumer Perception and Branding”, I lay out three points that impact your audiences’ perception of your brand. Words versus actions, relating to values and beliefs, and their overall experience. Those are the core elements that determine an audience’s perception of you. Showing your audience that you know what you’re doing through branding photography can accomplish all three of those elements in one go.
Branding photography works in tandem with marketing. Content creation is the bridge to that gap. When you utilize those two in unison, you have so much potential to elevate your brand. Marketing doesn’t have to be complicated. All you have to be is authentic in what you are doing and eventually, you’ll grow organically. I hope that you have learned something and that you have an excellent day!
Warmest regards,
Logan Clark