What is personal branding?
Every year, thousands of new businesses are started and that means these owners need images for their online platforms to represent their brand and themselves.
Entrepreneurs and small business owners can see the value of high quality photography in their marketing efforts and achieving their business goals as well as personal goals. The photos you take will tell a story about who you are and what you represent.
From the moment you’re introduced to someone, you are also constructing the image others have of you. This is your personal brand, the image of yourself that you project to the world. And once this image is formed in mind of others, it is the image that helps guide their future decisions with your business.
So associating a strong, positive image with your brand is incredibly important to convey to your audience that you’re an authority in your industry and the right person for their needs. The fact is, personal brands and small businesses are using these images to advertise their services, programs, and products!
Overall, it’s about establishing how you want to be seen by others and the type of associations you want to build around your name.
Why are visuals and images so important in influencing others?
Our eyes are what we use to evaluate things. So the images we see leave a lasting impression of who they are and what they represent.
If you have a business, what effect do you think high-quality photography will play in the image of your business? It’s hard to position yourself as an expert in your field without photos of you looking like an expert at all. Overall, it’s about establishing how you want to be seen by others and the type of associations you want to build around your name.
How can you use these images?
These portraits are meant to elevate your brand by showing more of your personality with its environment and mood.
They can be used for marketing materials, especially for websites as background images, header images with room for text, or even printed materials. They're especially great for social media where you can post messages to your audience with your face attached to it so it gives that personal connection straight from you!
It also gives the viewer a little more of a look into what you are all about. The idea here is to reflect your own personal character, skills, style, and passions by creating the image of exactly how you want to be perceived.
The benefits and value of personal branding
Builds your brand. Having high-quality photos means you’re serious about your business and that you are authentic because you invested in your business. It adds that extra layer of credibility and professionalism. Now with this mental image of you in their mind, your audience and potential clients are letting that image guide their decisions. And that’s when having a positive image of you will lead to more referrals, more invitations to opportunities, and more overall business. It’s all a result of your personal brand.
Builds trust with audiences. This leads to credibility, legitimacy, and reputation. They see you in a different light - and as a trusted resource.
Higher-quality assets. They're better than a phone camera or amateur photography who doesn’t understand lighting, styling, posing, or shooting with purpose. It presents you to your audiences and potential clients at your best!
Builds connection. They show the business owner in their element, conveying a sense of warmth and personality that can help build connection to their audience.
Differentiates you from your competition. What’s the difference between someone who has high quality photos of themselves on all of their business platforms and someone who uses a photo from their phone? You know that they’re serious about their business, what they’re doing, and are professionals, not hobbyists.
Creates evergreen content. These assets are reusable for different types of content. You can repurpose the images for social media, official documents, business profiles and pages, etc.
Invest in Your Future
Developing a positive reputation for yourself is something that pays off for the rest of your life. And it starts with a positive image. Once you start the process of developing your personal brand, it breeds confidence in yourself and how others see you. Put a face to your name, and you'll thank yourself later on in the future!
Want to learn more about how personal branding portraits can help your business? Schedule a consultation with us today!