5 Signs It's Time To Refresh Your Brand Photos
Seriously though…when is the last time you refreshed your brand photos?
Or, are you like I once was…searching through the library of photos I had, using the same 5-6 on repeat because they were the only ones I could really see ‘me’ in?
I did a shoot 2 weeks ago as part of a mastermind day that my friend was running. As part of the mastermind package, each attendee had a mini shoot and was able to pick 3 free photos from the gallery as part of the mastermind ticket price…a number of the ladies I shot came to me and asked to buy extra – one of the ladies asked for the whole gallery (35 shots!)….why?
Because she could see herself in every.single.shot.
Your brand photos should tell your story. They should help you jump off the page and stop someone’s scroll.
You should be able to use every single shot in that gallery. The images communicate credibility and authority, and they help your values and brand personality shine through…leading to you attracting your ideal client time
and time again…because no matter how good your written word is, it’s the images that they will see first!
So, I promised you 5 signs that you need to refresh your brand photos…let’s go…
1. Your photos no longer match your brand’s look or message
Evolution is normal. Actually, more than that, it‘s needed! Businesses need to keep evolving depending on the market and what their clients
need from them – so this is completely normal! No, you didn’t waste your money on brand photography 5 years ago…you just need a refresh.
Make sure the narrative you are creating with your copy (and I totally get it, copy is hard to write!) isn’t being let down by the lack of alignment with your visuals.
2. You’ve undergone a rebrand or pivot
New direction = new visuals. I want to give you a real life, personal example of this one…
About 6 months ago (at time of writing), I pivoted my business from….wait for it….it’s completely different…leadership and change management training and consultancy, to photography!
Never saw that one coming did you!
Long story short – I’m a veteran with a Masters in Leadership Studies, decades of experience and a qualified teacher….on top of that, I left the military to work as a change consultant for Ernst & Young and then opened my own business teaching change management and consulting on a contract basis…BUT….it didn’t’ set my soul on fire. There was something missing. So, I turned to what brings me absolute, unequivocal joy…working with others on their brand visual and shooting them (not literally – got to be really careful on that terminology, especially as a veteran!)…I LOVE seeing people come alive in front of the camera, especially when they have been nervous, unsure, or just really shy – I have my tricks and my ways to get the best out of you 😉
But, back to the images…when I had my own consultancy business, my brand shots were VERY different to what they are now, because I was talking a different narrative, to a different audience, who hangs out in a different space...does it mean that one narrative isn’t authentic? No. It just means that my focus has changed…and that’s okay! My style now is very different to what it was in my corporate days (you’ll be hard pressed to ever find me in heels) and that’s what is reflected in my branding images…because that’s how I turn up online and in person!
Don’t be scared of a pivot and a rebrand…it’s refreshing and gives you chance to reinvent.
3. Your current photos feel generic or overused.
I’ve mentioned this before…you have a library of photos but only 6 make it into your rotation, because they are now the only photos that feel like ‘you’.
Don’t even get me started on stock photos!! For me, certain stock photos seem to go in and out of fashion like trending music on Instagram. And if you are building your business to be uniquely YOU, then you don’t want to be using the same photos as everyone else!
Let me tell you how we get around this…
When you shoot with me, you get your branding photos in a gallery AND you will get a gallery of stock photos from the day. Your own stock photos that are unique to you, and are consistent with the shots taken that day…so you can use them as background on your Canva posts, as fillers on your website…whatever you want…but they are 100% unique to you.
4. Your target audience has changed.
Much like how we evolve our businesses to suit our clients needs, sometimes our clients also pivot and evolve! For example, as a photographer, I have a friend who started out as a wedding photographer and then as their audience grew and started families, her audience became families and the photos she took and her images changed alongside her audience. So often, as your audience changes, you may want to look at your images and ask yourself if they still talk to the audience you want to attract.
5. Your photos are outdated or low quality.
Now I love a good polaroid camera…but I would never use it for a brand shoot because the quality just wouldn’t be good enough! Modern, high-quality images are a MUST when you want to enhance your professionalism and upgrade your visual identity…not only for the photo quality, but for the cohesion across the photos too!
So there we have it…5 signs that it’s time to refresh your brand photos…
…but are you now left thinking ‘okay Zoe, but HOW do I even start?!’
Don’t worry, I’ve got you!
Jump straight over to this blog for the ‘How To’!
Hi. I'm Zoe!
I'm a London based branding photographer who loves to travel, experience different ways of life, and capture stories, emotion and energy in my images.
I shoot the bold entrepreneurs who want to make their mark in the world, and the small business owners who dream big...and I'm also partial to photographing my travels, wildlife and landscapes...anything that takes your breath away and leaves an emotional imprint on your heart is my thing!
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