Have you ever found yourself scrambling to post to social media consistently? Have you been consistent for one week and then not posted for a month? Ever wanted it to be easier to know exactly what to post?

Have you thought about a Black Friday offer, a Mother’s Day offer, or a contest and then quickly put something together at the last minute out of desperation, and then there were crickets?

Well, let me tell you, one of the things that make my life as a business owner less stressful is that I have a huge catalog of images to post.

Yes, I have incredible clients that allow me to share and talk about their brand photography sessions, but I also plan out images and videos of our behind-the-scenes, plan and book my own brand photography sessions and make a point to look months into the future instead of only weeks or days.

Don’t get me wrong. I have been a desperate scrambler, especially with posting on social media. I also have tried and failed to do photos on my own. Seriously, it never looked professional.

Now, I am not talking about Brand Photography as a laugh at your coffee and stare out into the distance kind of photos. Yes, those still have a place for some folks, especially those personal brands that coffee is their thing, and it all works with the talking points in their brand pillars.

I am wanting to educate my audience that a brand photography session should be looked at as part of your marketing plan. We are going to think bigger here!

I offer a complimentary discovery call to get the conversation started and see if we are a good match to work together. But below, is part of the breakdown and a real-life example that will help you start thinking about it on your own.

Start with your Why.

When you plan a brand photography session for you and your company, we start by looking at the core of your business. Who are you? What do you do? Why do you do it and who do you do it for? What is the vibe you want to put out into the world?

When I get off track for my marketing or when new ideas come forward(there is always a new bouncy red ball to distract you), I go back to my “why” to stay the course. Otherwise business and my life can become a muddled mess.

Marketing & Offers.

We talk about your brand pillars or marketing buckets. Those are the topics that you will continually talk about in different ways across social media, blogs, PR, and on your website. This gives you your brand voice and clarity on your messaging.

We break down your year and your offers, product launches, and holidays in order to stay ahead of your schedule rather than always playing catch up or missing important marketing deadlines.

Make a Plan For Your Brand Photography Session.

And then we deep dive into a plan for those visuals. Do you need a quick shoot for launching your website? A longer shoot that will give you more images for social media and PR opportunities? Or do we book out quarterly or monthly sessions so you have a constant flow of images building a strong catalog throughout the year?

Real-Life Example:

I sat down with Amie of We Can Do That, Inc. Custom Vinyl Studio to talk about a brand shoot. We started with her why – and that was “flexibility and freedom for her family”. She wants the ability to live life to the fullest and be present with her family, but also serves her clients with the care and attention that they deserve.

In order to do that, we created a plan to promote seasonal items early rather than last minute, with distinct cut-offs for orders. This way she is not scrambling to get last-minute orders out over important holidays or vacations and it helps clients plan ahead and be less stressed themselves.

We then filled in the rest of the calendar with a plan to showcase the behind-the-scenes of her process, her within her space, and headshot-like images at the studio. These images will help her talk about the capabilities of her vinyl products, the detailed work that goes into complicated designs, and other topics that inspire and drive her personally and with her business. Then she can insert client photos, and reviews and showcase new products in between the polished images. If you didn’t know it already, it’s great to have a mix of both!

Now, Amie had never used or thought about using herself in her marketing as she would show products and they would sell themselves. Of course, they would, she makes some cool things! But, there are hundreds of others who can do the thing that she could. How can she differentiate herself from them and how else could she connect with her audience?

SHE is the differentiation. Amie is full of life, has a unique style, and loves her music to the core. Of course, Amie and most of us, feel uncomfortable having our pictures taken, but when you think about the reasons why you would be showcasing those images, it starts to be less about you and more about how to make connections with your audience.

Now that she was going to be in these photos, one of her main concerns was what to wear, especially because she has a bold and eclectic style. To help ease the stress, we narrowed her look down to showcasing her colorful hair, and her love for bold shoes, then used her neutral blacks in her clothing so the images could stay grounded.

Amie was able to take control of what she is putting out into the world, keeping her Why at the forefront of everything she does and is able to do it professionally with images that she is proud to share.

Now it’s your turn.

I want to help you not only build a catalog of beautiful, custom photos that you are excited to share, but I want to help you be successful when it comes to your marketing strategies too! Let’s stop the hustle mentality, and plan in a smarter way so that you can have more time to create new things or finally take regular time off to enjoy your life. You deserve that and more!

What other questions do you have about brand photography and how it can make marketing your business easier?