Personal Branding Photography

Elevating Small Business Owners

I also just adore helping other small business owners with their branding imagery. The preparation process for a Personal Branding Session gives me a chance to really get to know them and their “why” so that I can serve them in a way that best suits their needs.

Branding Photography

If you are a small business owner, you may be thinking, “why is branding imagery important to my business?”

Having a clear and consistent brand is vital to building a successful business, whether you run a small business or a really large one. First, let’s define “brand” and “personal brand”. Brand is essentially the “feeling” consumers get when they use your product (s) / encounter your business online or in person. If you think about your favorite athletic shoe brand, for example, the brand might represent traits such as athleticism, performance, and strength to you. When you see the logo for that company, you automatically feel and think of these traits because of how the company presents its product. In short, you trust the company with your purchase of the shoes because the company has built a reliable presence and a good product.

Personal branding is similar, but also slightly different. It relates to how consumers view “you”. YOU are your brand, which is often true for small businesses. Personal branding is marketing “you”, and describes the feeling consumers have about you as they encounter your business (you) in person, online or on social media. This is important for a few reasons.

Personal branding is tied to your “why”. The reason why you run your business and share your gifts with your community should drive how consumers view you online. If you are a cake artist and bake cakes for weddings because you value serving clients in an excellent and positive way with your artistic talent, your imagery may show you working on the intricacies of your art along with the details of the various processes you may use. Your headshots should support your why as well by illustrating your positivity and confidence.

Build Connections Online

Additionally, connection matters. Consumers often want to be able to relate to the people who own the business before they choose to hire them or purchase from them, especially when it is service related. Consumers do research. Therefore it is important show up online in a positive and consistent manner they are less likely to trust you. Consistent usage of engaging and authentic branding imagery on social media and on your website can help to build connection. Connection online often has to happen before a client will be comfortable with idea of meeting with you or using your services.