BRAND BOOSTER TOP TIPS
Tip number two…get a great photo
In Tip 1, I said everyone has the story of their business and a personal story to tell which make you different, unique and memorable. In a world of ‘same old, same old’, our stories are what make us stand out. The thing is, with every story needs to go a really great PHOTO.
Have you got your “store cupboard staples?”
Only with a decent photo will your story stand a chance of getting you (and your business) where you deserve to be: in the press, (even on the radio!) and in national glossy magazines with half a million readers. In the last few months I’ve built the brand of many local business people as I’ve been marketing their businesses, and almost without question the photos they have offered me have ranged from average, through poor to utterly atrocious.
May I beg, plead and otherwise encourage you to do the decent thing - splash a relatively small amount of cash and get some decent shots taken! Shots of what I hear you ask? Well, the first “store cupboard staples” any of us need is a fab head and shoulders shot, a full length shot (preferably doing something interesting in your business), then a “relaxed at home” shot- maybe pursuing a hobby, and often shots with your family and customers.
In March 11’s Good Housekeeping page 39 and 40, my lovely client, dynamic social entrepreneur Farah-Naz Khan of Yoga4UK is featured in a five page story. Now when the features editor called, the first thing she said was “send us a photo”. The magazine is looking for a range of diverse women and, let’s be honest, people who are photogenic- these glossies are aspirational after all. Good job then that I had already taken a long hard look at Farah’s only head and shoulders pic and a work shot I’d inherited, persuaded her to let me get her photographed in pose with branded T shirt and in perfect colours and was ready to roll within seconds. Just see the difference… no wonder they jumped on her story immediately. It’s not ego- it’s business.
From these quick snaps ...
... to these terrific shots!
Are you guilty of the three heinous sins of photography? Here they are!
Recently a journalist s
aid to me they’d love to feature my client’s story, but his parting words were, “Faye, make sure they absolutely DO NOT under ANY circumstances send us a photo of them SHAKING HANDS or WRITING at a desk or tapping on a COMPUTER keyboard! And make sure they are the right file size and sharp images. Are you guilty? Come on, confess…
Get a shot of you doing something much more interesting in your work- here’s my lovely client Kelly of Boho Weddings looking gorgeous, relaxed and in control…right in the middle planning a wedding.
The range of photos is also so important
Women’s magazines particularly like shots with children, families, pets, all the rest. My client Jane Fardon Cosmetics knows this. When I helped Jane organize a photoshoot with her team, she took the opportunity while paying the photographer for a half day anyway, to get a whole range of pics, with her husband who is the medical expert behind Jane Fardon Cosmetics and a co-founder and director, with her business partner Jane Chapman of True Colours, with the team of Sheffield image consultants who use her products…and ringing the changes of outfits in between. News editors can get sick of seeing the same shot every time you do a release.
The quality of photos is critical
I’ve had them blurred, I’ve seen them with fire extinguishers in the background, someone pulling a face, yawning, backs of heads, you name it, and I’ve tried to gently tell clients it’s never going to happen. And you really need the right file size. Only last week I had a crisis call from an editor because a file size was too small. And please make them different. Poker faces against blank walls are HONESTLY not going to attract anyone! Use props like fabulous vulnerable family support charity Home-Start’s team did. I have ben helping them with their website development, getting their fantastic service and achievements known and fundraising strategy at this critical time while charity cuts are all around. Almost the first thing we did was to get all the staff photographed and grab public attention with a series of profile pieces and a fantastic two page feature “Parenting lifeline on a knife edge” in The Star. We can see it’s working as web hits and enquiries are both markedly up on last year… and if you’re looking for a charity of the year, please consider Home-Start. You can become a Friend of a child in need for just £30.
Hope you’ve found this has inspired you. I work with five different photographers depending on client requirements and budget, so give me a shout if you need a recommendation.
Until next time!
Faye