4 mistakes people make when it comes to their branding photoshoot
Branding is significant if you are a small business owner or a personal brand. But still, lots of people are making mistakes when it comes to booking and executing their branding photoshoots. Because a rebrand is an investment for small business owners or freelancers, there are certain things you need to do to have the best experience.
1/ You don't know who your target audience is
Who are you selling your services to? Who is your client? What type of vibe or feeling are you trying to convey with your brand images? confident and bold? Elegant and chic? Knowing your audience is essential. You don't sell jewelry the same way you sell energy drinks. You don’t sell to an older crowd the same way you sell to teenagers.
The solution: Take some time to gather information about your customers, and how to reach them. It would be beneficial to work with a brand strategist or a marketing expert to give you some guidelines about how to create the images necessary for your brand.
If you don’t know who to reach out to, send us an email and we will send you a list of recommendations for brand strategists and marketing experts.
2/ You did not have a plan for the photoshoot
You did not think of your outfits so you grab a bunch of outfits on the day of the shoot.
When you get to the studio, your outfits are not working for the images you want to take. You forgot your props or half of your products. You did not create a mood board or a list of things you need for the shoot. You think winging it on the day of the shoot will create great images. You did your own makeup because it’s just a photoshoot… what can go wrong?
Big mistake! Huge!! (insert Julia Roberts as Pretty Woman meme here)
The solution: Hire the stylist, the MUA, the set stylist, the videographer... anyone who will help you make this photoshoot a success.
3/ You booked the wrong photographer
Your photographer does not understand branding photography and has not prepared you for the shoot. You end up shooting a bunch of generic images that don't align with your brand messaging. You are frustrated and unhappy with the images and now you have to do it again.
The solution: Get to know your photographer. Take time to pick your branding photographer. Do you like this photographer's editing? Do you like the poses you see in the work they share? Do you like the vibe? Do you need a photographer who gives you lots of instructions or do you prefer someone who is more fashion and beauty oriented for the type of images you want? Those are all valid questions.
Watch reels where you can see the photographer working, and read the reviews on their Google Business page (reviews are gold because customers will be very specific about what they loved about a shoot and how someone made them feel). Follow them on Instagram or TikTok and see if you like the images that you see.
Note: if a photographer is not currently producing the work that you want, it will be very hard for them to "wing it" or change their style. This is not something bad, everyone has their own style and you should work with people whose style is the one you want, instead of picking a photographer and asking them to change the way they shoot/edit/work.
4/ You don't use your branding photos at all because you feel like they don't "represent" you
It's okay. Life happens and guess what? Now, you have learned what NOT to do and you are better prepared for your next photoshoot.
The solution: Book another photoshoot!
I know this sucks but if you don't like the images from your latest photoshoot, there are many chances that you are not interested in sharing them and posting them on social media, or your website.
But now, you know exactly what to do!
Do you have any questions about branding photography?
Book a consult with me and let's chat!
Emilie