One of the first things I say to almost everyone I work with is

‘You need a proper photoshoot’

And this isn’t because I’m some sort of photoshoot addict (although they are fun!)

It’s because everything that people want me to do for them – help them with their online brand & presence, sort their digital strategy and help them with publicity and promotion – starts with a great set of images!

Just take at how the new images (above and below) for this brand.

Images are an investment

You know what, photos like the ones seen in the ‘after shots’ don’t come cheap. They require professional models, a great photographer, art direction and a vision.

But they are not just about looking pretty or vanity. These images will deliver benefits in all sorts of ways including

1. They completely and instantly change the way your brand is perceived and how it appears. It goes from amateur to professional, from you having to work hard to convince people that your product or service is worthwhile, to them assuming that (even if they don’t buy straight away) you are a serious player.
2. The images can be used across your website and social media, giving you a striking, consistent and stand out presence. As an idea of how seriously I take this, I won’t even start building a website unless there is a great set of images to use. And why not? Because the images make the site and without good ones, your website will never look how you want it to look.
3. Great images attract journalists. I’m cover this in my online course ‘The Ultimate Guide To Promotion’ but putting it simply, journalists are simple souls and all they are thinking is ‘Is this a good story/product‘ and ‘Are there good pictures.’ I have seen not good stories gain plenty of coverage on the basis of good pictures. You can provide your images free for journalists to use which will help them fill their pages and make their pages look good, and you get publicity.
4. They are more likely to get shared and gain you online exposure. If you think about the runaway success of Instagram and Pinterest, then we know one thing, people are always looking for images to share. Make it easy for people to share your images by making your images great!
5. You will feel 1000 per cent (to quote Simon Cowell) happier with your business. I work with so many talented people who have great offerings but who don’t want to promote themselves or their offering because they know that their website looks terrible and their photos are embarrassing. Start with images like our ‘after’ shots and everything changes. Rather than feeling reluctant to promote, you will be itching to get yourself and your business out there.