The importance of having and maintaining a collection of proper brand assets to promote your wedding planning business as a part of your overall marketing strategy cannot be overstated.

Whether you want to plan swanky weddings in the Hamptons on Long Island or you’re an expert in intimate elopements in Las Vegas you still need to be businesslike with your branding.

At the end of the day you want (no, you NEED!) to be seen as a professional wedding planner who has their act together.

Your customers may not know the difference between a micro wedding and minimony, but if you can show them a compelling set of seamless brand assets across your marketing pieces, then you’ll capture more leads, send more couples down the aisle and make enough money to live happily ever after.

Whether you’re in the early stages of creating your wedding planning business brand or have had one for a while that could maybe use a refresh, it’s always a good time to work through the checklist.

Getting off to a good start is as important as a good restart. You may even find it helpful to do on a regular basis. No matter what, defining your wedding planning brand is an important step on the journey to success.

Why might you need a checklist?

For each statement below, answer “Yes” or “No.” If the answer is even one is “Yes,” then it’s a good time to revisit the brand checklist.

Inconsistent Branding

Is your brand’s image fragmented due to inconsistent use of logos, colors, messaging or other elements?

Customer Confusion

Do your customers struggle to understand what your business stands for, its values or even what it sells?

Market Competition

Has increased competition made it harder for you to capture the attention of your ideal prospects, prompting the need for differentiation?

Business Growth

Are you trying to attract larger clients or bigger bookings as part of your growth strategy?

Launch of New Products/Services

Are you planning to launch a new product or service but haven’t considered how it will integrate with your existing brand?

Digital Presence

Has a push to enhance your online presence revealed gaps in your branding strategy?

Rebranding Effort

Is your business undergoing a rebranding effort, requiring systematic updates to all brand elements?

Employee Onboarding

Do new employees lack a clear understanding of your brand, leading to inconsistencies in customer interactions and marketing efforts?

How often should you visit your brand checklist?

Certainly you want to work through the branding checklist when you first create your company. Going forward you should do it about once a year as it coincides with a business need.

If ever it feels like something is dragging your marketing efforts down, it’s time to circle back to the checklist and see if you can pinpoint what’s causing it.

The solution might be as simple as a fresh set of brand photos that can better tell your brand story.

Maybe the recent service you added isn’t coming off quite right and a little more industry research could turn it around.

If you notice a drop-off in new business that’s more than just a seasonal dip, give the checklist another chance to work its magic.

Some fresh messaging can draw some attention and jump-start your sales.

You can do a complete overhaul or you can give it a once over and make small course adjustments.

With a thoughtful brand identity you’ll get recognized and be remembered. 

The Wedding Planner Brand Checklist

I’ve placed these brand standards in more or less a chronological order. Start at the top and work your way down.

Decisions you make in one step will inform the next. You can work on a handful of them at a time and by the time you get to the bottom you’ll be way in front of a majority of business owners.

Brand Mission Statement

Writing your brand’s mission statement gives your company a reason to exist and states what its purpose is. Anyone who reads it will know what your brand is all about. There’s a good reason answering the “why” is job number one.

Vision Statement

This is an aspirational statement. It’s the place to put your long term goal in writing. With your vision statement, you’ll be going boldly where no wedding planner has gone before.

Values

Stating what’s important to your brand attracts like-minded individuals. This goes for employees and customers. Defining your values and sticking to them will give you loyal followers.

Industry Research

Now’s the time to do a deep dive. The wedding planning industry already has best practices and standard procedures in place, so you’ll want to study the field and figure out where you fit in. Discover where to follow the leaders and where to break the mold to differentiate yourself.

Core Offering

Figure out what you’ll provide to your couples and what they’ll get out of it. When what you’re offering matches a need, you’ve nailed it.

Competitors

When your offering matches a need better than the competition’s, you’re on your way to the moon. Figure out what you’re up against, where you fit in and how you can beat them.

As a bonus, you’ll see their branding and can use it for inspiration when completing the creative parts of the brand checklist.

Target Audience

Knowing who your customers are is as important as pinpointing your product. Use your imagination to create the ideal couple.

Who are they? Where are they from? What do they do on weekends? What makes them tick?

Come up with a handful of fictional characters that are representations of your target audience. Knowing who they are will help you market to them in real life.

Brand Mood Board

Now come the really creative bits. Put together a collection of ideas, pictures, color swatches and other things that embody your brand.

Answer this question: What is the vibe? What does it look like and feel like?

If you’re artistically challenged, try ripping pages from magazines, printing images off your computer or make photo copies from books.

Bring it all to the table and then start piecing together the puzzle in your mind. This will most likely stay as an internal document, but like the next step, it’s where you start to flesh out the skeleton you’ve built up until now.

Brand Voice

What sort of language will your wedding planning business have? Is it calm and soothing or is it aggressive and bold? Pick out the words you will use. Are they youthful, classic, luxury or spicy words?

Shoot to develop a bank of words and concepts you will always be able to pull from that defines your brand through thick and thin.

Brand Messaging

You’ll need a set of core messages that will be repeated throughout the brand’s life. Repetition breeds familiarity, which is what you’re after. Tell people about your brand in a way that resonates with them and meets their needs, wants and beliefs.

Brand Story

This will weave together the history of your brand. Tell the narrative of who built it, how they built it and why they built it. This  includes how the brand’s history drives the brand’s present and future. 

Color Palette

When picking the brand colors, consider the emotions those colors evoke. Colors go a long way to giving your brand a personality. Make sure it matches the brand voice, the story and is true to your mood board.

Fonts

Don’t let fonts become an afterthought. This design element can be a secret weapon. Pick a good one and it will look like it was meant to be; pick a bad one and you’ll be hating it for the rest of the brand’s life. The font should reflect the brand’s personality. Make it count.

Logo

And we’ve finally arrived at the logo, the first thing that people think of comes at the end of the brand checklist.

Because if it’s what couples see and think of first when encountering your brand, then you want it to be the most informed piece of your branding arsenal.

Lay the groundwork and then dazzle them with a professionally designed logo. A good graphic designer will need to have the MVV, the story, the voice and all the other pieces to do their job well for you, so don’t skip any of the prior steps.

Do it right and you’ll be rewarded.

Brand Photos

Your wedding planning business will benefit from a gallery of useful brand photography because it increases your conversion rate. 

When you’re working to make dreams come true, it’s helpful to show couples what the daydream can look like. Using photos to show completed ceremonies and receptions you and your team have put together, along with the care and attention to detail you put into every last touch can mean the difference in sales success or failure.

Using pictures that tell your story will set you apart and convince couples you’re the one to help them with their special day. 

Get The Brand That Makes Them Say “YES”

I’ve made my own wedding planning business a success by following the principles and steps in this brand checklist and I know you can too.

By showcasing my industry leading wedding ideas through powerful brand photography I’ve been able to successfully work with thousands of engaged couples.

If you think I can lend my expertise to your journey I hope you’ll let me help you tell your wedding planning business’s story through timeless brand photography that bucks the trends and stays true to the moment.

Plan and schedule a shoot and you’ll soon have a complete set of personal brand photographs along with a personalized plan for how to successfully use it.

Your brand is the first impression you make with potential customers. It’s essential you make a positive and lasting one.

Branding communicates through visual elements like your brand photography. Brand photography quickly communicates your brand’s essence and values, piquing the interest of potential customers.

As a small business owner, your brand photography is especially critical. Professional photography builds trust with your audience and helps you stand out against the big competitors. Customers will understand what you are about and feel confident buying your products or services. 

Unfortunately, most small business owners are extremely busy running their enterprises. They don’t always have the time to create memorable brand photography.

That’s where a professional photographer comes in. We can help you create stunning images or improve your current brand photography to maximize your marketing efforts.

To get started, here’s how to avoid the five common mistakes small businesses make with their brand photography. 

1. Poor Image Quality

Small business owners often underestimate the impact of image quality in brand photography, leading them to use low-resolution photos. High-quality images are essential to conveying a sense of trust and quality to potential customers.

Low-quality images do the exact opposite. They create the impression of a lack of attention to detail or a disregard for the customer experience.

High-quality photos are especially important for online marketing, where visual content is the primary form of communication with customers. Poor-quality images fail to capture the audience’s attention or to represent your brand’s quality and value accurately.

To overcome issues of poor image quality, hire a professional brand photographer. A professional brand photographer expertly manages the lighting, exposure, and retouching to ensure high clarity and high-resolution images.

Brand photography expertise ensures every photograph is visually appealing and reflects the brand’s essence with clarity and professionalism.

2. Lack of Relevant Images for Your Brand

Often, small businesses rely on generic or stock images to market their brand. Though functional, these images don’t resonate with their unique brand identity or fail to capture the essence of their products and services.

The lack of relevance then leads to a confusing and unclear brand image where the visuals don’t make your brand’s values.

As a small business owner, it’s crucial that your branding is carefully tailored to communicate your unique selling proposition (USP).

Relevant, authentic, and thoughtfully chosen brand photography attracts the right audience and strengthens brand recognition and loyalty. We work with you to understand your brand, audience, and photography needs.

Once we understand your vision, we’ll plan themes, locations, props, and styles that best convey your brand’s message. We’ll help you create an impactful and cohesive visual story customers will remember.

3. Not Enough Variety in Your Photography

Having a variety of photographs helps you tell a complete story about your brand and your offerings. By highlighting various aspects of your business, like products, services, behind-the-scenes, team members, and customer experiences, you’ll build trust and loyalty with your audience.

Varied imagery is also functional. Having a wide variety of shoots, angles, and dimensions helps you look great on any platform, from social media to websites to listings. Further, it helps you adapt to seasonal promotional and different marketing campaigns.

Working with a professional brand photographer ensures you get a diversity of images. We’ll use a variety of props, posts, and settings to create a wide range of photographs.

Then, we’ll create agile photographs that can be used for a variety of business needs. Finally, we’ll create fun, versatile photographs with room for text and design elements.

Working with a professional brand photographer ensures you have images for every opportunity.

4. Not Having a Consistent Photography Style

One of the keys to small business success is creating a lasting and memorable brand that will keep customers coming back.

Consistent photography reinforces the brand’s identity, message, and values, creating a cohesive visual narrative across all platforms.

Uniformity in style, tone, and photo quality makes the brand easily identifiable and memorable, which is essential in competitive markets.

Consistent brand photography ensures that every customer interaction with your brand, whether on social media, websites, or print materials, strengthens their overall brand experience.

Work with a professional photographer to create a style guide to create more consistency in your photography. A style guide contains specific guidelines for imagery, such as color schemes, tones, and composition, to maintain a cohesive and recognizable brand identity. Another strategy is to work with the same photographer every time.

We’ll also provide information and resources for editing your existing photography to match your new, consistent photography style. 

5. Not Optimizing Your Brand Photos for Maximum Social Media Engagement

Social media is one of the most important marketing channels for small businesses. However, it is an extremely competitive platform. Standing out requires optimizing your photography for social media.

Social media platforms are visually driven. So, your brand photography must be correctly sized, formatted, and styled for each platform to ensure maximum visibility and engagement. 

Optimizing your photography enhances user experience by ensuring quick loading and proper display across devices while also boosting your brand’s reach. As a result, you’ll have increased brand awareness and a higher ROI on your social media marketing efforts. 

Brand photographers don’t just have photography skills; we also have photo editing and graphic design skills. We use the recommended photo specifications, while also considering aspects like composition, resolution, and color schemes that resonate on these platforms, to optimize your photography. Your brand images will be formatted correctly for optimal display and engagement. 

Avoiding these mistakes is easy with the help of a professional brand photographer.

Let’s Chat

At Taylored Photo Memories, our brand photographers specialize in helping small businesses create impactful photography. We work closely with our clients to understand their brand, their values, and their goals.

We’ll help you create high-quality, agile brand images that will ensure you stand out online and lead to a loyal customer base. We’ll also aid in the creation of a lasting brand impression to help you grow your brand!

To get started, fill out our inquiry form. 

In the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing, the emergence of micro-influencers has marked a significant shift in how brands connect with their audiences.

Unlike their macro counterparts, micro-influencers offer a more authentic, relatable touchpoint for consumers, making them invaluable assets for businesses of all sizes.

If you’re an aspiring influencer, leveraging brand photography is no longer an option—it’s a necessity.

Using personal brand photography will allow you to carve out your niche and establish trust and authority.

Are You a Micro-Influencer?

A micro-influencer is someone with a relatively modest following—typically between 1,000 to 100,000 followers—who holds significant sway within their niche.

What sets them apart is not the breadth, but the depth of their influence; their followers are often more engaged, more loyal, and more likely to take action based on their recommendations.

If this potent mix of authenticity and reach sounds like you, then you can become highly sought after by brands looking for meaningful engagement instead of the old standard of just getting exposure.

The Journey to Becoming a Micro-Influencer

Embarking on the journey to becoming a micro-influencer begins with a clear understanding of your unique value proposition. Identifying your niche is about recognizing where your passions and expertise intersect with a gap or need in the market. 

Once honed, your focus needs to shift to cultivating a community—building a following that’s not just large, but engaged and invested in your content.

Consistency is key.

Providing quality content that resonates with your audience is what will set you apart in a crowded digital space.

The Power of Authentic Brand Photography

In the visual-centric world of social media, your imagery speaks volumes.

Authentic brand photography does more than just showcase your products or services; it tells your story, conveys your brand ethos, and builds a real connection with your audience. 

There is no substitute for real photos and you can’t fake authenticity. No stock art or artificially generated images can ever replace the real thing. You’re doing yourself, and your customers and clients a disservice by taking short cuts.

Put in the work, hire the professional photographer and get the genuine images your audience craves.

It will absolutely pay off in the long run.

The visual narrative you build by using authentic photographs in your personal branding and marketing efforts is crucial not just for attracting followers, but for establishing the kind of trust and authority that brands look for in a potential influencer partner.

If they wanted to fake it, they could.

Big brands have the resources to do it and could pull off a convincing facsimile of a real person (for a while) if they wanted to.

But they don’t. Faking it is a minefield they don’t want to step in.

In the end, they’ll always be found out and it’s too hard for them to gain back the public’s trust.

Sports Illustrated, one of the most trusted names in sports journalism since 1954, tried, and it backfired horribly.

Big brands needing to connect with their audience authentically are coming to you because you’re real.

Here’s the lesson: use only authentic personal brand photographs.

The Essential Media Kit for Micro-Influencers

A media kit is essentially your influencer resume—a compilation of your best work, your audience demographics, and your unique selling points.

Professional brand photography is the cornerstone of an effective media kit.

It not only demonstrates your commitment to quality, authenticity and professionalism but also gives potential brand partners a glimpse into how their products or services can be integrated into your content narrative.

Further reading: Creating an Effective Micro Influencer Media Kit [+ Checklist]

Professional Photographs Are Attractive

In the digital world, where every scroll brings a new image and every click unveils a different story, standing out as a micro-influencer takes more than just consistent content—it demands exceptional visual appeal. 

Professional brand photography transforms ordinary posts into captivating narratives that engage and enchant your audience.

For brands scouting for potential influencer collaborations, these high-quality visuals act as your portfolio, showcasing your ability to craft content that not only aligns with their aesthetic but also has the potential to amplify their message in a crowded marketplace.

Plus, the investment in professional photography signals a level of professionalism and dedication that shows you’re better than the average content creator.

It reflects a commitment to quality and a deep understanding of visual branding, both qualities that brands highly value.

Being dedicated to using professional brand photography can set you apart in the competitive world of influencer marketing, making you a more attractive partner for collaborations.

Brands are not just looking for influencers; they are looking for creative people who can contribute to their visual storytelling in a way that feels both authentic and aspirational.

The right photograph can convey the essence of a product or service more effectively than words ever could, creating an instant connection with the viewer.

When a brand sees that an influencer can achieve this through their content, it opens up opportunities for collaborations that are symbiotic, where both parties benefit from the influencer’s ability to translate brand messages into visual stories that really resonate.

Influencers who are adept at using authentic photography to enhance their storytelling are more likely to attract collaborative opportunities that are both lucrative and creatively fulfilling.

By investing in quality visuals, micro-influencers can differentiate themselves, demonstrate their commitment to their craft, and open doors to partnerships that offer mutual growth and success.

Make Brand Photography Work For You

Getting started with brand photography doesn’t have to be scary.

When collaborating with a professional photographer the key is to ensure your visuals align with your brand story.

Teaming up with a pro photog who knows what it takes to appeal to your target audience is the absolute best way to get the images you need.

From there, integrating these images into your content strategy—from Instagram posts to blog visuals—can enhance your narrative and deepen your audience’s engagement.

My team and I are ready to help you score the personal brand images you need and the authentic photos your audience is craving.

Getting your photos taken and using them consistently will open up a whole new world of collaboration for you down the road. 

When you’re ready to boost your micro influencing small business please reach out to us to schedule a session.

You can start by filling out the form below. 

Social media is essential for small businesses to market and grow their brand online.

By offering a direct line to your audience, social media is an ideal format to share your brand’s story, highlight your products and services, and connect live with your customers.

Unfortunately, the challenges small businesses face on social media are as significant as the benefits. With all brands taking advantage of the benefits of social media, it’s really easy for your business’ message to get lost in the noise. 

Good brand photography will help you stand out online. Social media is a visual medium where compelling imagery is pivotal in capturing the audience’s attention.

Your brand photographs impact customers’ perception of your business. Creating high-quality, relevant, and visually appealing images will grab attention, helping you stand out from the competition.

Further, well-shot photos are more likely to be shared, extending the reach and impact of your social media efforts. 

Planning Brand Photography for Social Media

To optimize your brand photography for social media, you must first create a social media strategy. Start by identifying the message and emotion you want to convey to your audience.

Consider the aesthetics, color schemes, and compositions that reflect your brand’s personality.

Next, plan a diverse range of images, from product shots to behind-the-scenes, to have a variety of agile image options.

Lastly, create a content calendar to schedule and maintain a consistent and engaging online presence, keeping your brand photography fresh and relevant. You can read more about using brand photography on social media here. 

Hire a Professional Photographer

A professional brand photographer will ensure that your photographs are optimized for social media success.

Professional photographers offer the expertise to capture your brand identity visually but appeal to your target audience on social media. When selecting a photographer, choose someone whose portfolio resonates with your brand’s aesthetic and ethos.

A good professional photographer will have a diverse portfolio showcasing their ability to capture various styles, moods, and subjects. Look for a photographer who can adapt to your specific branding needs.

Professionally taken photographs capture the subtleties of your brand’s personality, from the seriousness of your craftsmanship to the lightheartedness of your customer interactions.

By offering a variety of images, professional photographers provide a rich library of content for your social media marketing strategy, ensuring that every post is seen, felt, and remembered by your audience.

You’re not just getting optimized social media images with a professional brand photographer. You’re investing in a visual identity that speaks volumes about your brand.

Format Brand Photographs to Social Media Specifications

Every social media platform is different. Each offers a unique set of photography specifications to ensure the highest quality display on their platform.

Unfortunately, these specifications are not uniform, and they often change. To ensure full social media optimization, you must understand these specifications. You can find guides online with the specifications, but here are some of the most common:

Facebook:

● Profile Picture: 180 x 180 pixels

● Cover Photo: 820 x 312 pixels

● Shared Image: 1200 x 630 pixels

● Shared Link: 1200 x 628 pixels

● Event Image: 1920 x 1080 pixels

Instagram:

● Profile Picture: 110 x 110 pixels

● Square Photo: 1080 x 1080 pixels

● Landscape Photo: 1080 x 566 pixels

● Portrait Photo: 1080 x 1350 pixels

● Stories: 1080 x 1920 pixels

X (Twitter) :

● Profile Picture: 400 x 400 pixels

● Header Photo: 1500 x 500 pixels

● In-Stream Photo: 1600 x 900 pixels

LinkedIn:

● Profile Picture: 400 x 400 pixels (minimum)

● Cover Photo: 1584 x 396 pixels

● Shared Image: 1104 x 736 pixels

● Shared Link: 1200 x 628 pixels

Professional photographs work with these specifications every day. We know not only how to take photographs that will resonate on these platforms but also how to format them for optimal quality and engagement. 

Create Consistency with Editing 

Consistency in brand photography establishes a recognizable and coherent visual identity across all your social media platforms.

Visual consistency builds brand recognition, making it easy for your intended audience to recognize and remember your business.

Consistent styles, color palettes, and overall aesthetics reinforce your brand’s message and values, creating a strong and unified brand story.

For small businesses, this uniformity in visuals enhances credibility and professionalism, fostering trust and loyalty among the audience.

Professional brand photographers play a crucial role in building a consistent brand presence for your business.

We leverage our artistic and technical expertise to create images that align with your brand’s aesthetic and message. We’ll use backgrounds, props, and poses to maintain uniformity in style, tone, and quality, no matter the shot.

We don’t just stop there. We’ll help you create a photography style guide to ensure consistency now and into the future. 

Leverage Technical Optimization Strategies 

Beyond the visual appeal and aesthetics of your photographs, to truly succeed on social media, you also need to leverage technical optimization strategies.

One often overlooked strategy is to optimize images for search engines. Search engines index images from social media. Utilizing alt tags and title text with relevant keywords can significantly improve your content’s visibility both on and off your social media platform.

Furthermore, alt tags are essential for accessibility, especially for users who have visual impairments, rely on screen readers, or have their images disabled. Alt tags should accurately describe the image content, while title text can provide additional context or call to action.

Your brand photography should also be optimized to engage your audience actively. Integrating relevant hashtags can expand your content’s reach to a broader audience and build community. Including a clear and compelling call-to-action (CTA) in your posts encourages user interaction.

Compelling CTAs boost engagement rates and increase the ROI on your social media marketing efforts. Every social media platform uses a unique algorithm and best practices for image and text optimization, so tailor your strategy accordingly. Your brand photographer can help. 

If you’re ready to get more out of your social media efforts, our expert brand photographers are here to help. We specialize in social media photography. We’ll ensure that you make a lasting brand impression online. Get started now by reaching out below.

Sometimes, it becomes necessary to rebrand your company. As a brand photographer I’ve worked with people on many branding and rebranding projects. They can be a big undertaking, with photography as only one aspect of the updated brand.

There’s a lot to consider when choosing to do a rebrand and lots to take into account to be sure you do it right.

You may be doing so for one of several reasons. There are certainly times when you need to, such as:

Replacing Outdated Branding — Trends change, and if your branding doesn’t keep up, you may start to lose customers to competitors.

Company Restructuring — A merger, acquisition or demerger may necessitate a change.

Trying to Reach a More Specific Audience — A rebrand can ensure that your brand identity resonates with your audience.

A Product or Service Change — If your business has changed what it offers, the old branding needs updated.

Internationalization — The brand identity may not translate to other countries if you’re growing internationally. 

Strategy Shift — If your company has grown and shifted from its initial vision, a rebrand will help with continued success.

Correcting a Recent Failed Rebrand — If internal and external stakeholders aren’t happy with a rebrand, they may influence leadership enough to rebrand the company a second time or revert back to the old branding. 

Rebranding is not an exercise to take lightly. You should take a holistic approach when rebranding. Don’t spend all your time and resources on just a new logo or a fresh gallery of brand photography. A smooth and successful rebrand has to be synergistic.

Parts of a Rebrand

Doing a full rebrand takes months and consists of many steps, only one of which is brand photography.

Audit

This is an essential first step. Knowing your company inside and out, and the brand you already have in place, is critical. To rebrand, you must understand your brand as it stands now. Only then can you improve your brand for the future.

Ask yourself, what’s working and should be kept, what’s not working and can be eliminated and where can you improve?

Looking back at your old brand can also act as inspiration and ideas for your rebrand. You may see something that you abandoned years ago and decide to revive it, or perhaps there are elements of your current brand that can morph into something usable now.

Establish Who You Are

The next stage of rebranding your business is to remind yourself of the core aspects of your company. You should review and plan out everything, down to the company name.

Revisit your mission and vision. What do you do, why and how does it improve the lives of your customers, clients and audience?

Set your values in stone — what do you believe in as a company? These guiding principles your company lives by should give you a foundation for everything else you do.

Add a slogan. An effective slogan should highlight what’s beneficial about a product or service, prompting consumers to buy into the brand.

Think long and hard about who you are. It will lead you into the future of your company and make the rebrand go more smoothly.

Know Your Audience

Your rebranding efforts won’t do a bit of good if you create a brand that doesn’t appeal to your audience. Ideally, you’ll want to be a customer of your business as much as your customers want to be. If you and your team don’t have buy-in, how will your audience feel?

Make your brand authentic. Make it you. Make it part of your soul. Eat, sleep and breathe your brand. Have passion for your brand.

This is the way you’ll truly come to know who your audience is. Speaking with and selling to like-minded people is what it’s all about.

A good way to start to get to know your audience is by defining their demographics and expanding to their interests and what makes them tick.

When you know this, you will be able to do a rebrand of your business that they will love, support and want to connect with.

Lock in the Logistics and Legalities

Before doing any of the creation — new logos, fresh photography and all the rest of the visuals — you want to create a plan for how to do it effectively. 

The two most important parts of your plan are communication with stakeholders and securing the trademarks that will protect your work. Understand the hoops you have to jump through before you get to them. 

Make a plan for notifying internal partners. You’ll want everyone working together and no confusion, so plan how you’ll set expectations and give instructions. Then keep people in the loop early and often.

If, as you progress through your rebrand, you want to release bits and pieces as part of a soft launch, then guard the elements you want to hold back for later.

Embargo them or keep them out of places people have access to just in case they see something cool and make a rogue decision to use it earlier than planned.

Just as important is knowing what you’ll need to do to trademark your new rebrand. It’s good to get an understanding of this before you start so that you aren’t surprised by what you need to do later on.

You certainly don’t want to go to all the hard work of creating something brilliant only to see your competitors or other companies steal it.

Create Visuals

For me, this is where the fun starts. Photographers, artists, designers and writers love making new brands. We get to open up the toy box and go nuts for a few weeks or months as we create something new. 

This is where all the earlier hard work starts to pay off. Check out my brand checklist for more details, but you’ll want to address each aspect separately and wholly, including:

Brand Mood Board

Make a collection of ideas, pictures, color swatches and other things that you see fitting your brand.

Brand Voice

Pick out the words you will use that will define your brand through thick and thin.

Brand Colors

Colors go a long way to giving your brand a personality and making your content recognizably yours.

Fonts and Typefaces

Don’t let fonts become an afterthought. Pick ones that match your brand’s personality.

Brand Logo

This is arguably the most informed piece of your branding arsenal. It’s what customers see and think of first when encountering your brand.

Brand Photos

Single-owner businesses, small businesses and medium businesses will benefit from a gallery of useful brand photography because it increases your conversion rate.

I’ve seen the impact that fresh brand photography has for small businesses owners. Many times it’s the difference between success and failure.

Don’t skimp on photography. Hire a pro and get it right. If you’re serious about your brand then you need to take your branding photography seriously.

Launch 

Update Your Website

Take your visual style guide and implement the changes on your website. This is the first place many people encounter your brand, so consider updating the website before you launch anything else. Don’t forget to update the URLs if you’ve changed the name of the company.

When you do a full rebrand, you’ll want to purchase a new domain and set up redirects from your old site to your new website. This step is less intense if you’re only doing a refresh or a partial rebrand.

Be sure to test your site and make sure everything functions as intended. It’s easy for things to get mixed up or broken when you’re making significant changes so test, test and retest, and make sure to get several fresh pairs of eyes on it.

Update Marketing Channels

Update every touch point you have, and maybe even add new ones. Everything you distribute, post online or share with your audience in any way must match your new brand style and positioning.

Things to update may include: flyers, handouts, pamphlets, brochures, letterheads, business cards, advertisements, billboards and more. Build templates to make this easier and quicker.

Create a template for each of these things by knowing what you used in the past and what you’ll need right away when you launch your rebrand.

Eliminate Old Branding

It can’t be “out with the old and in with the new” if there’s still some of the old stuff floating around. You’ve got to purge your brand assets of all the old creative visuals. This can be hard to talk yourself into if you’ve still got a couple boxes of unused business cards sitting in your supplies closet, but it must be done.

Your new brand can’t fully take off if it’s being anchored by the old stuff. Make sure to eliminate the old and replace with the rebrand materials everywhere you’ve got anything, including:

• All Digital and Traditional Marketing Materials
• Signs
• Posters
• Banners
• Checks
• Invoices
• Letterheads
• Business Cards
• Tradeshow Giveaways
• Merchandise
• Company Uniforms or Clothing

This is not an exhaustive list but should get you thinking about all the places your brand exists now and where you’ll want the rebranding for your business to be after launch.

Rebranding your business isn’t an easy undertaking — a lot goes into it. But as long as you’re doing it for the right reasons and with the right attitude, it can be a fun, inspiring experience.

Making your brand new and fresh again is exciting and will pump some energy into your company.

With access to so many brands online, choosing a brand that you trust and represents your values is tough as a shopper. We all work hard for our money and want to spend it intentionally, with trustworthy companies that make high-quality products that match our lifestyles. 

That’s where professional brand photography comes in. Authentic brand photography captures the essence of your brand by communicating your mission, vision and values to potential customers, while also piquing their interest in learning about your offerings.  

Authentic brand photography also helps you build brand recognition online by providing a consistent and recognizable identity.

As customers begin to recognize you across all marketing touch points, they also develop a deeper connection to your brand. You’ll build lasting customer relationships while also building your professional reputation to attract new ones. 

If you want to stand out in the marketplace, professional brand photography is the best way to get noticed. 

Five Professional Photography Tips for Building Brand Trust

Authentic brand photography is a game-changer for your brand. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as snapping a few cute photos. Here are five tips we recommend as a professional brand photographer to get started: 

1. Work with a Professional Brand Photographer

Of course, as brand photographers, we recommend working with a pro because it’s what we do. However, there are some serious advantages to working with a professional brand photographer. 

First, image quality is critical to building customer trust because it shows you are professional and pay attention to details. Professional brand photography showcases intricate details, colors and textures, providing a more accurate representation of your products or services. 

Secondly, for high-quality brand images, you must invest in high-end photography gear like a high-resolution camera, professional lighting, and other equipment like lenses, tripods and backdrops. 

Then, you’ll also need editing software to retouch and format the photographs for marketing purposes. Brand photography costs can add up quickly, especially for small and midsize businesses. With these expenses, hiring a professional photographer is far more affordable than taking photos in-house. 

Plus, you’ll brand photos that will resonate with your customers and support all of your marketing effects. 

2. Showcase Authentic Brand Images

Taking the right brand photographs is also crucial to your brand’s success. Authentic brand images offer a genuine portrayal of your brand, creating a connection with customers based on trust and transparency. 

Choose brand photographs that show your brand is more than just a business and help your customers get to know you. Include behind-the-scenes snapshots of your team at work, team member portraits and stories, and your office or workspace.

To help you strategize your photos, here are seven key types of product photography to plan.

An authentic approach to brand photography also builds customer trust because it helps you stand out in a sea of overly polished or misleading visuals. Your brand’s refreshing authenticity will set you apart, especially online. 

3. Align Your Photography with Your Brand Identity

A solid strategy to build trust with your brand photography is to create a compelling and memorable brand story. Think about what you’d want everyone to know about your brand. What story would you tell? 

Then, you can start capturing visuals that tell your brand’s story. Highlight what traits set you apart from your competition and make your brand the best choice on the market. 

Every image should reflect the essence of your brand and connect with your target audience. Incorporating human elements and emotions that resonate with your brand values is a great way to do this. 

By aligning your brand identity with your brand photography, you’ll build an emotional connection with your customers, leading to lasting relationships. 

4. Use Images Strategically to Grow Your Brand

Capturing your brand images is only half of the strategy. You also need to make a plan to deploy them strategically in your content marketing. How you use the photos in your marketing campaign depends entirely on your goals, industry and products. 

However, no matter the marketing strategy, the key to success is consistency across all platforms, including websites, social media, and marketing materials. No matter the marketing challenge, your brand images must be coherent with your messaging and aesthetics. 

By consistently delivering authentic, on-brand visuals, you’ll foster a sense of familiarity and trust that encourages engagement and loyalty.

5. Add Copy and Captions That Add Value and Encourage Engagement

Your brand photography will capture their attention, but your copy drives engagement. Strategically using copy can add context, reinforce messaging and create a narrative connecting emotionally with the audience. 

Always craft copy that adds intrinsic value to your audience’s experience. Encourage engagement by posing questions, sharing stories, and inviting feedback. Focus on captions that create a two-way conversation with customers that can grow into a lasting relationship. 

With these tips, you can create authentic brand photographs that build trust and connect deeply with your customers. 

Capturing the perfect brand photography is challenging when time and resources are limited. Hiring a brand photographer will help you save time and money and ensure you have brand images that attract and convert. 

If you’re ready to get noticed online, we’re here and excited to help boost your brand.