What I Learned from My Branding Shoot
Transcript:
It all happened by accident. I had just gotten done launching my new course, “Build Your Brand Like A Boss” and decided that I wanted to step up my website game by redesigning my entire site as if doing two launches in two weeks wasn’t enough!
And, man, I spent hours on my site! Digging through code. Troubleshooting code. Reading about code. All of that good stuff that’s needed to customize a site. I thought about buying a template already made, but I’m on a shoestring budget. Besides I like learning.
The more I worked on my site and with each victory over getting the code to do what I wanted, I realized that my current pictures weren’t cutting it. I had a couple from a shoot I’d done years before that were okay. And then I had pictures I’d taken for Instagram. But I knew that if I wanted to up my game and be taken seriously as an online course creator and business consultant, I needed a brand shoot.
lesson 1: photographer personality
I had thought I’d had a brand shoot years before. But this recent shoot let me know what a real brand shoot looks like. One thing I learned from my previous experience is that the photographer’s personality is crucial to a great brand shoot. The previous photographer was more introspective, introverted, and serious. Much of her photography had a moodiness to it. And she is talented. Don’t get me wrong! But I needed a photographer that was more extroverted, upbeat, and happy to pull me out of my introverted self. And I have to say that knowing body language didn’t help me at all! I knew when I was fake smiling, which triggered anxiety.
lesson 2: research your photographer
It might be common sense but I didn’t do that the first time. I went solely by recommendation and price. This time I followed my photographer, Cristy Cross, on Instagram. I poured over her website to get a sense of her personality as well as view her work. I saw that she specializes in branding shoots, which is a big plus. Her photos were bright and happy. She has a t-shirt she sells that says, “Have a nice day!” revealing her cheerfulness and fun. Her website was colorful. And, although, I didn’t want a lot of color, I needed pops of it.
I was still nervous because it was a big investment for me. But I took the plunge and paid for my shoot. I then received a handwritten card in the mail telling me how excited she was to do our shoot with her card in there. Bam. Good branding right there! Then I received a survey asking all about my brand, which comforted me that she was serious and doing her homework. She also viewed my website that I had just finished to get a feel for my colors, my brand message, and my business in general.
LESSON 3: GET YOUR MAKEUP DONE
I have the luxury of having a gifted makeup artist for a daughter-in-love who also happens to live in our home. I still happily paid her going rate even though she would’ve done it for free. A good makeup artist will do your makeup in a way that’s natural to you and your look while at the same time applying it in a way that shows up for the camera. You don’t want to look washed out. The trick is to have a makeup artist accentuate your existing look so that you stay comfortable during the shoot. It is a shock to see so much makeup on your face if you’re not used to it! But keep in mind that it’s necessary for the camera.
lesson 4: pick your clothes and jewelry beforehand
You don’t want to be trying to decide what to wear the day of the shoot! It’s too stressful. I knew that I wanted a professional look with black pants and nice blouse along with a more casual look with a nice top, necklace, and ripped jeans because my brand is both professional and casual since I work with local businesses as well as my online business. To me you can’t go wrong with black so I definitely had a black top ready. But I wasn’t quite sure about a white top so I asked my daughter-in-love, who also has fashion sense unlike me, her opinion. She agreed that my choices were perfect. I highly suggest finding someone to help you if you’re unsure or have no sense of style like me!
lesson 5: Gather your props
I’m known for coffee and my cat, Joseph. He inserts himself into my trainings, my videos, my IG lives, my pictures, and my live FB and Zoom sessions. I jokingly call him my business partner. I blog about him once a month because he’s such an unusual cat. And I regularly post about him on my Instagram. I knew I wanted him in at least one shot. And, of course, I had to have a coffee mug. I used a special one my daughter-in-love got me for Christmas that says, “Sorry, I can’t. I’m an indoor cat.” I also love planners and am a computer nerd plus use tech in my business all of the time so I included those things. All of my props complimented my color scheme. And then I used a fabulous blue chair that I have in my office for my pop of color.
lesson 6: You get what you pay for
When it comes to a brand shoot, it just pays to pay more! Sure you can try out a high school kid or even a college student majoring in photography. I’m all about giving those just starting out a chance. But if those don’t work out, save up your money and hire a professional. A website with branded photos shouts that you’re a professional and serious business person and that you know what you’re doing. They are very powerful and set you above others in your industry.
in summary
My brand shoot was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my business. It just pushed my website over the top not to mention all the other platforms I can use my photos on. It’s really like that high-end finishing touch of an outfit or well-designed home from an interior designer. It’s worth the time, the money, and the planning!