Tell me if you’ve ever…
- Fallen in love with a photographer’s work
- Booked the session
- Done all the prep
- Gone through the session
- Fallen in love with your images
- Gotten them back from the photographer… and then done nothing with them?
Unfortunately, this is something that happens all too often. 🤦♀️
And I get it. With all of the different things we have pulling on our time, it’s so easy to say, “Oh, I’ll do that later.”
But then before you know it it’s been three months, then six months, and then suddenly a year’s gone by and you haven’t used any of your images. 👀
My guess? You didn’t have a plan in place for them.
It’s so easy to be overwhelmed by your imagery when you don’t have a strategy for how to use them. And this is especially true for the soloprenerus out there, trying to one-man-band it.
You evolve over time, your brand evolves over time, and your imagery is going to evolve over time too.
Which means creating new imagery and updating your content isn’t a nice-to-have.
It’s a must-have.
Where Does That Investment Go?
So where does that investment actually go?
It’s not just the money spent.
It’s the missed opportunities with your ideal client.
It’s the inconsistency in your brand presence.
It’s staying invisible when you should be visible, especially if you’re in the earlier days of your business and trying to grow your presence online.
Because it’s not enough to have beautiful imagery. It’s not enough to have impactful imagery. If you are not using them to drive your success forward, they’re dead in the water.
You need a roadmap. Because we can create the best imagery in the world, but if they aren’t used, then what’s the point?
This is one of the reasons why I provide a marketing plan to all of my branding clients. I want my clients to use their imagery to get the most impact they can, to get the biggest return on investment that they can for the money spent.
“But Jen, I Use My Imagery…”
You might be thinking, “But Jen, I use my imagery. This doesn’t apply to me.”
So here’s another example of what’s happening.
A friend of mine posted recently on LinkedIn, and she used a picture of herself as part of the post. But at the end of the post, she said, “On an unrelated note, anyone have brand photos they don’t really know what to do with?”
And I had an immediate response. I said, “I’d be happy to help you brainstorm how to use your images, and better yet, plan out your next batch. But really, there should be a reason for every image, not just filler.”
You need a roadmap. Because we can create the best imagery in the world, but if they aren’t used, then what’s the point?
Why I Provide a Marketing Guide
That’s one of the reasons why I provide a marketing guide to each and every branding client that comes through my studio. I want to make sure that my clients’ investment with me brings them a real return, and the only way to do that is for them to use their imagery.
The majority of my clients do not have marketing teams. They don’t have people putting different pieces of the puzzle in place. They’re doing it all themselves, just like I am.
And when you’re wearing all of the different hats, it can be so overwhelming to figure out where the pieces of the puzzles go.
Which is why I create a customized guide for every client using their own imagery.
Am I delineating exactly where a specific image should be used at a specific time on a specific post? No, I’m not getting that granular.
What I am doing is providing an overarching guide to help them through the journey.
A Real Example
For example, my most recent branding client has so much experience in sales, but we have to remember that sales and marketing are two different things.
So here’s what I wrote him in an email when I delivered all of his final files:
“I’ve also included your customized personal branding marketing guide. It may seem like a no-brainer, but this is a great refresher for promoting yourself and your content online, because you won’t grow if you don’t get attention for your brand. And sometimes the most obvious things are the ones we overlook, myself included.”
This marketing plan ties back to the bigger mission. All of the things that we talk about in the design consultation:
- Looking at who they are ✔️
- Who their ideal client is ✔️
- Their brand colors ✔️
- Their brand story ✔️
- And all of the descriptive words that we use to describe who we are in our business and how we want our clients to see us. ✔️
Because our clients are looking for the successful version of us to show them that they should invest with us.
Time for a Brand Check-In
As we’re closing out this year and heading into the new year, I want you to take a minute and think about your own brand imagery.
Do you have images there that you’ve never used? Or perhaps you have imagery that you love, but you just don’t know how to use it?
Think about it: Is your imagery helping you or is it holding you back?
Because if it’s holding you back, it’s time to update your visual brand.
Remember, as you evolve, your business will evolve and your imagery should evolve as well.
So it might just be time to have that brand refresh.
I’m definitely guilty of this too, and it’s something that I’m evaluating as I move into the new year.
My photos are a couple of years old at this point, and my brand has shifted a little bit. So this conversation is as much for me as it is for you. 🫣
I encourage you to take a few minutes to review your imagery, how you’re using them, and if they’re helping you get where you want to go.
The Bottom Line
I want to take it back to my mission, which is to help my clients own their story, take their place in history, and document their journey with incredible imagery.
That whole taking your place thing? It only works if you actually use your imagery.
That’s why you don’t just take photos. You create impactful imagery to strategically grow your brand.