You’ve worked hard to build your business and brand, creating a logo, mission statement, and social media profiles. There are a variety of elements that go into your brand identity, from the promises to your customers to your website, to the way you present yourself on your Instagram and Facebook business pages.

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words, and that’s especially true when it comes to branding. The quickest way to build a strong brand identity is through the images used on your website. That’s why branding photography is essential for any business owner.

Professional images are essential in defining brand identity

A branding photography library is a collection of high-quality, professional images created to visually represent your business and demonstrate your brand identity. The photos can include images of you and your team members, your workspace, your products, and any part of your process or business operations that is integral to your brand.

Brand photos are just like headshots, but instead of being part of your personal brand, they are key to your business’s visual brand identity. The images are used to promote your company. Custom branding images are crucial elements of brand identity that establish your unique business brand your website, social media channels, sales and marketing materials.

Humanize your company

One of the greatest things about branding photography is that it gives potential and current customers a look at the faces behind your business. You may be intimidated by the idea of putting your face out there. But, consumers are more likely to interact with and trust companies when they can see the people behind the brand.

Branding photos show customers who you and your team are. They also give interested consumers a peek behind the curtain, showing them your process, your products, your facilities and what you do every day. While it’s a great idea to have quality product images, to help customers see how a product can be used in real life it’s important to feature people in your images.

Create a stunning first impression

When someone visits your website or social media profile for the first time, you don’t want them to be put off by low-quality imagery or generic stock photography. Professional branding photos do more than increase sales, they inspire visitors to your media channels by authentically showing your staff, operations and products. The more inspiring your brand identity, the more likely consumers will build a brand allegiance to what you offer!

Increase engagement with your brand

While strong content is essential to creating a solid brand identity, visuals are even more important. Quality images encourage more people to engage with your business online. Facebook posts with images receive 2.3x more engagement than those without images, according to Hubspot. That’s why images are so essential, especially professional produced branding photos that are authentic to your company.

You can use your photos everywhere

Once you build your brand content photo library, you’ll keep finding opportunities to promote your business with these personalised photos. Branding photography is an investment that will pay for itself! Use them to elevate your brand on the web, on social media, in paid advertising, out-of-home, in editorial, email and newsletters. Having a war chest of professional creative content liberates your brand identity from the monotony of stock photography so you can authentically connect with people.