When you think about building clear and powerful marketing for your business, the best foundation starts with strong photography. Photography catches the eye of your customers and tells a relatable, compact story about a business that people can instantly connect to. As a small business owner, you already have a never-ending to-do list, but modern phone technology makes it easy for anyone to take high-quality (and budget-friendly!) photos. It’s simple to spend a few minutes taking the photos you want to help your business stand out.
Here are five steps to taking high-quality marketing photography, all while saving time and money.
1. Select your Subject
Your goal is for your photos to represent your business as quickly and effectively as possible to catch the attention of your customers. Start by asking yourself what you want to communicate. Think about keywords in your mission statement. If you’re a mechanic, you might want to communicate reliability, while, as a gift shop owner, you might focus on your unique product line. Then ask yourself; what is the best subject to tell that story?
For businesses who sell a tangible product, the best starting subject is the objects you sell. If you are a restaurant owner, your subject could be your signature dinner special. If you own a flower shop, you could feature a few of your best arrangements. For business owners selling a service, your subject may become more abstract. Think about different people, actions, or spaces that can best communicate your business. Do you run a fitness studio? Your subject could be your space with a full class in session. Do you own a hair salon? Try photographing your staff performing one of your top-requested services. Be creative but be clear – your subject should communicate your business at first glance.
2. Consider the Composition
Composition is how all of the elements in your photograph relate to each other. Consider every object, pattern, and color in the frame. Are they helping draw focus to your subject, or providing a distraction? If anything is distracting, make a change!
A good starting point is to work with a clean, simple background and plan each object with intention. Try setting your products against a light, a dark, and a textured background to see what looks best. Or try viewing your workspace from multiple angles and note the difference. Your goal is for the viewer’s eye to focus on the most important part of the image first.
3. Plan your Lighting
No expensive equipment required! Good lighting dictates mood and clarity of a photo and means that your subject is bright, out of the shadows, and stands out from the background. When photographing products, place your subject indoors near a window to use the indirect natural light. Try a few placements and rotations of the products to avoid harsh shadows. If you’re outside, position yourself with your back to the sun or at a 45 degree angle to the light source so that the light falls on the front of the subject.
4. Check your Focus
Take the time to check if your subject is in focus before you take the photo. Proper focus increases the professionalism of the image and will highlight the details and textures. If you are using auto-focus (the default setting on most phones and cameras), check your photo on your device right after the shot to see if the correct item is in focus.
As a more advanced step, try using portrait mode on your phone or a low f-stop on your camera, both of which allow you to take photos with a shallow depth of field. Shallow depth of field results in your background appearing blurred and your subject in sharp focus.
5. Save at a High Resolution
Taking and saving photos at a high resolution ensures your shots are not pixelated when enlarged. Photos with a low resolution can appear pixelated in print materials, and even on many digital screens. A resolution of 300dpi or higher will allow for crisp shots whether used as a small social media ad, as a large image on a landing page, or printed on a poster.
So I have these awesome photos, now how do i use them?
Now that you have beautiful, brand-centered photography, how will you use them in your marketing? Print and digital marketing contain great opportunities to showcase your photos, and Fanbank is the easiest way to put your photos to work for your small business.
As a Fanbank member our team takes your own photos and uses them to create promotional materials for your seasonal and everyday campaigns. Once your photos are uploaded to your portal, we do the rest! You’ll see your own work in professionally designed templates including online experiences, email designs, social media ads, posters, and much more. All customized to your brand and refreshed each month.
Interested in becoming a Fanbank member? Email us at Join@fanbank.com.
See what current members are saying about their Fanbank experience: reviews.fanbank.com
