BUILD BRAND TRUST THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY

I recently attended a seminar held by Cultivate regarding how to build real connections with clients and not just make a quick sale. The most important aspect of making a connection is building trust. Build trust with your audience and they’ll have your back by recommending your brand to others, buying your products and services, and leaving positive reviews. And what’s the best way to build trust?

Be transparent. Be genuine. Be you.

People respond positively to positive behavior. Be honest in your endeavors, be unapologetically true to your values, and be yourself instead of fitting into other’s mold of who you ought to be. In the digital age, how can you explain to the whole world all at once that you are honest, authentic, and unique? Through your content. Customized digital content is your friend.

Blog posts, like this one, are great, but require a lot of investment by your audience (if you made it this far, I’m impressed). That being said, today, more than ever, we’re all trained to respond to pictures, videos, and other visuals more so than words. The best way to capture your audiences attention and build trust with them is through purposeful, unique, and custom photography.

Example time. Check the the two photos below. The first one is a well-shot and well-edited stock photo and the second is a photo taken onsite with real people in a real gym. There’s nothing wrong with stock photos in general, but that’s what they are: general. They tell the audience nothing about your brand other than you can search the internet. Instead, tell your audience about your brand values through your photos. The stock photo says, “this is someone lifting”. The candid photo says, “This is our family. This is our team. We have each other’s backs and we work together at our gym”. Which one sounds better to you?

Stock photo by Victor Freitas.

WOD for Leah Event at CF Pickerington shot by me.

Every shot doesn’t needs to be this way, but the more the better. Budgets and time constraints are real things and need to be considered when getting custom brand photography. Just spend your time and money wisely - have the photographer get multiple shots in different backgrounds, swap outfits, do what you can to make your photoshoots go further. There are ways to get custom brand photography without breaking the bank. I’ve done custom photographs for brands big and small because, to me, they’ve all got something to give and they just need someone to help them show it.

If you really want to build brand trust with your audience: be transparent, be genuine, and be you. Make sure your content always reflects your values. It’s something you should think about every time you update your website, social media accounts, marketing material, etc. Custom photography is a great way to ensure that your content reflects the brand values you want your audience to see. Always remember, it’s not about making a sale, it’s about making a connection.

I really hope you found this useful and it improve your brand whatever that might be. If you know someone else who could use this, please pass it along so they can grow too. If you or anyone you know needs custom photography, reach out for a free consultation and estimate. Until next time.

Cheers,
Shawn