We've have been busy recently shooting commercial portraits for people, which is always great fun, as I try and work with the client on getting images that are right for their business. This means working with them, guiding them through the process and deciding what will be best for them. This might mean a clean, professional studio shoot, or images taken at a persons place of work, or choosing a suitable location that reflects what that person does.
One reason for the increase in shoots is that more and more people are using Social Media. Now although those holiday snaps of you by the pool, with a glass of wine in your hand, look great, you need to ask if they are really putting across the right message about you and your products or services.
I was recently taking photos of Paula White, owner and manager of The White Approach, who offers a practical, hands on solutions to the projects and up-to-date specialisms in Social Media and small business growth. During our conversation at the shoot, Paula made some other interesting observations about using the right image in Social Media.
Paula told me "Businesses are often so keen to reap the rewards of Social Media for their business that they forget that's it's about human interaction and conversation. As friendly and engaging as a company might try to be on Twitter, for the person connecting it's far harder to feel any kind of bond with a faceless logo than with a real person with a name. At a local show recently I saw a stand for a business I'd connected with on Twitter. I didn't go over as although we'd chatted I had no idea who in the business I'd spoken to. I tweeted later to say I'd seen them and they were disappointed I hadn't said Hello as they felt they knew me well. The connection just isn't there from my side though when I have no idea who I've been speaking to. A clear, professional photo in the spirit of your personality of business goes a long way to humanising those connections and taking them to the next level."
Not all profile photos need to be complicated though, quite a few in fact are simple studio shots of the person, which shows a professional approach to what they do. We have been privileged to work with many companies and have produced photography for both large companies, where with have spent the day of their offices, minimising the time involved for the directors and staff to produce what they need, as well as individuals requiring just a small selection of images.
The important thing to remember is that you are the image of your company when on Social media, so it's not only about what you say or don't say, it's also how you come across and represent your brand. I guess the true cost is not what it takes to get it right, but how much you are losing to get it wrong.
If you would like to discuss us creating a new profile image for you, then please do get in touch. We still also have a few places left on our special studio days, at a discounted rate to normal, you can find out more here: www.ajwphoto.co.uk/commercial/studioshoot.php
To find out more about Paula White and how she can help you, visit her website at www.thewhiteapproach.co.uk/ or follow her on twitter @paulawhite_uk
