Being the visual creatures we are, photography is one of the most attention-getting and storytelling means of marketing your small business. This is true whether you’re posting on Facebook or printing a hardcopy brochure (still very effective, by the way).
Fortunately for us, smart phones make it easy to put together a media library filled with quality photos. The tricky part is ensuring that “perfect shot” is usable and, haha, findable when you need it.
In this post I’m covering usability. Stay tuned for my next post on findability.
Photography Determines Project Success
From my experience as a graphic and web designer, here are three tips for success in your marketing project. They will also save you time and money.
Your photos should:
- Be Consistent With Your Brand
Your photography should always match your business values. It should resonate with your target market. Earlier this year I updated a website for The Real Estate Duo. Check out the photo they gave me to use on their Meet the Duo page. It shows perfectly the fun, sassy, and totally capable Realtors that they are.
- Elevate Your Narrative
Storytelling and marketing go hand-in-hand. What stories do your photos tell? When Wisconsin’s Soil Sisters were featured in Modern Farmer Magazine, the photography conveyed the unique relationship these women have with one another. It also enabled readers to feel part of their farms and family. Do you have storytelling photos ready when it’s your turn to shine?
- Be High-Res
When it comes to saving you time and money, I can’t stress enough the importance of high-resolution photography. This is especially true when it comes to hardcopy promotional pieces, where professional printing requires 300 dpi or higher (note: photos copied from the internet will notwork). Remember, you can always downsize the dimensions or resolution of an image after it’s taken, but you can never increase it. Shoot your photos in the highest resolution available—in fact, change your camera settings right now! Also, be sure to email photos to your designer in their fullest size. Do not diminish the file for the sake of easier emailing.
Stay tuned next month for helpful tips in organizing those photos!
What I’m Working On This Month
August is Fermentation Fest month—for the guide, that is. The Fermentation Fest team and I have been researching, gathering, laying out, rearranging, editing, rearranging, adding, and rearranging again. All this behind-the-scenes is culminating an extraordinary gem; a literary/art zine, both beautiful and intelligent. Watch for it in mid-August throughout Wisconsin, Chicago, and the Twin Cities.
What I’m Tuned Into This Month
- Turning Personal Pain into Power, Regina Brett interviews Mary Watson on resilience. Good choices determine our life.
- The Corner Table, Forage for Your Supper, Wow, talk about creative entrepreneuring! Fermented hot sauce, wild food walks, wild food dinners, and CSA wild greens.
- Bruschetta with Pesto: Fresh tomatoes and basil, hmmmm. My favorite of the gardening season.
- This is Your Brain on Nature: Even more relevant during this summer of Covid.