We will be the first to admit it: the internet age has given birth to an astounding array of powerful and creative ways to promote organizations. From social media marketing to online video advertising to email newsletter campaigns and so on ad nauseum — the selection is vast enough to be dizzying.
If you do happen to feel overwhelmed by the quantity of options at your disposal, then you certainly aren’t alone. Small business owners, in particular, may be driven to frustration by the disparity between their down-sized budgets and the limitless number of marketing channels they could be pursuing — if only their wallets were a bit beefier.
The point we hope to make with this article is that, even considering all the ways that you could potentially invest in organizational marketing, professional photography continues to be one of the best choices. Here are just a few reasons why:
1. Put Your True Face Forward
Stock photography might get the job done — at least in a certain, minimal sense. For example, it helps give your website a polished, well-finished look and it allows you to visually reinforce the ideas that you share through text. Moreover, virtually any form of visual content will help improve a website’s search engine scores, and may be recycled for content marketing on social media.
If you really want to go the extra mile, however, original photography can accomplish everything stock photos do, only better. Most search engines, for example, are configured to value unique content more than reposted items — and your “well-polished website” will seem a lot sharper if it features actual photos of your products! Last but not least, it is a safe bet that customer trust in your brand will increase rather than decrease when you make an effort to show what you offer first hand. Why not openly demonstrate exactly how proud you are of your organization?
2. Improve Your Content Marketing Game
Social media marketing is a pretty broad term — encompassing Facebook crusaders to Instagram artists to Twitter enthusiasts are much more. Regardless of which channels you may prefer, however, you should understand that content is the heart and soul of any good campaign.
Curating quality content from other relevant sources is a good starting point: but original content such as blog posts, videos, photos, etc. will bring the most attention and respect to your page. And because, today more than ever, the social media scene rewards visually-based content above all else, it has never been a better time to begin creating graphics, memes, and… you guessed it, professional photographs!
3. Master the Art of the First Impression.
Regardless of what a certain axiom may warn, most customers DO Judge Books Based on their Covers. According to one study conducted by Adweek, for example, as many as 80 percent of all customers now conduct at least some online research before making a decision about major purchases. If you can’t provide high quality, professional photographs of your products, then you risk losing your potential customers to a competitor who can.
Learn more about our professional photography services at Black and Gold online today!