Your professional portrait - The crucial part of your branding strategy
You might be wondering as a business professional why is a great professional portrait needed? Consider today’s very connected and visual society, where the face of a business professional, owner and of employees, will be what the first significant impression potential customers will experience. When consumers or clients are looking for products and services, they are also often wondering what are the companies all about with who they are considering doing business with. Most people begin by searching online to research what they are considering purchasing, looking for what will make them decide to purchase or not. The more important or higher the price point of the purchase the deeper they will look for both visual and written confirmation.
Consumers or clients are mostly looking for some sort of human connection that will connect with them. Whether it’s a look, an attitude, or a genuine smile connecting them to your products or services.
The image above is of a Nutritionist and Owner of a nutritional coaching company. This image is genuinely warm, welcoming and playful. The environment symbolizes a nutritionally sound lifestyle and overall approach to a healthy wellbeing. Altogether the elements combine to create a distinct visual marketing message. The portrait supported her brand and was used to market her services in a business publication both online and print.
Businesses have an opportunity to cultivate and nurture a brand identity with every piece of advertising they create. But they only have the opportunity to make a convincing first impression with the materials they put in front of potential customers the very first time someone clicks on their site or opens up a brochure. People respond to faces. They unintentionally gather ideas and aspects to the company that the people pictured represent. It’s powerful marketing. And it’s powerful because it’s authentic. It’s human-human marketing.
Using a well crafted image in company advertising implies a promise or warranty of the value of proposition. In a way the professional in the image is giving you his or her guarantee that the product or service will be excellent. Portraits are part of the brand strategy and the part that actually may work the best. Imaging can cross boundaries and they work hard 24/7 across all forms of media.
Keep in mind that your portrait should evolve with your brand and should change at least every three years as your brand also grows. Investing in a quality professional portrait will keep you at the forefront and provide you with a valuable return in more ways than one.
Written by Maria Lalla
Photography by Maria Lalla
-
ozmelo likes this
-
marialalla posted this
