Before hiring a photographer . . .
Here’s 4 things you should know before you hire a photographer to create sales imagery for your business.
Have a clear strategy & purpose
Prior to getting in touch with a photographer, you should have a clear idea of the purpose & strategy behind how you plan to implement imagery into your marketing plan.
Think of your imagery as a business asset, because it is! Where and how does it fit into your sales pipeline? What does it need to be communicating to your audience?
One question I get asked all the time from potential clients is, ‘I need new photos for my business, how much will it cost? ’ and when I ask them about the above I usually get a very vague and confusing answer.
If you don’t know the reason behind why you need images or have an expected performance outcome for those images, then you might as well be chucking money out the window.
Know what you want to communicate.
This comes back to your brand & marketing strategy. Get clear on exactly what you want your images to communicate about your business - is it your point of difference, a new product/service, new location, etc.
Get really clear on what you’re trying to say through a new set of images and share this when you outreach to a photographer. This information helps us to think critically about the best way to go about planning your shoot, setting up each shot, and what concepts will translate visually.
What’s your brand style?
Does you or your brand have a specific look that suits a certain type of image style? If not, do some research on your competitors or businesses in a similar industry. What do you like/not like about their existing imagery? Save your favourites and get clear on the style of imagery you want to create. Having a clear idea around a visual aesthetic that fits your brand messaging is extremely helpful when it comes to identifying a photographer you’d like to work with. Sharing these examples with your photographer then helps them to build up an inspiration board and gives some clear guidelines to plan for and follow.
Get clear on quantity.
Try to have a rough idea of the number of images you’ll need to create. Knowing this is extremely valuable because it will help give the photographer a rough idea of how much time will be required for your shoot so they can quote it accurately.
Not sure how to figure that out? Here’s how to start:
For updated website imagery, identify all the pages that will require imagery then drill deeper into each page and see where and how those images need to fit in. If you’re having a new website made, ask your web developer/graphic designer to share the website mock up with you so you can identify the number of image place holders. They may even be able to help you identify an imagery list that can then be passed along to a photographer.
Having a clear vision on the three areas above will allow your photographer to create imagery that is more than just a pretty picture but a strong sales asset that works for your business.