Images are a great way to share information and inspire excitement. When it comes to your business, you can use corporate photography to increase sales. Imagery helps people understand your business without written messages. The trick is to use quality pictures that depict what your company sells. This encourages excitement and interest in your company and products.
Stock Imagery vs. Custom Imagery
When you consider online photos, it’s essential to make sure that you’re using pics that give people who visit your site an immediate understanding of what you do. MDG Advertising reports that 67% of internet shoppers consider quality photographs important to their purchasing decisions. They rated it more important than product descriptions, reviews, and ratings.
Online shoppers stated that vibrant and detailed imagery increases their perceived ownership of their products or services. Photographs impact an individual’s mood even if they are unaware that it is affecting them. To understand the impact of imagery, researchers flashed pictures at study participants using a screen in a way that made it impossible for those who were taking part in the study to be conscious of the images that they were viewing. Researchers then tested participants on their feelings, cognition, and behavior. They discovered that the overall mood of those participating in the study reflected what they were seeing.
This is why you should be careful about using stock photos to sell your products or services. Consumers have an adverse reaction to companies or brands that use the same stock pictures to characterize a similar idea. The main issue is the picture superiority effect, which is that people are more likely to remember something they see as an image instead of words. It comes down to how people learn. Researchers have also found that people have stronger mental associations when they experience them visually and verbally. According to a study conducted by VWO, a company that changes the pictures on its website from time to time will see an increase in conversions by more than 40%.
People perceive stock images as being cheap. Those who view real people in real moments consider these images to be more important. You can tap into this with the images that you choose to share on your website. Professional photography is vital when you sell products through the internet. Using an accurate picture of a product is as close as an online consumer can get to what you’re selling, so when that photo is taken by a professional, it makes a difference in terms of quality.
Another study determined that when a company posted images that online consumers can spin 360 degrees, conversion rates increased by 27% compared to images displayed in the standard 2D format.
With the amount of information available on the internet, it’s tough for people to take it all in. Visual content lets people take in more information more quickly.
Why Imagery Sells
Imagery sells because it increases consumer engagement. Visual content catches the attention of your customers. Also, some people are more inclined to notice a company when it includes visual images and text. If your business’s target market is more visual, then adding pictures or illustrations is the best way to tempt people to buy what you’re selling.
In most cases, it’s ideal to use both visual images and reading material. That way, your product will appeal to more types of consumers. Imagery attracts those who scan advertisements, pictures, and text to understand if they are interested in your products. Photographs are a powerful way to show your customers who you are and what you stand for. Use them to tell people why the product that you’re offering is the best option.
Pictures are a simple way to explain your business’s history. They also allow you to share information about your understanding and expertise in the market. With photos, you can prove that you are embracing new trends and the latest techniques. For instance, if you sell sneakers and your target consumer groups are teens and young adults, you’ll want to post pictures of people in these age groups wearing them while doing fun and exciting things.
Encourage your customers to share pictures of your products or services while using them. When they do, it will help you build credibility. It also helps you find ways to improve on what you’re selling. You may even come across things that customers like about your product or service that you haven’t thought to focus on, which means that you’ll gain access to different ways to market or promote what you sell.
Social media is another way to create engagement. Share a pic on your favorite social media site and ask your audience to leave a comment. You can do this by highlighting a few of your company’s workers. Then, encourage your audience to guess something about them. For instance, ask them to guess who has the most tattoos or a high school athlete.
Promoting contests is a wonderful way to bring attention to your company. Contests increase traffic for you, and one of your customers wins something, which is sure to make them happy.
Embracing social media will help you with referral traffic. Shareaholic conducted a study about social media sites. It determined that Pinterest produces more referral traffic than YouTube, LinkedIn, and even Google+. The key is to take pictures and post content that makes your company and products stand out from the competition. This will not only increase your profits but will also help establish your brand.
Ways to Invest in Corporate Photography
You’ll likely need to use different types of corporate photography depending on how you’re selling your product. For instance, if you intend to sell something on Amazon, you’ll need a large thumbnail picture. However, for your website or a lifestyle-type page or selling site, it would likely be better to display a picture of someone using your product or enjoying the service you offer.
If your profit margins are tight, it can be tough to invest in professional corporate photography, but the investment is likely to be beneficial. Pictures taken by amateurs generally look substandard. People who take corporate photos professionally know what the market is looking for. They’ll be able to help you convey your brand. While you know your business inside and out, they know design. Take advantage of their expertise.
Types of Corporate Photography
Popular types of corporate photography include traditional portraits, interior, exterior, and product. With a traditional business portrait, you’ll be showing consumers who you are. People like seeing who they are supporting. For a portrait, the subject is looking at the camera to provide a visual representation.
Interior corporate includes inside shots of your business. With this type of professional photography, you can give your clients a peek at the inner workings of your company. This creates familiarity, which will encourage people to want to do business with you.
Corporate portraits can include exterior pictures. Show your audience what your business looks like. You can also take photos of places that reveal your corporate identity or areas relevant to how you do business. For instance, if your business sells baked goods, you might want to have your professional photographer take pics of your prep area or how you package items for shipping. With exterior photos, your audience can react to facial expressions and the relationship between you and your environment.
Product photos show your customers what you sell. There are different ways to tackle product photos. You can either hone in on an item or take a picture of someone using it.
Corporate Photography Case Study
Marketing is constantly changing. Researchers asked content marketers about the changes that occurred between 2018 to 2019. They found that in 2019, 74% of those surveyed confirmed that over 70% of the content they posted included some form of visual imagery, which increased 10.5% from 2018. Researchers considered this a pretty significant increase in just one year.
They also looked into what kind of visual content markers were using. According to research, 40% of marketers used stock photos, while 34% used original images like illustrations and infographics. Around 14% of marketers posted videos and presentations, including slideshows and webinars.
Videos and presentations are seeing a noticeable increase when compared to earlier years. In the past, only 7% of responding marketers were taking advantage of videos and presentations. Virtual communication and training are likely to continue being used to engage those who visit any given site. The pandemic has also changed the way that people are engaging with each other and companies. This means that this form of imagery will likely increase over the years.
Studies show that visual content in photographs and videos resulted in an engagement increase of around 65%. Keep in mind that even though visual content provides a high level of engagement, you shouldn’t post meaningless content. Share it so that your audience can form a more profound connection with your business.
Corporate Photography Increases Sales
Corporate photography increases sales with heightened consumer engagement. People love pictures. Visual imagery will give your brand a professional touch. It will help people remember your company and what you sell. Corporate photography is a good use of your advertising dollars. Invest time and money into making your brand look just right. A corporate photographer will help you expand your business. Professionals will give your brand a sleek look to bring in a higher caliber of client, one who has more money to spend and wants to spend it on your product or service.
Learn more about how to drive sales through photography.