What is the ROI for Brand Photos?

As I worked to answer this question, I discovered:

I'm a CON- Artist.

Not that kind of con artist.

There's nothing deceptive, too good to be true, or scammy in anyway around here.

The reality is I feel like I give away an abundance of information and value. Lay all of the cards on the table, if you will.

No, no. I'm not a criminal con artist.

With some reflection and an 'ah-ha' moment, I realized I am an 'artist of con-'. But that sounds clunky and around here we're all about a good brand.

So CON- Artist it is.

Before you get your panties in a bunch, this all ties back to the value of brand photography and the return you'll get from your photos.

This is about how I answered the following question:

What is the Return on Investment for Brand Photos?

And because I'm not a con artist and bullsh*tting is not my forte, coming up with a case-study-worthy answer to that question wasn't going to happen.

Instead the answer unfolded as 'the brand photo's journey to ROI'.

Let's get something clear - ROI is short for Return on Investment. This is the measure of profitability by realizing a gain or loss based on an investment.

Personally, I see brand photos as a nonnegotiable for small business owners. It's a must-have to give context to what you're selling. But I'm biased.

Let's dive in to how a brand photo brings about a return on investment, shall we?

The Brand Photo's Journey to ROI

Pretend you're an entrepreneur with a personal brand. Easy to do because you likely are just that, if you've found my blog.

You are passionate about your business and you serve your clients well.

However, you look around at your industry favorites - Amy Porterfield, Jenna Kutcher, Jasmine Starr - and you notice they constantly have new brand photos of themselves to promote their services.

This gets you thinking that maybe your one headshot turned profile picture just isn't going the distance anymore.

You decide it's time to take brand photos for your business.

Fast forward a few weeks and you're staring at your gallery of beautifully aligned brand photos.

Then you unapologetically use your brand photos EVERYWHERE. Bidding farewell to the dated headshot. See you later, weird AI created illustration of you that you made because it was trending. After awhile, endless car and mirror selfies.

Your website, social media feed, email templates, designed marketing materials, business cards, are all graced with your brand photos.

You are a new woman who legitimately leveled up her brand image with one brand photoshoot.

Profitable ROI, amirite? Great. Blog post complete.

WRONG. That's just scratching the surface on the return.

Next, you notice big time engagement on your photos. Likes, comments, shares - all significantly higher than when you'd post the headshot or selfies.

Your audience takes notice that something's different about you. You seem more...legitimate.

Engagement turns into more website visits. More website visits turn into inquiries. Inquiries turn into booked clients. Booked clients then produce referrals who start the whole cycle over again.

And that right there, that is where the journey to return on investment comes from. Every completed step of your sales funnel produces some form of return on your investment into brand photos.

But Emily, what were you tripping over talking about being a CON- Artist?!

Glad you asked! Here's where I breakdown the three CON-'s for the return on investment of brand photos.

ROI of Brand Photos Comes Down to a CON-

Like we just touched on - your client will go on a journey through your sales funnel and I'd venture to say brand photos helped expedite their journey.

Rewind back to when you received your brand photo gallery and put those photos everywhere. Website, email, social media, printed materials, business cards, etc. etc.

By using your photos consistently throughout all of your platforms, you elevate your visual authority. You illustrate CON-FIDENCE in your personal brand and your ability to serve.

Your existing audience begins to take notice that you're showing up differently - more polished. This reignites the CON-NECTION they have felt with you and you have their attention once more. They engage. They ask questions. They take action.

As the engagement with your website and social media content begins to increase (another form of ROI), organic search results will draw in new audience members in their discovery phase. Those individuals who have identified they have a problem and began searching for a solution. As they browse through your online presence, they immediately take you seriously and place you in a higher-tier - one where they say 'Oh, she knows what she's doing. I better reach out.'. And they take action.

Your audience has grown because they SEE YOU - both ways. They see you in your photos and they see your authentic self coming through. These coveted potential clients are forming a connection with you through your brand photos and you haven't even meth them yet!

All of the action these potential clients are taking? They're inquiring. They're starting CON-VERSATIONS. They need to know how you specifically can help them. You are able to empathize with their problems, offer a high-value solution, and discover you feel connected to them, as well.

Value-driven conversation will lead to potential clients asking 'Where do I sign?'. And that's when you've landed at CON-VERSION.

Suddenly, those potential clients just become...clients. Engaged, connected, paying clients.

And then all of the sudden you see the potential that brand photos held for your business. Your brand photographer was a CON- Artist all along.

What is the ROI of Brand Photos?

Brand photos, when used consistently in marketing, give the following return for small business owners:

• Increased Confidence - to show up in your personal brand and be proud of promoting your services.

• Improved Connections - your audience size will grow and their connection with you will strengthen.

• Increased Conversations - as your audience is more engaged, they'll be begin to ask questions which will lead to more conversations with potential clients.

• Higher Conversion Rate - more value-driven conversations immediately leads to more opportunities to convert leads into clients.

The key is to have professional brand photos to use. These photos must be consistently used across your marketing channels. And you need to refresh your brand photos routinely to maintain connection and engagement with your clients.

Ready to Increase Your Marketing's ROI?

You've found a CON- Artist at your service! I'm ready when you are to strategically create brand visuals that will have you feeling confident and ready to make connections. Download The Experience Guide to see how I can be of service to you for your personal brand photography needs.

GET THE GUIDE

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About Emily Marcella, Northern Virginia Brand Photographer

Building up women entrepreneurs and small business owners to stand confidently in their expertise through strategic personal branding photography. Emily has over five years of dedicated brand photography service and many more years of experience marketing for area small businesses. Set up a time to talk with Emily or connect on Instagram.

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