One of the most exciting things you can tell your marketing agency is, “we hired a professional photographer.” Receiving professional photographs to utilize on your website, social media, and marketing campaigns makes us more excited than a dancing puppy!
Find the Right Photographer
Remember not all photographers are the same! Review your options and hire a photographer that matches your personality. Decide the most aspects of a photographer and shape your questions around those aspects.
- Have they ever taken product photos? (For example as an eye care practice you may want professional photos of some frames)
- Have they worked with other similar businesses?
- What is their pricing and payment structure?
- Do they help with posing?
- Do they have backups in case of illness, or will things be rescheduled?
- Do they have an assistant that attends the shoots?
- What is the image turnaround time?
- Do they have insurance in the case of injuries?
- What is the image ownership and permissions policy? This is usually outlined in a contract.
You want to make sure you own the photos and are allowed to use them on all of your marketing materials for as long as you want. Don’t forget to read their reviews and review their online portfolio!
Make it Worth Your Investment
Your Must Have Photos
Hiring a professional photographer and setting time aside for them to capture the necessary photos is an investment. The last thing anyone wants is to make the investment and realize you walked away missing a key shot. Think through all the aspects of your business you would like to promote and start making a list.
Products
Outline a list of products to photograph. This can be a specific item, a group of items, or both. If you own a bookstore, you may want a few long-term best sellers photographed, but you will also want book displays and bookshelves captured.
Equipment and Services
If you use any specific equipment, make sure the equipment is photographed on its own and while being used by a team member. In healthcare, this could include taking a picture of an exam lane and photos of the doctor “examining” a patient.
Building
If you are a brick-and-mortar business, create a sense of familiarity for first-time visitors by featuring photos of your building on your website and social media. The outside of the building, the sign, and all areas of the inside of the building are beneficial and can be used.
People
Determine who from your team will have photos taken and if they will be headshots or portraits. Providing professional headshots for all employees is a nice gesture of inclusion and signifies their importance to your business.
Think about what makes your company unique and build your list around that. This information is a jumping-off point, but when you work with our team, we get to know your brand identity and make customized recommendations to share with the photographer before their visit.
WORK WITH US!
Interested in working with Innereactive on an upcoming project? Complete the form below and a member of our team will reach out shortly to set up a meeting.
Heather Morrison
Heather is the VP of Operations at Innereactive and we are lucky to have her. She has over five years of experience running an HR department and enjoys helping businesses like yours find solutions to their HR needs.