Why you need to build credibility and authority in your industry.
If you’re trying to build credibility authority for your business, all in the context of a competitive industry, then personal branding photography should be a non-negotiable investment for your business and marketing.
We live in a technological age where people are constantly distracted by social media, global news events, and smartphones.
Although social media has unleashed so many opportunities for us as entrepreneurs, it can be challenging to stand out and make yourself visible to the world.
It’s the art of showcasing every essence of who you are as a business owner; your personality, how you work, your values, your interests and how you spend your free time in a way that inspires and attracts your ideal clients.
The role of personal branding to increase your visibility
In the last decade, personal branding has become its own genre within the photography industry, and it’s one that I am utterly obsessed with.
For me, it’s more than taking ‘pretty pictures’; it’s about getting to know someone and their brand and understanding what makes them tick so that I can create ‘pictures with purpose’ instead.
I recently worked with a brand designer who could confidently raise her prices and double her income in just a few short months by using her new images on her website and social media to look more polished and professional.
It’s all about the personal touch, making you stand out from the crowd. Your brand needs a human face, and that’s where your personal brand comes in.
Not only does it give potential clients more insight into who you are as a person and as a business owner.
They’ll get excited about the possibilities of working with you or buying from you because they will have formed a personal connection with you before meeting you.
Brand photography is a powerful tool to connect with your target audience and convey a clear message about who you are and what you do; it’s your secret weapon in helping you build credibility and authority in your business.
But what does it mean to be credible?
Why being credible will help establish and build your brand
It means people have faith in your abilities and trust that if they work with you, they’ll get the results they want.
You can do this by becoming a reliable resource, sharing information with the right audience—whether through social media, blogging, podcasting or speaking at events—and making sure that what you share is accurate and helpful.
By having high-quality images accompany your content rather than a phone selfie, you’ll go that extra mile in building your authority as a professional in your industry, ensuring that people will come back time and again for more value from you.
Getting featured in major publications is a great way to boost your reputation and increase your influence.
Being able to include an “As seen on” section on your landing page that includes logos of publishers you’ve been featured on can significantly boost your conversion rates.
How to build credibilty and authority in the media
Having great-quality images will often determine whether you get media coverage. As the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. How often do you skim through articles without taking it all in? The visuals, not just the title or a block of text, attract attention to a story and convey a message.
If a journalist can visualise what the article would look like in a magazine and your images are remarkably more interesting and better quality than your competitors, you can greatly increase your chances of getting featured.
Another thing to consider is the placement of images. Remember to include a mixture of portrait and landscape images and a couple with plenty of negative space to allow for text around the subject.
This is particularly important if you know the image will be used on the front page of a magazine.
I have seen first-hand the incredible impact this has had on my business. For years I shied away from telling people who I had photographed and where my work had been featured.
It wasn’t until I learnt more about positioning and, rather than seeing it as bragging rights, used it to form credibility for my brand that a huge shift happened in my business.
It completely up-levelled my brand, giving me instant authority and changing how my clients perceived my work.
Embrace Your Brand: The Power of Personal Branding Photography
The truth is most entrepreneurs are terrible at marketing themselves.They don’t know how to tell their story or position themselves as an expert in their industry.
One of the simplest ways of doing this is by showing up as you. When I began using photos of myself, my engagement and conversions tripled overnight.
You’ll get more engagement when you upload an image with a person in it than if you upload an image without any people.
This is because we are naturally drawn to other people, especially when we look at images on social media.
In fact, a psychological element plays into this phenomenon: we are more likely to be interested in things that look like us or things that resemble us in some way.
So, when you upload an image with a person in it, you’re tapping into that innate desire for connection by showing the viewer something they can relate to.
I understand that the idea of being photographed can be particularly daunting for some.
But with the right photographer, they should instantly put you at ease, taking over every aspect of the shoot. When I plan a photo shoot, I spend a lot of time thinking about how I want the audience to feel when they see these images.
Do they want to feel warm, feminine, luxurious, or powerful? Knowing as much detail about my client helps me to advise on location choices, outfits, props and posing.
How positioning will help you build your credibility and authority
You may wonder how two business coaches could have such different brand values. Well, it all comes down to the details.
Let’s imagine one is based in New York and the other lives in Costa Rica. The coach living in New York embodies the city style and is all about boldness and power, and she makes sure you know it.
She wears tailored suits and bodycon dresses, black leather pants, and black court shoes—all of which give her an air of confidence and a no-nonsense attitude that she wants to instil in her clients.
She sticks to a neutral colour palette of black, brown, and cream, giving a luxury feel to her images. She uses locations with minimal fuss and isn’t afraid to show off her designer handbags and expensive shoes.
When she’s not in the office, she’s out at a cocktail bar with her friends or travelling the world first-class staying in 5-star hotels and attending exclusive events.
The coach in Costa Rica, however, takes a more spiritual approach to coaching. She wears floaty fabrics in soft colours and loose-fitting dresses that make her look like she’s ready to hop on a boat to the Bahamas at any moment.
Her spiritual style is reflected in things around her; yoga mats, crystals, burning incense, and other items that inspire creativity and relaxation.
She works from her home while surrounded by her dog and all those things that make her feel good and uses other props and plants to create an atmosphere that feels more like a beach than an office space.
So how do these two coaches create a cohesive brand?
It all comes down to defining what you want your brand identity to be based on the details that make up your personality traits and lifestyle choices so you can use them effectively when creating content for social media or your website.
The Power of Personal Branding
As you can see, personal branding is a powerful tool for businesses and individuals alike. It’s important to remember that your brand isn’t just about what you do—it’s also about who you are. No longer do we just buy products or services; we’re looking for experiences, ideas and emotions—we want to know who we’re buying from. We also want to know what we’re buying into, so we will trust we’re making a good decision on an investment of time and money.
If you’re looking to attract new clients, advance your career, or simply work toward feeling more confident in the way that you present yourself, it’s worth exploring the idea of personal branding. Or visibility is key to surviving and thriving as a brand.
So take a look at your social media platforms, and ask yourself: “What would my ideal customer think when they see this image of me?” Your brand should be grounded in authenticity and reflect who you really are.
I know how hard it can be to build a brand in your industry—it’s not just about having a great product and marketing strategy. It’s also about how you position yourself and your business in the minds of consumers.
With this in mind, I’ve teamed up with Pascale Ricchetti, who has worked with some of the biggest brands in the world, to build a 6-month mentoring programme designed specifically for coaches and online business owners.
If you have questions about how to build a world-class brand, stand out in your marketplace, and offer premium service for premium prices so you can raise your prices and increase your income, find me on Instagram and say hello!
Developing a consistent brand starts with creating a brand style . To discover your unique style, take my brand personality quiz. Your result will include a personalised style guide and Pinterest board to give you some inspiration.
Image suggestions to help get you featured.
Portrait photos
A portrait can be a headshot (your face only) or show your entire body. These are great for magazine covers or if you want the focus solely on you. Body language is essential in these shots as it will set the tone of your message. How you hold yourself can convey how you want to come across as a person—whether that’s as confident and poised or relaxed and laid-back.
Action shots
This will help establish your credibility as someone who knows what they’re talking about. You could share what it would be like to work with you, how you create your products and standing on stage speaking.
Your workspace or office environment
Showing off your workspace is another way of establishing credibility — if it looks clean and professional, so will you. This is a great way to show off your personality and work, and it can help build connections with other people who might be interested in what you’re doing.
Family life
Editors will also want a photo of yourself at home with your family or at work in your office so that readers know who you are as a person, not just someone who has made money through business ventures.
If you’re interested in booking a personal brand shoot, get in touch and we can have a chat about your business and how you want to show up.