In this video, Katinka, a Melbourne-based photographer and visual brand expert, launches the idea of a mini-series of expert chats to help small-business owners grow their businesses and brands. The first guest is Darby, a brand strategist, and the discussion is around the importance of having a strong foundation for your brand, it highlights the difference between a brand strategist and a logo/graphic designer, and when you might need these services.
Darby explains that her ideal customers are service providers, including finance experts, bookkeepers, designers, and psychologists who have been in business for a few years and are feeling disconnected from their brand or ready for a change. She helps them refresh their brand strategy, align it with their business strategy, and take their business to the next level.
Free download: If you’re unsure about your business brand strategy and would like to check what your next step is. Please scroll down to download our Brand Strategy checklist.
Contact or follow us online: Do you need help with your Brand Strategy? Please contact and follow Derby.
Is it time to refresh or create a visual brand for your business? Please contact or follow Katinka
Katinka Kernutt Visual Brand and Personal Brand Photography www.katinkakernutt.com @katinkakernutt
Do you have a clear Brand Strategy for your business?
Download our quick checklist to help you decide if you have a clear brand strategy or if you need help defining it before you engage a Graphic Designer and Photographer to create the visual aspects of your business brand.
It’s no secret that a picture tells a
thousand words.
Imagery is an incredibly powerful
tool and should be taken into consideration when planning your business
photoshoot.
I love using props at all my photo
shoots as it’s the perfect way to relax you when someone is poking a camera in
your face.
Prop ideas are endless and no two
business owners would ever bring the same props to a shoot.
Here are some tips to help you
consider which props would be right for you for your next business shoot.
Industry related props:
Tools of the trade. What do you use every day in your business? You could take it further and add a fun historical element by considering what would have been used in your business 50 years ago.
Everyone uses phones and computers, so think differently and choose an object that will make you stand out.
Do you have inspirational quotes that you run your business by? Adding quotes either on letter boards or printed quote cards is a lovely way to inspire others and get your philosophy across.
Reuseable signs, boards, iPad screen, Laptop screen, mobile screen or other items. Can be a great way to create images that can have text digitally added to them in the future.
Industry prop suggestions:
Photographer – Camera.
Accountant – Calculator or computer.
Graphic designer – Pens, markers and other drawing materials.
Yoga teacher – Yoga mat, water bottle.
Health – Fresh food, cook books, weights, tape measure and vitamins.
Stylist – Colour charts, fabrics and mood boards.
Chinese medicine – Acupuncture needles, cupping equipment, natural herbs, candle, and towels.
Personal props:
This is where the fun begins.
Personal props allow you to easily
add your personality into your branding images.
Showcasing the real you to the world
helps you to connect with your customers or clients on a more personal level,
creating a sense of trust and familiarity.
The options for personal props really
are endless, but here are a few ideas:
Things on your desk such as potted plants, picture frames and small ornaments.
Your favourite mug, takeaway coffee cup, or drink bottle.
Something unique about you. You might have a nick name or an in-joke that only some of your audience will get, your favourite childhood toy or your favourite food.
Your diary and some nice pens or highlighters.
Books and magazines
Tip: Remember to consider colour.
I love colour as a way of creating a
strong visual brand for businesses and the easiest way to add colour to your
photos is with your props.
So much can be communicated through the use of colour so it’s worth considering how you can use this powerful visual tool to get your brand’s unique personality across.
Now that you’ve got a good idea of
how powerful props can be, it’s over to you. What props have you used? What
item connects with your business on a deeper level?
I’d love to hear the story behind the
props you’ve chosen!
A couple of months ago I wrote a blog post for Mayday VA. It’s very relevant so I will share it here too.
It’s no secret that in the digital age people have shorter attention spans.
In the world of
fast news and social media we are continually bombarded by information, which
makes it hard for businesses to not only get the people’s attention, but to
hold it long enough to get their message across.
Interestingly,
people are more likely to stop scrolling when they see a face. This means
that personal brand photography, photography which aims to showcase the
personality of your brand, is now more important than ever in making sure your
brand not only gets seen but is also easily recognisable.
Here are my top
reasons why personal brand photography is important to any business.
It creates the
Know, Like and Trust factor.
In the current
marketplace, potential clients and customers prefer to know who they’re buying
from, and personal brand photography allows them to actually see your face.
In the era of the
heart, people don’t want to talk to a computer. They prefer more personal
communication and are looking for the real-life person behind the brand.
Having a picture of yourself on your website and across your social media creates a sense of knowing and helps to build trust and increase likeability amongst existing and potential clients.
You
can showcase your personality.
Behind every brand is a real-life person with their own
uniqueness and eccentricities.
Some brand owners have had to overcome amazing odds to get to
where they are today and these stories should be shared and celebrated.
Whether you’re classic, bold, modern, colourful or monochromatic, personal brand photography will showcase your unique personality and tell your story which will, in turn, attract your tribe.
You
become more recognisable.
Pretty
soon, people will start to recognise you and associate you with your brand. You
may find that people may recognise you at networking events or even on the
street and approach you for conversation.
Always
remember to be true to yourself. Portraying a false image is not only
misleading but will also be a nightmare to keep up with. If you always wear
bright red lipstick, keep wearing it. Stay true to you and don’t feel like you
need to change just for the camera.
Be
kind, work hard and you will be recognised for all the right reasons.
It
markets YOU!
Because
personal brand photography markets you, you will end up creating a personal
brand and be seen as the leader in your industry.
Your
personality and the brand itself will become entwined with one another in a
beautiful dance of recognition and people will think of your name when they
hear your brand mentioned.
As you
can see from the list above there are many benefits to investing in personal
brand photography.
Creating
recognition, building trust and putting a face to the business name are all
things that will help instil trust and relatability in potential clients and
customers.
In
this fast-paced world full of multinational corporations and automation, people
crave a more personal approach when doing business with someone. This means
that personal brand photography is now more important than ever in showcase
yourself and what you do best.
It’s
time to shine, get personal and show the world who you are and what you do!
Emmylou has hit Instagram in a big way with her big parties, TV show, fun personality, epic videos and authentic personal branding. Her followers love her real ‘say it as it is’ attitude.
Someone commented “You did that well—your outfit matches the ribbon colour on the car.”
Emmylou replied “Those are my brand colours!”
I loved that answer! Her perfectly thought out personal branding helped create beautiful on-brand images of the special event.
I was excited to be part of the “Emmylou CAR” story.
I’d expected to get a few ‘red carpet’ style shots as Emmylou arrived, but no: she, and Bec and Kara from Social ConXN were early. The Social ConXN girls and I went inside to set up the shoot, and then it was time for Emmylou to come and get the keys.
Emmylou was totally overwhelmed and the guys at Werribee Mitsubishi were amazing. The gift of a car is going to really change Emmylou’s world and she was blown away by their generosity. Instead of getting her three children to school on foot and tram in the Melbourne winter, she’ll be able to drive to drop-off and pick-up.
Like every great photoshoot most of the time is taken up by re-creating that perfect moment and videoing and photographing every detail from every angle. And then the real work starts. Thanks to modern technology images and videos were transferred on site. We all went to pick up our kids and at the perfect Insta worthy time the event was broadcast to the world (with one tiny tech issue).
Thank you Social ConXN for inviting me to be part of this exciting event!
