Professional photography for SMEs
When you run a small business, it can be tempting to do as much as possible yourself, but sometimes this DIY approach will end up costing you more than if you had simply outsourced the work to a professional.
This is especially true when it comes to photography for your business – if you’re not a photographer, taking your own photographs can be a risky move. In honour of World Photography Day (19th August), which celebrates photography in all its forms, we’re taking a look at how hiring a professional photographer could be the best decision you can make for your SME.
Make a great first impression
So much of marketing is visual – from your website to your Instagram account to your printed materials – and photographs are a hugely powerful marketing tool. Visual marketing research has shown that people process images thousands of times faster than text and will spend more time looking at images on websites than reading the text.* This means it’s absolutely vital that any photographs you use for your business create a great first impression – if you know you don’t have the skills to take professional-grade photographs, it’s probably best to hire a photographer.
Tell a story
Your photographs can do so much more than simply illustrate text or give colour to your marketing materials – they can also tell a story about you and your business that will make potential customers want to connect with you. A professional brand photographer will be able to provide you with a consistent and coherent set of images that tie into the ethos of your business, connect with your audience and promote brand recognition – all invaluable benefits for any SME.
Save time
It might seem counterintuitive, but doing your business photography yourself can actually end up costing you more than if you hired a professional. If you factor in the value of your time and any specialist equipment you need, you’ll find that the costs quickly mount up; it’ll also take a long time to shoot and edit the photographs if you’re having to learn as you go. Bringing on a professional might seem like a large expense, but remember that you’re hiring their training, their expertise, their equipment and their time. They will be able to finish the job sooner and to a higher standard – and you’ll free up your time to work on the things you’re best at instead.
Photography isn’t the only thing you can outsource for your small business. Get Ahead VA offers a range of business and marketing services to business owners like you, so you can hand over the jobs you don’t have the time or the skills for, and be assured that they’ll be handled by a skilled professional. We’d love to chat with you and find out exactly how we can help, so please give Get Ahead VA a call on 01483 332220 or email us at office@getaheadva.com. We pride ourselves on being the staff you don’t see, but the difference you do.
* https://piktochart.com/blog/visual-marketing-statistics/
