How to Get Amazing Original Photography for Your Website and Brand

Most of the advisors I work with are true specialists, so they want their website and brand, presentations, and social media profiles to be truly unique. The best way to make an impact through your marketing imagery is with original photography of you, your office, and your team.

Beyond a great headshot, original photography can be used to enhance your website, presentations, and social media profiles. One advisor here in San Diego, Tim Dyer of Dyer Wealth Management, does an incredible job of featuring original photography throughout his website.

Tim took some time and money to hire an excellent local photographer to shoot a variety of photos to feature throughout his marketing. For example, when Tim writes a blog post about his unique process for working with clients, instead of using a stock photo, he uses a photo of himself actually meeting with clients.

Similarly, instead of using a generic photo on the team page of his website, he is able to feature a high-quality image of his team meeting in the conference room as the banner image. Most of the images on his website are original photos of his office and team. This adds a personal touch to his site and lets prospects “meet” him and his team.

Where to Use Your Photography

Investing in high-quality original photography can take some time, effort, and money. But when you consider using your images throughout your marketing strategy, the investment has a higher return. You can plan to use your photography consistently across all branded collateral including:

1. Your website
2. Social media profiles
3. Blog posts
4. Google Business listing
5. Brochures
6. PowerPoint presentations
7. Reports
8. Print and digital advertisements

Tips for Getting Amazing Photography

If you’re going to invest in new photography, you will want to make sure your session is a success. Here are tips for achieving a great collection of photographs you can use in your marketing for years to come.

1. Think Beyond the Headshot

Of course you need a great headshot for your website and social media profiles, but by featuring artful imagery of your office and team throughout your website, you can add depth and interest. Think beyond the headshot to capture various images to be used throughout your website and marketing collateral.

Be sure you have images in both landscape and portrait orientation and with lots of extra space around the subjects and a variety of angles. Here are a few types of photos to capture:

1. Conservative headshot
2. Casual headshot
3. Candid profile
4. Meeting with clients
5. Office images
6. Team photos
7. Website background images

2. Get Creative

Don’t be afraid to get creative and try out different ideas. If you don’t like how the image looks, you don’t have to use it! Try a mixture of candid and posed shots in several locations around the office, such as in the conference room, the lobby, and your personal office. You can also have the photographer take a few images of your office without any people present.

3. Invest in a Talented Photographer

The first step to getting great photos is to hire a talented and experienced photographer. Ask around or use Yelp.com to find some great business photographers. Then get quotes and request samples of their work. Choose the highest quality photographer you can find, since the bigger investment will be your time and energy. (See our recommendations for high-quality photographers near you at the end of this article.)

A novice photographer wouldn’t have been able to capture this beautiful reflection of Tim’s logo in his conference room.

4. Go Outside

Once you have photos of your team and your office, make a point to get outdoor photos. Everyone looks better outdoors and greenery adds interest to photography. Try your office courtyard or outside at a public park or garden.

5. Don’t Be Afraid to Travel

Many of our offices aren’t the most photogenic areas, so don’t fret if you don’t have a gorgeous building to take your photos near. Take a field trip to a hotel or museum to get interesting and striking images that make you look great. Hotel lobbies often have beautiful but understated artwork and decor that can provide the perfect backdrop for your shoot.

Using Your Photos

Once the photographer sends you the final images, choose 12 to 20 photos that you love to feature in your marketing. Add them to your website pages and social media and start integrating them into your other marketing materials for cohesive branding. There’s no need to update the photos for at least 10 years, with the exception of your headshot, which should be updated every five years.

Need help locating a top-notch photographer in your area?

If you’re in San Diego, we recommend Photographer Tim King. For a $50 credit toward any of the options found here, use discount code indigo.

Tim King’s recommendations:

• The 20-minute shoot is best if you just need a new and modern bio or LinkedIn photo.
• The 1-hour shoot is best if you want consistency but variety across platforms and usage for negative space (for quotes, ads, etc). This is ideal for people such as coaches and speakers to have options for when they are guests on panels, or included in marketing materials that range in aesthetics.
• The half-day & full-day shoots are for those same type of people who also want content for their social media for 6 months to a year in advance, all during the course of a single day.

If you’re outside of San Diego, here are our recommendations for high-quality photographers in the following areas:

• San Francisco: [email protected]
• Los Angeles: [email protected]
• Portland: [email protected]
• Denver: [email protected]
• New York: [email protected]

Looking for more ways to improve your marketing as a financial advisor? Find more information on our blog. Or learn more about how we help financial advisors just like you grow their businesses with our Total Marketing Package.