We all know that “a picture is worth a thousand words” and if you haven’t already put this old cliche to work for your business or organization, you’re seriously missing out. Photographs can convey emotions, moods, ideas and messages all within just a few images. Compelling photographs on blogs, social media, and your annual report can help you reach thousands of people – millions, even.
Before you hire a photographer, though, take the time to plan the story you’d like to tell, who the characters are, what the action is about, and what the message will be. Here are some things to consider.
1. Audience – The most important thing to consider before you make your storytelling photographs is for whom you are making them. Is the audience donors, potential clients, investors? The audience affects the story greatly. Pharmaceutical companies have very different messages for doctors than for patients.
2. Setting – The location of your photo shoot give the viewers a lot of information, even when it’s simple staff headshots. A non-profit that provides meals to the homeless might have headshots taken in an urban setting, whereas a non-profit that advocates for clean water could have headshots taken outdoors in a green space.
3. The Call to Action – What matters most in any marketing message is the feeling, idea, emotion, and action with which you want the viewer to walk away. Do you want people to buy, donate, volunteer, click, call, protest, attend? Know your audience and what you want them to do, then make photos that inspire.
Storytelling photography for blogs, social media, and annual reports is more than a photo shoot. It’s a process of reviewing your mission, looking at the images in your digital library, thinking about how your brand is perceived, coming up with ideas for how to tell your story and then executing it over time.
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