We’ve probably all heard the frequently quoted phrase that a picture is worth a thousand words. While it’s fairly easy to understand why this is true, applying this principle has proved difficult for many entrepreneurs. If your line of work isn’t in the visual arts and you have never hired a photographer before, the value of a photo won’t be immediately apparent.
Most of us associate photography with personal leisurely use which is why the mental shift to seeing it as a business tool can take some time. Images take your interaction with customers to a whole new level.
The following are some of the practical techniques you can use to make the most of photographs for your business.
1. Social Media
Nothing prevents you from posting plain text updates to your social media accounts every once in a while. But you are unlikely to get the same impact as you would if you employed audiovisual content instead.
People are naturally drawn to visual communication. It’s something you’ll quickly notice when you compare how your followers and subscribers respond to photos versus how they do plain text. When linking to an article elsewhere for instance, displaying the article’s featured image will trigger interest among your followers to click the link and read more.
2. Your Website
Your website is your primary place of business on the worldwide web. The fact that nearly every adult in the United States and most in the rest of the world regularly use the Internet means you need to pay great attention to what visitors will see. Often, your website will be the first place a customer interacts with your business.
Clear, descriptive and good quality images create a good first impression and raise the credibility of your site well before you start to actually communicate with the visitor. You can go further and optimize your photos for the worldwide web by adding keywords in order to grow traffic from search engines.
3. Photogrammetry
Photogrammetry is the science of obtaining reliable measurements and information about environments and three-dimensional objects through the capture, recording, measurement and interpretation of photos. By applying photogrammetry to photos, you can determine the right volumes, heights and areas needed to build accurate 3D models.
If a prospective customer lives too far from you for you to physically measure the dimensions of a customized item they need, photogrammetry software can help you do just that. Everyday photos can be used to model engineering structures, buildings, motor vehicles, plumbing, fittings etc.
4. Flyers and Brochures
We are in the digital age and one would be forgiven for thinking that flyers and brochures are no longer as useful a marketing tool as they once were. That isn’t correct though.
If you’re taking part in an industry event, a flyer or brochure that includes photos demonstrating what your business is about, will quickly help people understand your product without the need for you to delve into a wordy explanation. Perhaps your business is located far from where many of your potential customers live so a brochure may be one of the ways you could use to introduce yourself without them having to come over.
These are just a few of the more practical ideas and they barely scratch the surface. Overall, photos can speed up the realization of your business goals.