Looking for a way to boost your reach, enhance credibility, and set yourself apart from your competitors? Then taking professional photos of your business could be just the solution you’ve been searching for. 

Professional photography allows you to put your best foot forward online, which in turn will make it more likely that people searching for your business take the next step along the customer journey. 

Once you have the photographs, you can use them on your website, social media channels, and your ‘Google My Business’ page. But, yes, first, you’ll need to get them! In this post, we’ll run through a few handy tips for getting a set of excellent photos that showcase your business in all its glory. 

Pexels – CC0 Licence

Work With a Professional

Your iPhone’s camera is powerful enough to take quality photographs. But remember, it’s not just the camera that influences how the photographs turn out, but who’s holding it. Working with a professional photographer ensures that you’ll get photos that truly do your business justice. As well as finding the right lighting and composition for the shots, professional photographers have access to advanced photo editing tools that can really make your business photos stand out from the crowd. 

A good photographer will take the time to get to know you, your brand, and what you hope to achieve with the photographs. Ultimately, they’ll become your partner. 

Make Sure The Environment Is Spotlessly Clean

Spotlessly clean business premises have a subtle but powerful impact on visitors. It shows customers that you pay attention to the small details, and are committed to delivering your best. As such, it’s important to maintain clean premises at all times, not just when you’re planning on taking photographs. But it’s even more important on photo day; after all, you want the people viewing the images to focus on all that’s great about your brand, not noticing the dirt or untidiness of the background! If you have your own in-house cleaning team, then janitorial inspection software can ensure that your facility’s cleanliness standards are always at the highest levels, not just on picture day. If the photoshoot is in the afternoon, take care to clear any files/materials that may have piled up during the workday. 

Showcase Your Good Side

You don’t need to show all sides of your business. Some of your premises should be kept a surprise! But what we’re really saying with that is: not all parts of your business facilities are going to be equally aesthetically pleasing. When you’re putting together your photoshoot, focus on the most visually appealing parts of your business premises. 

The intentions behind the photoshoot will likely guide the decision-making process about which parts to photograph (for example, if it’s customer/worker interactions, you’ll use the till area). As a general rule, it’s best to avoid shooting in any parts of the building that are experiencing some wear and tear. Even if it’s not the worst in the world, you don’t need to broadcast it for the whole world to see!

Let Your Staff Know It’s Photo Day

This isn’t so important if you’re not planning to have your staff appear in the photographs, but even in that case, it can be nice to give them a heads-up that there’ll be minor disruptions to the workday. If you are planning to include them in the photographs, then you absolutely have to let them know in advance. While there are some people who are always ready and willing to appear in photographs, they’re the exception, not the rule. Your employees will want to know in advance so that they can get themselves into “photo-ready” mode. Even if they don’t do anything special with their appearance, simply knowing that they’re going to be in photographs is appreciated, since it’ll allow them to mentally prepare themselves. 

Shoot Some Video

While you’re playing around with cameras, why not look at shooting some video in addition to photographs? If you’ve been paying attention to the world of digital marketing, you’ll know that video content is proving to be a highly effective method for engaging customers. Once you’ve got your video, it’ll be just a matter of making a few light edits and then using it on your social media platforms. 

Schedule For A Quiet Period

There are some exceptions, but in general, it’s best to schedule your photoshoot during a quiet period for your business. While taking photographs won’t disrupt your day too much, it’ll be easier to manage — and more fun — if you’re not dealing with a long to-do list.