Don’t just show people what you do, show them why you do it. authentic storytelling is a powerful tool to share your work and your world and Brand photography can enrich your story,
“Are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin…” Telling your story as a small business owner or creative.
“Are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin…” I’m sure I’m not the only one who remembers hearing this as a child, as a loved one started telling a story. Stories are ingrained in culture and experience, whether that’s the story of a good film or book, urban legends that are woven into the fabric of places, and even the unique and subtle differences in language that we find from town to town. I class myself as an honorary Brummie, but I’m never going to call it a cob. Ever. Sorry to all of my cob loving friends.
As this post about why humans need stories explains, narratives have been central to human life for thousands of years. It also explains that brain scans show how connecting with stories activates the areas of your brain that are known to be involved in social and emotional processing. That means stories can make people more empathetic, which is pretty amazing.
The story of Hiut Denim and Cardigan, West Wales
So what does this have to do with your business? I think one of the most beautiful examples of how storytelling can build a brand is The Hiut Denim Company. Cardigan is a small Welsh town with just 4,000 residents. For 30 years, 10% of the population worked at the town's factory making 35,000 pairs of jeans a week.
One day the factory closed its doors and moved away. The workers were left without jobs and their skill and experience was very nearly lost. But then along came David and Claire. They decided to bring manufacturing back to Cardigan. The Hiut Denim Company was born and David and Claire’s denim business was built and grown through sharing stories.
Hiut's stories are all about its people. Hiut creates their jeans for people who appreciate craftsmanship (they’re not cheap!), and they showcase this by highlighting the people behind this craft, the way they’ve learned and honed that craft, and they also share the stories of the people who buy them. Telling these stories has helped Hiut to connect with their audience on a deep level and build a loyal fan base.
Your story is what makes you and your brand unique and brand photography can super charge your story telling
We all have stories to tell. Whether it's about our life, the things that drive us, or the lessons we've learned along the way. It might seem that those things are unrelated to your business but people see themselves in stories. They see themselves in your humanness. Using storytelling to showcase your unique values, mission, and vision can create a distinct identity that sets you apart from your competition. You are your own niche!
So what is brand photography and how can it supercharge your story telling?
A branding photo shoot results in a collection of images that show all aspects of your business. It can include anything from documentary images that show what happens behind the scenes, to product shots, to portraits. Brand photography is a powerful way to tell your story and this can be done in a variety of ways including creating imagery that aligns with the visuals of your brand, highlighting your brand’s vision and voice, showcasing things that are important to you and showing who you are as a person.
An example of how this works in practice is my branding shoot with Erin, an NHS consultant who is developing a practice where she offers lifestyle medicine. We wanted pictures to capture a mixture of shots that show aspects of Erin’s holistic approach as well as reflecting her values. Erin’s shoot included capturing images that can be used to talk about nutrition, the books that have inspired her, and other elements of her medical background.
We created branding imagery to show Erin in a professional capacity, a more relaxed capacity, connecting with nature, and also her yoga practice. The collection of images are all tonally similar so they’ll be cohesive across Erin’s website and social media. Erin now has a library of images to communicate her message online, including sharing education around health, as well as sharing who she is as a person and what she values.
I’ll be sharing Erin’s full branding shoot very soon!
Planning your brand photography shoot
If this part feels overwhelming and you don’t know where to start, I’ve got you. My planning process will help you to hone your message and be clear about the stories you want to tell, and what you want to incorporate in your brand photography. I’ll be sharing a post soon about the sorts of things you should think about including in your branding shoot. You can sign up to my mailing list so you don’t miss anything.
Sharing your story starts with you
If you’ve never shared a story with your audience, YOU are a great place to start. Introduce yourself. Say hi. The post I’ve linked to below has some questions you can answer as a starting point. You are the person behind the brand and that’s what people will connect and resonate with.
5 QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU TO BUILD YOUR PERSONAL BRAND AND CONNECT WITH YOUR PEOPLE
Are you ready to share your story? If you’d like to work with me to create imagery to help you to tell your story, get in touch. I’m here for emotional support too. I’m a meditation teacher and counsellor on the side, so I can definitely help you to feel calm and grounded on the day. What stories could you tell to connect with your audience? I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments.