Why your product photography needs strategy

It’s amazing how so many brands spend their money on developing their products but forget the importance of demonstrating it in the best light! Although the word “strategy” might come off as being intimidating, you most definitely need a plan to begin with!

Photography is a form of art and relies heavily on the story behind the image and its capacity to truly connect with the viewer and evoke the right emotions. Before you begin photographing your products, there are certain questions you need to ask yourself. The answer to these questions, help pave the direction, tone and mood for your shoot.

These tips don’t apply to a specific industry and are quite universal. You could be someone who owns a candle business or a bakery and these visual strategy elements would still make sense to you.

PLAN AND RESEARCH YOUR AUDIENCE

Understanding and studying your audience is the secret to all your answers. The moment you know who they are, you’re more likely to create thriving visuals catered just for them and increase overall sales conversions for your product.

Your goal of creating a product is more than often to fill a gap in the market or to cater to a certain need. Studying your audience particularly will help you understand their problems and frustrations. One of the big mistakes that most business and brand owners make is to talk about themselves and their product, rather than what their consumers truly care about.

Being able to pinpoint who your audience are, makes it easier for you to speak their visual language and translate that within your style of product photography.

CREATING AN IMPRESSION

Your visual strategy acts as one of the main pillars within your business and lays the foundation for the overall look and feel of your brand. As a business owner it’s extremely crucial to study your audience, their lifestyle and showcase visual aspects that are more likely to trigger a positive and emotional response towards your product.
As an example ; if you own a home blend coffee brand, your target audience most probably be coffee lovers. There is a vast difference in photographing just your cup of coffee with a plain background in comparison to creating a set that shows the cup of coffee with a book or journal next to it.

You’ve easily just differentiated your simple photo on a blank canvas and turned that into an experiential real life experience for your viewer by adding a few elements that would instantly connect and make it relatable to them. 90% of information that gets processed within your brand is transmitted through visual content, therefore making it crucial for you to utilise these elements by creating impactful narratives!

Visual strategy is so much more than putting some props together and photographing pretty shots that are eye pleasing. It’s the ability to understand your audience and create long lasting connections with them.

REMAINING AUTHENTIC & MAKE A CONNECTION

In terms of marketing, personalisation has definitely become one of the most important aspects within selling your products. Customers are always looking for brands and businesses that connect with them and their beliefs.

When planning your product shoot, you need to find a way to directly speak to your audience and make them feel understood and cared for. If you’re the brand owner of an aromatherapy brand, photographing your products within a relaxing setting would seem most ideal. It could be either by a bedside or on a coffee table. When a potential customer stumbles upon it, they’re instantly envisioning how this would look on their coffee table and bedside table and are 90% more likely to buy from you because of how authentic your product photo is to real life.

CONSISTENCY & BRANDING

Although all product photos need to have a different feel to it, it’s important that you maintain a consistent style. This is hugely important for your viewer to immediately tell that it’s your product at first glance.

This could be through the implementation of simple aspects such as lighting, colours, image style, prop placements etc example shooting during the same time of the day for all your photos, probably during the golden hour. Most of your photos will tend to have that glow and instantly create a consistent look and feel to all your images.

Consistent branding is more likely to provide a sense of warmth rather than inconsistency, which in most cases is quite distracting.

COMPETITOR ANALYSIS

When I say Competitor analysis, this is when you sit down and do what I call a market or industry analysis. The purpose of this is to truly understand the strengths and weaknesses and to fill the gap or niche that hasn't yet already been filled. This can be a good way for you to analyse areas for improvement and how you can bring something new and innovative to what already exists. However, it's important to remember that you shouldn't in the process replicate someone’s work and this in no way suggests that you compare yourself and undermine your work.

Without the right visual strategy , you’re probably going to feel like you’re floating in the wind. This is your sign to create a strategy, dive deeper into your business and create images with purpose. I promise it will bring more clarity than ever before and prepare you to show up as an improved self while being aware of your unique selling point.