YOUR BRAND YOUR STORY
by Guest Blogger - Jama Pantel
Whether you realize it or not, anyone who has an online presence has a brand. A brand goes so much deeper, however, than pretty images or a fancy logo. It’s your story that sets you apart from anyone else in the world. And, when you think about it that way, that’s pretty cool. Your brand is the way you make others feel.
““Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.”
Jeff Bezos, Founder of Amazon”
The average consumer sees over 5,000 advertising images per day. In this age of everything online, everything virtual, everything global, that can be a lot to think about. Throw in a pandemic on top of that, and wow, we’re online more now than ever. So, how do you strengthen your brand?
As a small business, entrepreneur, or someone who is simply trying to get their “work” out there, your brand is more than likely just you. Building a personal brand and sharing your story is about making authentic connections. That doesn’t mean you have to share every aspect of your life. On the contrary, it’s best to keep your voice, tone, and messaging consistent across all your platforms. Are you playful, serious, sarcastic, authoritative? How do you want to be perceived? Think of what is most true to you so that you can perfectly reflect your brand. However, since your brand is a reflection of you, it’s forever changing and growing. So, give yourself some grace. The more authentic you are, the more you will resonate with your audience.
Pick three-to-five aspects of your life, your story, that you are comfortable sharing, rinse and repeat. Until you are a well-known, respected, and trusted brand, chances are it will take awhile for your audience to warm up to you. Market research continuously proves this over and over again. Building visibility, familiarity, and a positive reputation takes time.
As a portrait photographer, I am all too familiar with this process. My clients invest anywhere from $2,500-$10,000 on portrait art or business-branding images. But that didn’t happen overnight. When you start “showing up” out in the digital world, no one knows you or what you offer and will only compare you to past experiences or what they think a photographer should be. The world of photography is definitely a “want” vs. a “need,” so it does take time to get your brand out there and to be trusted.
Photographs are the literal face of your brand story. If you have high-quality images, your audience is more than likely to respect you, trust you, and take you seriously. Think of it this way. When you see a selfie, do you take that image as serious as you would a well-lit, professional headshot or image? Probably not. Authentic images of you will give another level of trust and reliability. When your audience sees images that show emotion, they will stop scrolling, start reading, and take action. It’s a visual world out there!
Dig deep and think of those hard questions. What is your goal with your online presence or brand? What three words would you like your audience to think of when they come across you? Do you actually understand your audience and who they are, or how you can help them? This goes so much deeper but should give you a start and point you in the right direction.
Jama Pantel
Jama is a family portrait photographer based in Austin, Texas. Her assignments include helping corporate clients promote their businesses through branding and social media content. As a freelance photographer, Jama’s work has been featured in the The New York Times.
Connect with Jama at https://www.jamapantel.com/
Jama’s presentation “Your Brand Your Story” on the Happiness Hour: