When it comes to product promotion, we are no longer playing on an even field. In these cyber- fueled days, anyone can promote anything at anytime, whether it’s viable or not. There is an old adage that speaks to the importance of first impressions and while it may sound cliche, it does not lessen the truth and importance of this fact—you only get one chance to make a first impression.
A mistake that I commonly see in this industry, is that manufacturers, new and established will go through the pains to create what they feel is a relevant product—invest in R&D, materials, etc, then punt on the the imagery necessary to catch the attention of their intended audience and potential customers. My question is, why mentally setup for a touchdown, then punt on first and ten? Every time you decide to go utilize sub-par photographs to promote your product, this is exactly what you’re doing.
Now, more than ever, we are visual creatures. Good or bad we associate personal perceptions with the imagery placed before us. Years ago when we had mostly print content, driven by a film-based medium of capture, the viewer’s perception was very controlled and pointed. Now in the digital days, where “everyone” is a photographer, this is not the case and many times leads to a drop in perception of quality of a manufacturer.
It’s not necessary to have social media page full of professionally created images, in fact this can sometimes work against you as fans sometimes view it as unrealistic, and contrived. But your main website hub, landing page for your chosen SM channel, and advertisements should have no less than the best images for your viewers to see. This is where their perception of your company and product is established, especially if there is no prior referral from and already established/ satisfied customer.
Now in my 11th year as a professional firearms photographer, I can say with certainty that imagery (among other things) drives desire for product. The better an image looks, typically the more it is desired. If a human element is included in the image, the “model” used to present the product is just as, if not more important than the advertised product. As humans we can’t help but immediately associate or disassociate with other humans. It’s in our DNA and driven by our personalities and emotions. That said, having a model that is inappropriate is detrimental to future perceptions, and detracts from your product, and affects revenue.
Branding While branding is the verbiage we throw around, if not excessively these days, it’s just another term for your customer’s identification with your product. How much does that mean to you as a manufacturer, marketer, or business owner? If not everything, then you should reconsider what you’re doing, unless you’re simply in it to make a quick buck. If you have a product that you believe is high quality, your only way to convey it prior to it reaching your customers’ hands is through visuals, and attention spans are shorter than ever before. Even if your product isn’t “high end” per se, that does not mean that you can’t tap into your customers quality synapse and take full advantage of their emotionally driven purchasing habits.
Benefits Of A Pro If your photographer is worth his or her weight in salt, then they’ve discussed your goals as a product or service provider. They know exactly what you want to accomplish and what the brand should stand for. Then, they work toward achieving those goals visually. If you are using your niece, nephew, or cousin’s cousin who happens to have a nice digital camera and is learning to use Lightroom, it’s likely you won’t achieve these goals and will thus set your brand back in order to save a few bucks. But remember, if you save $5,000 in professional visual costs but lose $15,000 in additional sales because your demographic can’t find a clear image
of your product, or thinks your product looks like junk because of poor imagery, what have you gained?
With so much “visual noise” these days, it’s imperative to be at the forefront of visual appeal and professionally created images can help convey your company’s message as well as ensure that you’re getting the eyes that you want and need on your products. Coupled with a strong marketing plan it can mean the difference between a touchdown and a failed conversion. That said, which field are you playing on?