If you clicked on this blog post, your probably either:
A. Wondering what the heck brand photography is and why you need it.
B. See the value and are ready to book, but also don’t know exactly how to get started.

Whether you’re totally new to brand photography or are ready to book you session now, I’ve got everything here you need to know about a personal branding session wrapped up in a pretty little blog post!

So many small business owners understand the importance of investing in quality content, but they often don’t know where to start or what they need. Which is where I come in! I’m answering the top questions I’ve gotten since I started Arc Creative Co.

WHAT IS A PERSONAL BRANDING SESSION?

A personal branding photography session is for small businesses and entrepreneurs that are hoping to authentically elevate their online presence by showing their face on their social medias, websites, and more.
These sessions give you quality content that is specific to your brand or business, speaks directly to your ideal clients, and alleviate the stress that comes with creating content for your brand! I mean…does it get any better than that?

WHY IS A PERSONAL BRANDING PHOTOSHOOT SO IMPORTANT?

Why NOT though? We live in a world where standing out, being relatable, and showing the face behind the brand is HIGHLY valued. These sessions will automatically elevate your brand by giving you content that does all three of those things!

Personal branding photo sessions aid in boosting your SEO for your website, and your social media engagement. I’m a HUGE believer in showing up consistently on social media, these sessions will help you do that! On the website side of things….websites without updates and new content are considered “dead” to search engines like Google. YIKES! Brand sessions equip you with content that you can use to update your site and stay relevant to the google machine!

WHO NEEDS A BRANDING SESSION?

I actually get this question quite a bit. And because I’m so deeply called to HELP small business owners, I will totally tell you if I don’t think you need a brand session. That being said..brand sessions are for ANY business or entrepreneur with an online presence of some sort! If you have a website, social media accounts, or do any sort of email marketing, then eventually you’ll need to ditch the stock photos and invest in custom content!

WHEN SHOULD I BOOK A BRANDING SESSION?

ASAP!!

But seriously though, I totally understand that it can be a slow process to build your ideal brand. Which is totally fine! Jenna Kutcher reminds me constantly that “Done is better than perfect” and that’s the motto I started my very own business with!

With that being said, I think it’s SO important to invest in branding pictures as soon as you are able to! Once you have a solid brand figured out (Colors, logo, ideal client, etc), your branding session absolutely should be the next investment! We don’t want to do a brand session and have no clear brand, because then when you DO have a clear brand and vision, your photos may not match it!

CAN MY FAMILY/WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER TAKE PICTURES FOR MY BUSINESS?

Unpopular opinion coming at you…
Many photographers are amazing at capturing headshots and portraits, however, you should make sure you hire a photographer that specializes in branding for a few reasons:

First, You need someone who has a very clear understanding of what specific photos businesses need. Someone who knows marketing, and understands that the photos taken need to be strategic.

Second, photos used for business require a particular type of contract with your photographer that allows you the right to use them for business purposes! You’ll need a license or release to protect you legally.

A photographer that isn’t familiar with personal branding or commercial photography may also restrict your ability to edit or alter your images — which is sometimes necessary when creating ads and social posts! Most family and wedding photographers only grant you permission to print and post your images for personal use. How disappointed would you feel if you received a gallery full of images you love, only to discover you can’t use the pictures for business profiles?

Third, a lot of planning goes into a brand session. Like…A LOT. If you hire a photographer who isn’t familiar with the planning process of a brand shoot, you might walk away feeling disappointed. Find someone who specializes in brands and KNOWS the work and strategy that needs to go into your session!

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I BOOK A BRANDING SESSION?

OOO I love this one! This definitely depends on your business, but I would suggest booking at least 2 branding sessions each year. Your business needs change, you launch new products, you get haircuts, etc. Your photos should reflect the organic changes you make in your life and business! Not to mention, google loves updated websites, and your social media audience will appreciate having fresh content!

WHAT TYPE OF CONTENT WILL I GET FROM A BRANDING SESSION?

Brand sessions are SO much fun because we get to create so much creative content! I customize each session to fit the business that I am working with. Sometimes that looks like a variety of lifestyle portraits, but other times the sessions need to include flat lays and product photos. All of this is strategically planned beforehand when you answer my custom questionnaire and we get started planning your brand session!
Ready to go ahead and book a brand session?
 Head here to choose what package works best for you!

Here are a few of my go to shots for brand sessions to help give you an idea of what to expect!

Lifestyle headshots
Your creative process and images of you working
Lifestyle images that show your personality
Your inspiration behind your business
Your workspace
The tools and supplies that you use for your business
Any products you sell or just LOVE
Clients you work with if possible!

That’s about it! I hope this blogpost helped answer some of your questions about Brand sessions! I truly have such a passion for brand photography, and I’m so thrilled you chose to read this blog! If you have any questions I didn’t answer here- feel free to comment, email me at arccreativeco@gmail.com
Or DM me over in my favorite space to hangout- Instagram!