Forbes.com reports that according to the Social Science Research Network at least 65% of all human beings are visual learners. People process information visually. There is a 4.4 times greater likelihood of having your promotion go viral if the text is accompanied by a well-crafted visual. This same principle holds true whether you are promoting yourself a product or services. Good photography makes for good branding and marketing. Inferior imagery can sabotage even the best branding and marketing efforts.

A Location Shoot Ah-HA! Moment

LA is a rat race! On almost any day of the week, millions of Angelenos scurry about at breakneck speed. Between the traffic and the frenetic work pace, we seem to operate in a level 2 stage of chaos daily. I was on location photographing in the offices of a major corporation when it came time to break for lunch. Being unfamiliar with the local eateries within walking distance my assistant and I set out to explore the nearby lunch spots in search of something tasty and healthy. Tasty and healthy is that an oxymoron? We only had 30 minutes, so we either found a place quickly, or we would be forced to go hungry until we wrapped the shoot that afternoon.

Entering the first little place we came across we picked up one of their plastic covered menus complete with, blurry uninviting snapshots of their dishes. The photos of these entrees looked as if a cell phone could have been used to make them. The overall feel was amateurish and lack inspiration. The visuals were boring and felt neglectful. Granted you could see what was available to eat but. REALLY? Looking at the menu and then back at each other we quickly departed this place in desperate need of something inviting to eat.

Our next stop was one of those familiar internationally known burger joints. Above the order counter were these tantalizing photos of sizzling burgers oozing cheese with crisp lettuce and fresh tomatoes. Enticed by the well-crafted imagery, like Pavlov’s dog, I began to salivate in anticipation. One look reassured us it was time to order. A few moments later we emerged for that place with a double combo order of–“Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun”–and were on our way back with time to spare.

As we walked back to the location, a light bulb went off inside my head. I realized that this lunch experience was a prime analogy of how photography can be persuasively used to enhance brand identity or severely damage the efforts to build a brand or market a product or service.

The first spot may have had the healthiest best-tasting dishes. It could have even rivaled the gourmet cuisine of a master chef. However, the marketing photos failed to communicate whether the food was appetizing or healthy. The photographs were crudely composed, inadequately lit, and poorly printed.

Good Photography Makes For Good Branding and Marketing

Successful branding and marketing depend on quality images. It’s all about conveying a sense of value to the viewer. The principle is the same regardless of whether it is a restaurant, a law firm, a business or an individual. The images must communicate quality, personality, and value. They must tell the story visually.

3 Essential Visual Content details that will help you supercharge your branding and marketing strategy.

1. Build your project around the best images you can acquire. People strongly relate to imagery so never skimp or take shortcuts.

2. Never let image selection be an afterthought. Plan your visual content with the same attention to detail as the project. The images will remain in the views mind long after the words have faded.
When people hear information, they’re likely to remember only 10% of that information three days later. However, people will retain 65% of the data three days later if paired with a relevant image.

3. Stock photos are an option but not a good one. Nothing can torpedo your project more quickly than discovering your chosen image being used elsewhere on the net.