How Often Should I Have My Brand Photos Taken?
How often should I have my brand photos taken? It’s a great question and to answer it we’ll look at two different sides to the conversation and decision-making process. First, we’ll look at five things every brand should consider as they start asking this question and deciding what rhythm is best for their brand. Then we’ll move on to looking at some common frequencies among other brands and why they work for different business models.
A few things you should consider in general as you decide how often you should have your brand photos taken are:
Business Goals:
Start by considering your short-term and long-term business goals and how you plan to achieve those goals. Where does imagery come into play to help you get where you want to be?
New Product or Service Launches and Seasonal Promotions:
When introducing new products or services, it's a good idea to have professional photos taken to showcase these offerings. If you are planning any seasonal promotions or special events, you may also want to schedule a photoshoot around marketing for those.
Website and Branding Updates:
If you regularly update your website or e-commerce platform, consider scheduling photo sessions around the same time to ensure your imagery aligns with the latest branding and product offerings.
Content Creation:
Do you pump out a lot of content on social media or a blog, etc? Then you’ll probably need fresh imagery more often to go with it.
Budget and Resources:
Consider your budget and resources. Plan ahead for how much imagery you will need and strategize for how it can fit into your marketing budget.
In addition, consider these different frequencies that I’ve seen brands I work with use and why:
Monthly Minis:
Monthly mini brand photoshoots of about a dozen images tend to be a great rhythm for influencers working on paid collaborations and product-based brands who do lots of mini-launches and like to keep things hyper-seasonal. I offer mini photoshoots like this for my brand clients and it’s honestly my best deal in terms of investment, but does come with a few limitations on things like location since it’s such a small amount of imagery.
Quarterly Shoots:
Last year I launched a new services: Quarterly Brand Photoshoots. These are good for new brands that are building a library of images, product-based brands that do seasonal launches, and personal brands that want to stay seasonally relevant. They are a steal of a deal because I offer a hefty discount for signing up for the whole year.
Bi-Annual Shoots:
If you’re more established in your business or maybe just not at a point where you need imagery quite so often because you’re not putting out quite so much content, twice-yearly brand photoshoots may be the way to go for you. These are good for teams who want to stay up to date on their imagery, personal brands, and anyone else who wants to show up consistently and stay relevant but don’t put out a crazy amount of image-forward content.
Once Yearly Shoots:
If you don’t have the budget for having your photos done more often, and your brand stays pretty classic, consistent, and seasonless (not a bad thing) then you may find that yearly photoshoots are a better cadence for your brand. This frequency really works well for people who keep things consistent and don’t launch new products or services very often. It also works great for brands that are super organized and plan their content out way in advance. These shoots are typically a larger batch of images all at once with a ton of variety built in so that your imagery doesn’t get stale for a long while.
While there are certainly a lot of different rhythms your business can have for brand photography, in general, I think that having your brand photos done at least twice a year works really well for staying relevant. This provides a regular influx of fresh imagery while also allowing for flexibility to capture seasonal changes and promotions. However, your specific needs may vary, and it's essential to adapt your schedule based on your unique circumstances and goals.
Remember that the quality of your brand photos is crucial, as they play a significant role in shaping the perception of your brand. Working with a professional brand photographer can help ensure your images are of the highest quality and aligned with your branding objectives, taking you where you dream to go!
