How to Avoid Becoming Irrelevant in Your Industry With Brand Photographer, Melissa Douglas
Brand photography is one of the most under-rated topics for new business owners when it comes to staying relevant and building a powerful online presence. On today’s episode I talk with Melissa Douglas, one of Detroit’s best brand photographers, who scaled her business from $0-$150k in 12 months time.
About Melissa Douglas Co
Melissa and her husband owned a leather goods company in 2013 and it was then that she realized just how important product photos were in selling their goods. They wanted to give the products they sold a personality and they did so through the photos they took. From this company, Melissa learned the importance of photographing a business and the people behind it.
She began refining her skill as a photographer, taking more behind the scenes photos to build their brand’s online reputation, and before you know it, Melissa Douglas Co. was born!
The Importance of Brand Photography
Deciding whether or not you’re going to build your business reputation is no longer optional. As of 2020, if you’re not online you either do not exist or are quickly becoming irrelevant.
In order to have a strong online presence and reputation, you need content and information that represents your brand and service or product. Not just that, but you need to show up consistently. Brand photography not only gives you that consistency needed, but it brings a high quality online presence to represent your brand.
People will form their own opinion about your businesses’ worth. Why would we ever want them to think of our business less than it is? Hiring a brand photographer will bring you the proper content and level that you are needing to attract your desired clientele and ultimately grow your business.
How to Prepare for a Brand Shoot
Just like any marketing material you create for your company you want your photos to flow with your color palette, style and product or service. So how do you prepare?
Create a clear shot list. What shots do you absolutely need? Are you sitting, standing, holding specific items, etc.
Pick out outfits. Depending on the length of the brand shoot, you could have a number of outfits. Think about what kind of outfit you want to wear for specific photos that you will be shooting. For example, Melissa has a client who pours candles. She would never pour candles in her high heels.. that’s for a business meeting. These photos must be practical!
Schedule ample time for the shoot. There is nothing worse than being rushed while trying to create powerful content for your business. Having extra time before and after the shoot allows for additional content, set up and tear down..along with less stress!
At the end of the day, people will notice whether or not you are investing in your business. Make them see that you are indeed investing in your business, and it is not going to become irrelevant.
How to Work Less and Make More
Melissa grew her business in 12 months from $0-$150k, but how did she do that?
She was a girl with a dream and knew that she wanted to hit 6 figures in her first year. Melissa calculated out how much income that would be per month and figured out how many brand shoots she would need in order to do that.
Rather than filling her schedule with standard brand shoots, she thought outside the box. Melissa began scheduling mini-sessions for companies who needed regular social media photos (bringing in nearly $1k in a day) and she also took on a handful of social media management clients in order to reach her goal of $8k per month. This allowed Melissa to bring in more money in a shorter amount of time, and is ultimately what brought her to where she is today.
More From Melissa
To learn more about Melissa, you can connect with her on Instagram @melissadouglasco or online melissadouglasco.com. Be sure to listen to today’s full episode on The BrandWell Podcast to learn more about Melissa and her secret to success.
KEEP BRANDING WELL,
Victoria
