Branding is so much more than a color scheme and a blog/website... It's the images you create.. it's how you present yourself.. it's YOU.
Here's a little excerpt from my response:
"Beyond the 'physicality' of a brand.... I decided that I was going to be an open book... my blog is full of sessions, yes.. but also full of stories of Chase, my husband... My blog talks about my family.. about myself. Clients want to KNOW who they're hiring -- at least my perfect clients do. I want to reach out to the select few, who are MADLY in love with their husband.... who values holding hands in the truck... my female clients have that uncanny ability to always forget how beautiful they are - but love themselves!!! And those are the types of stories/sessions I put on my blog...
Basically... I put it out there a long time ago... who I was... what I appreciated... who I wanted to photograph... and because of this -- people know 'me'... they know they're not getting burlap when they hire me.. they're getting stories of Chase shirtless.... they're getting photos of themselves that showcase not the location.. but showcase their beauty... and their relationship with their husband... and ultimately clients know that when I show up for a session, I won't be dressed up.. I'll be in cowboy boots, a t-shirt and pearl earrings.
So if you're girlie... be girlie.. and be the best girlie you can be... when you're true to yourself -- you'll relate to others who are like you... and that's how you start to market your 'true' self... and how you start narrowing down your client base... to the perfect clients!!!! Because not everyone appreciates my muddy boots... ya know =)"
So what does all of that mean?!?!!? It means that in order to be successful (in any sense of the word) -- you must be true to yourself... beyond deciding what colors you want your blog to be... and what type of packaging you want to give your clients... you must be YOU.
You could have the best packaging out of all the other photographers in the world.... but if you aren't marketing the truest version of yourself -- no one is going to buy into it... because really it's not about the packaging when selecting a photographer. I know I personally select photographers based on who they are... the type of work they produce... and whether they're the best match for the type of session I'm wanting... I don't flip through blogs and search for their packaging materials - and then decide.... no, and I'm pretty sure other clients don't do that either.
When you start marketing YOURSELF... and creating work that truly represents you and your brand -- that's when you'll start getting your perfect clients.
I know I'm not the perfect fit for everyone... not everyone wants to hear about how much I really REALLY love Chase's butt.. it annoys them -- and that is Oooo..kay... but that just means that the clients who DO email me -- probably love their husband's butt... almost as much as I love Chase's.
Start looking through your work.. is it really the type of work you want showing.. does it really represent YOU!?!?! This is probably one of the hardest parts in the whole 'branding' thing...
After 4-5 years of shooting.. I feel like I am just now getting to where my images are a true representation to my brand.... some people it comes naturally, and others have to work at it for a while... if I hadn't been so worried about everyone else -- it probably wouldn't have taken me so long.
I spent a while trying to be like other photographers... I spent a while comparing myself to them.... to stalking their blogs for all the wrong reasons...
I've tried the whole 'take pictures to get published' thing.... by adding more details to my blog posts.... I've tried pretty much everything... even photographing things I didn't want to photograph...I decided that even though I LOVE babies -- photographing newborns just wasn't my thing... photographing families, wasn't the best fit for me either. I mean, I can 'technically' take these photos -- but I wasn't being true to myself, if I continued to focus on them. So I stopped 'marketing' those sessions.
It wasn't until I started working on 'me' and 'my' brand -- that I truly started seeing a difference....
I wanted to share some photos that truly represent my brand.... and I'll explain why I feel each photo does just that!!!!
This picture represents my brand in that it's sexy... in a quiet way. There is nothing 'fancy' about this shot.... but it's in the way she's moving the hair off her face... in the way he's breathing her in... It's simple... sexy... and quiet.
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