Is Photography Dead?
Instagram is out there shouting, “Photos are dead people! Stop posting photos. Nobody wants to see them!!” And photographers around the world are left feeling like a bunch of washed up has-beens that have been booted out of the marketing world. But here’s the truth… photos are not dead! The way they are being used has just shifted and been refined. The need for truly high quality, branded photography is greater now than it has ever been.
True, the days of curating beautiful, cohesive Instagram feeds for your small business are over. Thank you social media gods for taking that stress out of our lives! And yes, some would go as far to say that brand photography is no longer relevant in today’s social media world. So, what the heck are businesses doing with their professional photography these days? Check out this list to see where commercial photography fits into today’s video-centric, authenticity-based marketing world.
Websites
The number one place people are still heavily relying on photos is on their websites: Store fronts, about me pages, blogs/articles - the list goes on. That’s not to say that video doesn’t also have a place on websites. A well made video banner can definitely grab your visitor’s attention! And don’t get us started on how amazing these try-on videos that clothing companies are using are! But utilizing photos throughout your website is still the best way to build a professional looking online shop, break up text on pages, and give your site a professionally branded look.
Short form videos: Tiktok, Reels and Shorts
This might sound crazy but hear us out. One of the places people use their professional photos most is in videos! Photo montages with trending audios, professional cover photos, and dynamic visual cues for educational videos are some of the most common ways we’ve seen them used.
Long form videos: YouTube, tutorials, and interviews
In today’s world where our audience’s attention is being pulled in every direction, we need to find ways to hold their focus. Especially with longer form videos! No matter how powerful your message is, if you’re just looking at the camera and speaking, a lot of times, that’s simply not enough to keep your audience engaged. Breaking up “talking head” footage is a lot like breaking up a giant wall of text on a webpage. Sprinkling a few photos throughout your video to illustrate the point you’re making helps to hold your audience’s attention so that your message can truly be heard.
Graphics
From simple social media posts to big presentations, photos are still heavily being used in graphic design. They provide the perfect amount of attention grabbing impact, without taking away from the information these graphics are providing. It’s all about balance when sharing big ideas! Photos are the perfect guide to lead your audience to your expertise.
Events
People are really getting smart about how they utilize their event photography! Not only are they ensuring that they have photos to marketing themselves and their future events, they are also looking beyond their own marketing needs. By sharing their online galleries, they open up the usage of their event images to their attendees as well - allowing these people to market themselves and share the event with a broader audience. Another growing trend that we’re noticing is for in-person educational events to include professional brand photography as part of their package. That way, their students have a way to market themselves after the event, therefore creating a greater return on their investment. How smart is that?!
So, is photography dead? Far from it! But, is the need for professional photography that is “just OK” dead? Now that’s another story! This is the time to really dial in what your marketing plan is and then invest in high quality photography that is strategized to fit those needs. Click here to find out how Dream Weaver Media works with you to brainstorm and execute marketing campaigns for your small business.