Six Signs You’re Ready for a Branding Refresh Shoot

Every entrepreneur worth their salt knows they need brand photography. While we could go on and on about the power of a great branding photo shoot, we know we’d be preaching to the choir. What far fewer entrepreneurs know is that branding photos aren’t a one-and-done service. While you may not have to invest as much into subsequent branding photoshoots as you did when you started your amazing business, branding photos are a marketing tool you should be continually investing in as an entrepreneur. 

As a branding agency, we could just tell you how often you should book your branding photoshoots. But as a small business ourselves, we know there’s no rulebook and no formula to success when it comes to this stuff. A huge part of running a small business is intuition. You’ll know when it’s time to book a branding refresh photoshoot for your business. However, if you are still on the fence when you hover over that “book” button, here are six ways you can tell your brand is ready for a refresher photoshoot session. 

Social Media Has Become a Chore

We know that social media isn’t everyone’s cup of tea (at Brand Gloss, it’s our favorite drink, but we also recognize it’s probably not the number one reason you became an entrepreneur). However, when you notice that you’re pushing content creation further and further down your to-do list, it may be time to look the deeper reason behind your social media struggle than everything that is already hard about social media marketing. It’s difficult to carve out the time to craft captions and push posts when you’re not crazy about the visual content you have to work with. Whether you’re running out of fresh photos, or whether you didn’t have enough to begin with, a lack of fresh, inspiring content can make posting the very last thing you want to do. 

And if you don’t relate to your content, chances are, your audience probably isn’t either. Nobody wants to see the same three outfits from a branding shoot from a year and a half ago on their feed every day. If you’ve noticed that your engagement has taken a hit, it may be because your audience recognizes that your content is stale and that you’re uninspired by it, too. A new branding shoot may be just the fix if you are looking to up your engagement and your social reach. And if you’re looking to boost your Instagram stats in general, check out our blog on all things engagement here. 

Your Grid Looks Too Similar 

Believe us when we say that we love a curated, harmonious feed. But also believe us when we say that that doesn’t mean your Instagram grid has to consist of the same two looks and settings. Your company’s branding should build on itself and tell the ongoing story of your brand and it’s growing success. Unfortunately, one photoshoot just isn’t enough to accomplish that. As you experience more wins as an entrepreneur and your brand gets bigger and better, your branding photos should reflect your company’s growth and longevity. Your social media grid is an overview of your brand’s story and growth, and one set of professional photos isn’t enough to capture all of the hard work you’ve put into your company. 

You’ve Finally Figured Out Your Social Media Strategy

Don’t think that brand refresher shoots are only for times of social media hardship. There are plenty of positive reasons it may be time to book a refresher shoot for your brand. If you’ve finally figured out what your audience likes and doesn’t like—and trust us, this is no small feat—, it may be time to book a photoshoot to celebrate. Once you know what does the best on your feed, it’s time to create and post more of that. And that might also mean a branding photoshoot is in order to facilitate your new social approach. For example, if your followers love an information-heavy, bullet-pointed post, include photos you can easily turn into Instagram infographic in your shot list. On the other hand, if your followers relate more to organic personality shots, make sure to plan for plenty of those. 

It’s a New Season

If it’s time to switch out the clothes in your closet, it may be time to switch out the photos in your marketing. A new season is a great excuse for brand-spankin’ new photos. And while we always recommend sticking to neutral colors and trans-seasonal outfits when thinking about what to wear to a branding shoot, we also love a festive photoshoot. Holidays are a great time to really show up on social media, especially if your sales are tied to a certain holiday or time of year. 

You Are Launching a New Service or Product

If you’re expanding your business and your offerings, first of all, congratulations are in order! A branding refresh photoshoot may also be in order. While it may be hard to get the word out about a new service, stunning, eye-catching photos can definitely help. If you are trying to advertise a service or a product that you’ve never offered before, chances are, you probably don’t have professional content for the service in question either. Scheduling a branding refresh shoot to market a new offering takes preparation. When prepping for your shoot and putting together your shot list before the big day, allot plenty of time for this new service. Think of all the different ways you could represent this new offering on camera and all of the outfits and backdrops you would like to show it in.