We’ve all heard the phrase “A picture is worth a thousand words.” But what if the picture is not evoking the right words you want? 

A common worry that many people face when launching a new brand, product, or service is that their content might not connect as much as they hope with their target audience. Maybe the messaging is well-crafted, but somehow, the posts aren’t getting the engagement they were hoping for. The problem might lie in the visual storytelling, aka, the photography used in the content. 

Not to worry! The secret to choosing the right photography for your brand and marketing is actually quite simple. 

It’s all about emotions. 

When you come up with the messaging for your brand, you want to be clear on what emotion you want your audience to feel when engaging with your content. The same goes for the photography you choose. The visual imagery should always align with your message and give your audience a glimpse into the desired emotional and future state they’re looking for when engaging with your business. 

For example, when we developed the visual identity for our client, Explore Simplicity, their mission was to help contractors grow and scale their businesses. Their customers’ biggest pain points were being stressed with growing their business and missing out on special moments with their families because of stresses in their business.

To create a positive emotional response to the brand, we took the brand’s key slogan, “Explore a Simpler way to____” and paired it with photos of men enjoying time with their family and being in a stress-free work environment. These carefully curated images communicated that Explore Simplicity was the best fit to help their target audience achieve their desired future emotional state. 

The bottom line is this: your photography should complement your message. If the goal of the message is to invoke a sense of joy, success, or empathy, then the photography should clearly and easily illustrate that. 

Here’s a checklist to help you choose the right photography for your next marketing campaign or social media post. 

• What is the key emotion you want your audience to feel when engaging with your content?

• Is the imagery addressing a specific pain point for your target audience? 

• Are the subjects in the image relatable? 

• Is the lighting and mood appropriate for the message and desired emotion?

These are the basics you need to know in choosing the right photography for your marketing campaigns and social media posts. Stay tuned for more, as we will go into some of the best websites for high-quality stock photography and how to prompt your searches to get the best results.