In this bonus episode of the Become A Brand Photographer podcast I’m answering a question I received from a listener about the problems and solutions we deal with as brand photographers. This question is a follow up to what I shared in episode 6 (missed that one? You can tune in here)! Listen to the podcast or read this post for examples of internal and external problems our brand photography clients have and the solutions we provide as brand photographers.

 

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Client’s Marketing Problems and the Solutions Brand Photography Provides

I want to address a question I received on Instagram from Maria. She’s a fellow brand photographer had a question about the episode where I shared six questions that I ask in my brand questionnaire. She wanted a little bit more guidance on how asking about pain points can help me serve my clients better. 

So the question I specifically ask is, what is your biggest pain point when it comes to showcasing your brand online? And I shared that question with the thought process that asking that question allows me to know where their problems are and it helps me to problem solve for them to offer solutions, which then gives them an incredible experience after they work with me. So Maria wanted some examples of what that can look like for my clients.

 

4 Problems We Solve as Brand Photographers

1. Mindset and Insecurities (Instilling confidence)
2. Lack ideas and creativity (Creative direction)
3. Lack time (Quarterly or recurring photoshoots)
4. Create offers that complement your brand photography or enhance your brand photography

 

Mindset and Insecurities (Instilling confidence)

First of all, an example of a problem and a solution that can be offered as a brand photographer is mindset and insecurities. My clients often will say how uncomfortable they are and one of their pain points when it comes to their marketing and showing up online is that they hate being in front of the camera. They feel so uncomfortable in front of the camera and it just feels awkward and therefore they never post. 

When I’m meeting that type of insecurity and mindset shift that the client has to make… I know that that is what my client is facing and then I’m able to help them with that mindset as a photographer. When I come to that photo shoot, my goal is not just to deliver amazing pictures, but to give them an experience that validates them and that is encouraging and kind. I meet them with compliments and give them ideas throughout the photo shoot of how they can use their pictures as we’re taking them. (Like, “this would be a fantastic headshot for your homepage. I love this photo. I can’t wait for you to see it.”) It allows me to know where my excitement level needs to be and how I need to show up for my client on the front end. 

So the first problem is a lack of confidence and not showing up online due to that confidence. The solution we provide is to instill confidence and provide imagery that allows our clients to take ownership in their marketing and feel brave enough to be the face of their business.

 

Lack of ideas and creativity (Creative direction)

Another problem that I see often is that my clients will share that they lack ideas and they don’t know what to post. So they really lack creativity. When my clients tell me they’re awful at marketing and they don’t know how to come up with ideas for their content, that tells me that they’re failing to find their unique perspective in the marketplace. They’re failing to find a way that they can show up creatively in a way that is authentic to them. 

This tells me that we need a focus on creating a shot list that feels authentic and that feels exciting and fresh. If their problems are a lack of creativity and ideas, then I know that I’m going to be encouraging them through the creative direction process of planning the photo shoot. A lot of my clients tell me that I came up with ideas that they never would’ve thought of, and that solution is provided when I understand what my client struggles with.

 

Lack of time for content creation (Quarterly or recurring brand photoshoots)

Another common problem our brand photography clients face is time… or the lack of time. I have so many clients that tell me that their biggest pain point when it comes to showcasing their brand online is the fact that they don’t have time to create content and stay consistent online. 

So when the client comes with that mentality and when they say that social media feels stressful and they just don’t have time to do it, then my solution to them is to offer a quarterly subscription for brand photos. That’s a chance for me to say, “Hey, this one-off session is great, but I think that you’d truly benefit from a quarterly subscription if you struggle with content creation. We could do this on a quarterly basis or a monthly basis.” And provide a solution to batch their content consistently. 

Or you can have additional offers aside from brand photography that can meet your clients’ needs. This takes me to the 4th problem and solution… 

 

Create offers that complement your brand photography or enhance your brand photography

The fourth problem is to figure out where there are gaps in the market. I see this question as not only a way to serve the clients better, but also as a way to do some market research myself as a brand photographer. When I ask a brand photography client what their biggest pain points are, that tells me what the market is facing. 

For market research, some of the best offers that I have in my business, aside from brand photography, are offers I created because of problems that my client shared. This could look like marketing consulting or marketing direction, Instagram grid creation, brand videography and video shorts for reels, etc.

 

 

Want more content and resources about pivoting into brand photography?

Check this out next!

• Visit The Brand Photography Shop and find templates and digital downloads to grow your brand photography business. You can even purchase The Brand Photography Starter Kit, which has all the resources and tools I use to run my own 6-figure brand photography business!  If you need brand photography email templates, a brand photography client workflow or planning questionnaire, you’ll find all the downloads in the shop!
• Listen to the Become A Brand Photography podcast to learn how to pivot into brand photography. On the podcast I share everything I’ve learned the last 5+ years (and 200 brand photoshoots later) about running an in-demand brand photography business!