Looking for free stock images to use for your website? Discover why professional photography is better.

Are you considering a new website or do you have a social media content plan but need pictures to bring this to life?

Would you like to blog in 2018 and need some imagery to make the blogs stand out?

What is holding you back from having your own photos on your website/blog/social media posts?

If you answered yes or even just a tentative 'maybe' to any of the above, then read on. Hopefully I can dispel a few myths about custom professional photography both in terms of the price (definitely worth reading on!) and also the reasons why they are so much better than stock images.

But first.....why have photos at all?

When potential clients visit your website, they form an impression of your business within the first 7 seconds. Wow - all that hard work agonising over exactly the right words, pages and photographs. This shows how important it is to have impactful images to really sock a punch when your potential clients are first making that judgement about your business.

On social media, photographs are hugely important too. According to Media Blog, Facebook posts with a photo receive 87% more interaction than Facebook posts without photos. Even more startling....apparently Tweets with images receive a massive 150% more retweets than tweets without images. (Source: /blog.bufferapp.com)

I can provide a bank of images to use on all of your digital marketing from blogs, to social media and of course for your website. A library of around 50 photographs would start from £325. This figure includes the photoshoot, all development costs. I will discuss your exact requirements before the photoshoot and put together a shotlist to showcase you and your business in action. Then after the shoot, all the photos will be available on a private online gallery for you to download, in both high and low resolution. . The photos can range from individual headshots to team photos and there will also be a selection of photos about the business, not just the people. These photos can then be used as a 'library' of photos for all of your marketing collateral, from your LinkedIn headshot to your regular Facebook posts and can be used time and time again. There are no restrictions on how and when they can be used, as is often the case with stock images.

I have been lucky enough to work with many different types of businesses who recognise the need for custom images for their websites and social media posts. Why not take a look here to see how much better their websites look as a result of having personalised photos rather than stock images. One such business is Power of One Fitness Ltd who now have a bank of photos showing David 'at work' doing individual and group training both in the gym and outside. These photos are also regularly used on David's Tweets and Facebook posts.
Or another example is Virtual Angels - Holly and Nicola do lots of different types of work for various clients, so wanted to show this photographically. I hope you agree how much more impactful the photos are using the 'real' people behind the business.
And finally.....here are a selection of photos for a copywriter client who got a great range of different photos from her shoot including a headshot, photos of her 'at work' and also some abstract photos for use elsewhere.

Lastly, I wanted to address an issue that many businesses say to me as a barrier to getting their own business photos done. Often, the first thing they think of (after cost) is "..but what would we photograph.."? "I just work out of my office at home - where would we do the photoshoot..?". No need to worry about that - I have done photoshoots in hotels, coffee shops, office receptions - you name it. It's amazing how you can create a really professional impression with a few 'models ' (ie: friends!) and a handy local location. That is just one of the elements I help you with in order to make the most out of your shoot. Don't believe me? All the photos taken above were at the Holiday Inn in Winnersh where all we had to do was buy a cup of coffee and bring a prop or two!

So - if you'd like to have a discussion about possible photographs of YOUR business to help with your 2018 marketing plan, give me a call on 07715 889457 or drop me a line on pennie@photosbypennie.co.uk. Also, there are plenty more examples of my photos right here: www.photosbypennie.co.uk.