Why Photography and Videography Matter for Your Brand (With Examples)

Photography and videography are powerful tools for building and maintaining a brand’s identity. They play a crucial role in differentiating your brand, establishing emotional connections with your audience, and conveying your message effectively.

When you think about marketing your brand online, what comes to mind? Whether you’re thinking of a traditional website, a blog or a social media platform, they all have an important thing in common — imagery. According to HubSpot, video is the most popular and effective media format. While messaging is one major player in the conversation, photography and videography are essential to drive engagement and captivate your audience.

With the development of social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram whose main focus is on visual elements, businesses are building a majority of visual strategies and deliverables to reach their audiences and can lead to higher recall. According to a survey by PC Social, social media posts that include visuals like images or videos receive around 94% more views than text-only social media posts.

Let’s explore why video and photography matter for your brand.

Why Video and Photography Are Great for Marketing

Engagement

The average human attention span is only eight seconds, which means that every second counts. A study by Insivia notes that users will retain 95% of a message watched on video as opposed to only 10% read in text, which underscores how visual content enhances retention and engagement.
According to Sprout Social’s Social Media Trends Report, visual content (images, videos, GIFs) received 650% more engagement on social media than text-only posts. Visual content has great potential to capture your audience’s attention and interaction with your brand’s content.

Storytelling

The power of visual storytelling is evident in many classic mediums, from Super Bowl commercials to viral videos on social media. Studies show that when customers connect with a brand’s story, they are 55% more likely to buy the product or service.

Videos and imagery can be harnessed to tell your brand’s story so that your brand or product are: authentic, relatable, have strong visuals, and are compelling and clear. They often evoke emotions to build a connection with audiences, which can lead to higher engagement rates.

Trust and Authenticity

Using professional imagery and video in your marketing efforts can establish credibility and convey a sense of professionalism. Whether you use stock imagery or user-generated content, both have the potential to tell your brand’s story effectively when used appropriately.
For example, using a customer testimonial with a photo in a social media post may boost engagement whereas a text-only social media post with only a quote might not have the same impact for viewers.

SEO Benefits

Optimizing videos and images for SEO can help drive traffic through sites like Google images with a potential increase of up to 63%. You can add relevant keywords in headlines and descriptions, descriptive alt text, file names or video transcriptions that will appear in search results which may generate more organic website traffic and visibility for your brand.

Adding engaging videos or imagery to your site may also increase the dwell time, or amount of time a user spends on a page after clicking through from search.

Social Media Appeal

According to a study by the Pew Research Center, the most popular social media platforms are YouTube and Facebook, followed by Instagram and TikTok. All four of these popular platforms feature a majority of video-based content.

Social media sites like YouTube, TikTok and Instagram have algorithms that prioritize visual content over text-based posts. For example, YouTube is an ideal place to host video content since that is the only kind of content that’s supported with over 500 hours of video uploaded every minute. A total of 88% of marketers said they planned to increase or maintain their investment in YouTube during 2024.

What Makes a Good Marketing Video and Photography

Now that we’ve explored why video and photography are beneficial for brands, let’s take a look at what goes into producing great video content and how to select or capture photography that will wow your audience and get your message across.

Clear Purpose and Target Audience

Each video or photo should have a specific goal, whether it’s increasing brand awareness, generating leads, or driving sales. Tailor the content to resonate with your target audience.

High-Quality Production

Use professional equipment, lighting, and editing to ensure sharp, well-composed images and videos. If you don’t have access to pro-level equipment, even the latest cellphones have high-quality cameras that can produce impressive results. Quality reflects directly on your brand’s credibility.

Strong Visual Storytelling

Craft a narrative that connects emotionally with your audience. Whether it’s through a customer’s success story or a glimpse into your company culture, storytelling drives engagement.

Consistency With Branding

Maintain a cohesive visual style that aligns with your brand’s colors, tone, and messaging. Consistency helps build recognition and trust over time.

Optimized for Platforms and Devices

Ensure that your videos and photos are formatted for the platforms where they’ll appear (e.g., vertical for Instagram Reels, landscape for YouTube) and optimized for fast loading and mobile viewing.

Types of Videos and Photos To Include in Your Marketing

Best Types of Videos for Marketing

Brand Videos: Showcase the story, mission, and values of your company in a visually compelling way.

Video Ads : Targeted promotional videos designed for paid advertising campaigns on platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Google Ads. These should include a strong call-to-action and be tailored to specific audience segments.

Awareness Videos: Videos crafted to introduce your product or service to new audiences, focusing on storytelling, your unique value proposition, and how it solves a common problem. These are often used at the top of the marketing funnel to generate interest and recognition.

Customer Testimonials: Feature happy clients sharing their experiences to build trust and credibility.

Reel and Short Videos: Highlight short, engaging vertical videos optimized for platforms like Instagram and Facebook. These should feel authentic and grab attention quickly.

Animated Videos: Use animation to simplify complex concepts, showcase abstract ideas, or add a creative flair to your messaging. Animated videos are versatile and can be used for explainer content, product demos, or brand storytelling in a visually engaging way.

Explainer / Process / How-To Videos: Help educate your audience with step-by-step tutorials or tips relevant to your industry.

Product And Service Videos: Demonstrate features, benefits, and usage of products with close-up shots and dynamic storytelling.

Best Types of Marketing Photography

Team Photos: Put faces to your brand by featuring team members in both formal and candid settings.

Company/Headquarters Photoshoots: Capture high-quality images of your office, team, and workspace to build professionalism and approachability.

Product Photography: Showcase items with clean, professional shots focusing on details, textures, and features.

Aerial and drone shots: offer unique, eye-catching perspectives that captivate audiences and make brands stand out.

Event Photography: Document events your company participates in or hosts, creating content that doubles as marketing material.

Social Media-Optimized Shots: Capture visually striking images designed specifically for platforms like Instagram or Pinterest.

Client Collaboration Photos: Feature moments where your team collaborates with clients or partners, reinforcing trust and professionalism.

Lifestyle Photos: Show your products or services in real-world scenarios to help audiences visualize usage.

How To Get Started With Professional Videography and Photography

Videography and photography can take your brand to new heights! Incorporating visual content into your brand strategy can help differentiate your brand, connect with your audience, and enhance your brand’s success through:

• Increased engagement
• Social media success
• Improved brand awareness
• Higher conversion rates
• Enhanced SEO

What Comes Next?

When you’ve identified what type of visual content is right for your brand, the next step is to figure out your strategy.

• Define S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound) goals to specify what your needs are and where you want to go.
• Review the different types of marketing and photography list above and see which videos are applicable to your strategy. Start small with 15-30-second videos and work your way up to one minute.
• Experiment with A/B testing to see which video or image resonates better with your audience or client base.

Seek Professional Videography and Photography

If you’re looking for professional visual content to help your brand thrive, Creative Springs offers full-service videography and photography services to help you reach your goals. Our experienced team crafts engaging videos for your website, social media and more. From script-writing to filming to editing to post-production, Creative Services does it all.

Our highly skilled team of professional photographers can help you set the scene, from headshots to lifestyle photography, showcasing your products and services in the best light possible. Contact us to learn more today.