Day 27 Guest Blogger Andi Ramsay

Today is the turn of another guest blogger. Who seems to have as much to put on paper as I do as he came to me a couple days ago in a panic saying he couldn't shorten his post and it seemed to have two points. So we decided to give him two slots as it was easier on him and easier on you the reader. So I am pleased to introduce you to a man that I trust all my business photography and videography needs to along with my clients where they will listen. Today's blogger is Andi Ramsay of Developing Perceptions.

When is a photo not just a photo?

Don’t worry! This isn’t the introduction to an M&S advert, although they do make a very valid point which, for any business, is worth paying close attention to:
Everything that your business does, everything that it sends out, every interaction that your business has, is an extension of your brand and therefore sets the tone for the relationship that you will have with your customer.

First impressions

Consider what happens when someone hands you their business card. You instantly assess the look & feel of the card, listen to what the person says when they hand it to you, and you make a decision. That tiny bit of card in your hand forces you to decide in a split second; “would I do business with this person?” You probably don’t even notice that you do it when the decision is a ‘yes’, but you definitely know about it when the answer is ‘no’.

If the card is cheap, flimsy, dog-eared, badly printed, missing information, or corrected in ballpoint pen (yikes!) then it is going to give you a pretty poor impression of the sort of business that the person runs. On the other hand if the card is a beautiful thick textured card stock, with debossing, foiling, clean print, beautiful logo, and plenty of information laid out neatly you are going to think a lot more highly of the business person who handed it over.

Many forms

The first time that a customer encounters you won’t always be when you are handing over your business card, there are a multitude of ways for you to make your first impression, especially in this magical, technological age. Advertising, facebook pages, email newsletters, direct mailing, internet searches, twitter, websites are all possible primary points of contact for potential customers.
Put quite simply; every single thing that represents your business should be of the very highest quality, it might just be the only chance you get to impress a new client.

The easiest way to do this is to plan everything, never going on the spur of the moment. There are experts out there who are ready to help you with nearly every aspect of your business, marketing, copywriting, web design & development, as well as my own particular expertise; photography and video.

So when is a photo not just a photo?

Always! A photo, video, any image, is an ambassador for your brand. So what are your images saying about you?