We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again— photos are an essential part of your brand identity. The photos posted to your online business listings come hand-in-hand with your online reviews and ratings. According to Yelp, businesses who have between 1-5 reviews and 10 photos get 200% more user views than businesses with the same number of reviews and no photos. To get new business, you need to establish a solid first impression within seconds. Nothing paints a better picture of how your business operates than… well, your pictures. Listed below are four tips you can follow to make sure you are taking full advantage of your photo gallery to improve your online reputation.
1 ) Review your current photo gallery.
Before you begin uploading new photos, do a little housekeeping and look through the photos that are currently posted to your online business listings. If a user has posted any inappropriate photos of your business, now would be the time to take the necessary steps to get them removed. Along with the photos in your image gallery, don’t forget to update cover photos on sites like Google, Facebook and Twitter on a regular basis.
2) Show off your brand and company culture.
When choosing the subject of your photo, keep in mind that you are giving the audience a taste of what it’s like to interact with your business. Atmosphere starts here. Pictures of the team at work or at a company event gives your business listing a personal touch. If you’ve had any renovations done to your physical location, be sure to include those photos as well. Highlight your most popular products and services to give your customers a reason to give you a call.Â
3) Don’t be afraid to unleash your inner photographer.
Most smartphones already come equipped with the tools you need to create cool, professional quality images. Take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with cropping and lighting features, and maybe even explore a few filters to create a look and feel that’s unique to your brand. Using a square aspect ratio is a great way to showcase a specific product, and can be repurposed as content for your social media sites. To take your photos to the next level, try out a couple of photo editing apps like Snapseed and Lightroom.
4) Write relevant captions.
Photo captions are an underutilized feature that’s made available on just about any review site that allows you to upload photos. It presents you with an opportunity to not only provide more information about your business, but to also implement relevant keywords associated with your industry. Write your captions in a way that establishes the overall tone of your brand identity— whether your clientele is high-end and more formal, a little more goofy and casual, or anywhere in between.Â
Photos build trust and strengthen your brand identity. They also increase activity and traffic to your online review sites, which in turn improves your ranking in organic search results. Most importantly, they attract new customers. The same can be said about your online reputation overall.
