Let’s dive right in: What the heck is brand imagery anyway?! If you’re reading this post, you probably have an idea. I mean, the word “imagery” is in the title so if your guess was somewhere along the lines of “something to do with images?” you’d be right! Bang on, sister! Brand imagery is just a group of images that help paint the bigger picture of what you’re all about. And because we humans are visual creatures (just think of the millions spent on all those billboards you pass on the way to the office …) we loooooove to understand through images.
Do me a favour. Close your eyes. Imagine how you’d feel opening the pages of InStyle magazine…only to find photos and articles about machetes, taxidermy how-tos, or serial killer profiles – complete with grisly photos.…Did you you cringe? You cringed. I don’t know about you, but when I crack open InStyle I’m not looking for anything gruesome – I’m on the hunt for this month’s curated fashion lessons and some awesome celeb street style I can make my own!
Because I know what to expect when I open an InStyle magazine I keep going back for more. Their brand speaks to me (and millions of others around the globe), and they stick to the same look, feel, and tone in every. single. issue. I like that. I look forward to that. I resonate with that.
My friend, that is what YOU want your brand imagery to do for your audience and potential clients: You want to speak to them through your cohesive style because an Instagram grid with mismatched photos and random snaps of seemingly unrelated content won’t instill a sense of confidence in your marketing ability. And that’s why they’re hiring you, right? To effectively market their home off the market?
So now that we know just how important imagery is let’s take a look at how you can curate your own.
- Start a Pinterest board/or Unsplash collection with images that convey the tone of your brand. (Take a peek at the Fourth Street Creative collections for inspiration!)
- Ask for feedback. Once you’ve created (what you think is) your stellar imagery collection, ask a friend or trusted colleague what they see or feel when they look at what you’ve curated. Are their answers in line with how you want your audience to feel?
- Refine. Take your feedback and tweak or refine your group of images until you’re confident you’ve nailed down your brand imagery.
- Use your collection as inspiration every time you need to design or create a marketing piece for your business. Refer back to your board/collection to keep you on track and on brand.
I consider my imagery collection one of the most important assets in my business and refer to my collection at least once a month – or when a design just doesn’t feel right to me. It definitely takes the pressure off when you can head over to Pinterest and remind yourself what your “look” is. It’s been a game changer over here at Fourth Street creative, and I’m sure you’ll feel the same way once you’ve gathered your arsenal of imagery!
