They're not just photos, they're strategic visual assets
When you change your words…
…you change your world.
I’ve been thinking about word choices lately.
Specifically, the word photo.
Obviously, as a photographer, the word falls out of my mouth, I dunno, 75,000 times in a given week.
But, as I’ve spent some time marinating on it, I’ve come to the conclusion that this is, ultimately, a less-than-ideal word choice when describing the work created with experts who step in front of the camera.
You see, we didn’t spend several hours on the phone strategizing a comprehensive shot list that involves a variety of direct address and candid portraits that illustrate their personality, lifestyle and processes in wide, medium and close-up shots to simply create a cool photo album.
They were decisions made in an effort to create strategic visual assets that serve hyper-specific purposes across their entire online presence.
Which photo works best for the banner image on my website speaking page?
Which photo works best for the back cover of my book?
Which photo(s) works best for my speaker kit?
Which photo(s) works best to promote my online course?
Which photo(s) works best for my online content?
Which photo(s) works best for the sales page for my next mastermind group?
And so on…
Rather than simply compile a mountain of photos and figure out where they go after the fact, we think about the needs first, and then create the visuals with those needs in mind.
Whereas a photo can be created by anyone, anywhere and at any time, a strategic visual asset is created through intentional and purposeful planning.
There is no winging it in front of the camera and hoping for the best.
The guesswork is eliminated.
There is a specific need for each visual in your portfolio because they all were created with the end goal in mind from the beginning.
And the results of this effort on the front end lead to far more valuable deliverables for you and your marketing team.
Rather than having a bloated portfolio of images that feel and look the same from shot-to-shot, this approach creates a lean-and-mean, diverse gallery of visuals aimed at solving the specific marketing and promotional objectives.
By thinking about your visuals as assets rather than photos, that mindset shift helps you to truly focus on what’s important to capture in front of the lens and what’s the fluffy crap you could do without so no time during your session is wasted.
The results of this work leads to a consistent and compelling visual presence across every digital touchpoint.
That consistency of high-quality goes a long way to create the perception in the minds of those you serve that you’re an authority in your space of expertise and, as a result, you’re able to help solve their problem.
It all starts with a simple change in word choice.
As my friend and colleague, Phil Jones, says so brilliantly, “when you change your words, you change your world.”
Over to you…
What are your feelings on this article? Agree or disagree with the word choice swap? Why?
Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.