Remember how your mum used to tell you to “always be yourself?” She wasn’t kidding.

When it comes to photography, like anything in life, being totally YOU, 100% matters.

With the growing trend for #nofilter and the demand for ‘unedited’ imagery on the rise, consumers are increasingly looking for something ‘real’ from the brands and businesses they buy from. You see, it’s not just about your product anymore, consumers are seeking a sense of genuine connection.

Whatever the size of your business, humanising your brand is one of the best, most beneficial ways to get your audience to connect with you. Creating content and imagery with a hands-on feel and human touch could quite simply be one of the smartest things you do in 2023.

If you want to take your photography from dry and faceless to a more hit-you-in-the feels-human-y kind of vibe, here are 5 easy ways you can hit the ground running.

1. Don’t Rely on Stock Photography

In a world saturated by social media imagery, content and videos, stock photography can stand out like a sore thumb. It’s impersonal and you run the risk of the same image being seen elsewhere, or god forbid by your competitors. No one wants to be GENERIC.

Try and find a balance where you can. Allocating budget for photography that properly showcases your product, your business and your brand will always be a great return on investment. After all, if you’re willing to invest in you, then it gives your customer confidence too. Inject some real heart and soul into your imagery and I guarantee you’ll reap the “keeping it real” rewards.

Photograph of 2 plates with waffles, ice cream and honey. Photo by Manchester photographer, Georgie Glass.

2. Use Video to Your Advantage

Well planned, well executed video can not only raise your content game, but it can start conversations and build strong brand relationships. So, harness the power of video to flex your human side by being extra savvy with your content. Make sure your brand voice is relatable, that the imagery ‘fits’ and who knows, you just might strike that all important emotional chord! With user friendly content showcasing real people using your product and easy-to-watch explainer videos that guide your audience on exactly how your brand meets their needs, you’ll hook their hearts and minds in no time.

3. Go Behind the Scenes

Part of humanising your brand is letting your audience discover everything (well, almost everything) about you. Authentic, real, truthful communication is not always about telling a carefully curated story, it’s about showing your audience who you really are. Let them see behind the scenes of your business and welcome them into the lesser-known areas of your brand so they can discover what really makes you tick. Not only will they like you, but they might just admire you for it too. Bonus!

behind the scenes photos from Manchester photographer, Georgie Glass.

4. Show Off Your Staff

It’s easier for consumers to grasp what your business is about when you show the real people that make up your kick-ass company culture. So, bin boring faceless “about us” pages and say “hello” to the people that make your company truly what it is. Even better, pack in some personality by including brilliant staff bios, and real unedited photos full of smiles. Putting faces to names, showing the hard-working team behind the brand instantly makes your business more relatable and dials down the stuffy corporate bit. Hurrah!

Man and woman cuddling a dog. Photo by Manchester photographer, Georgie Glass.

5. Cultivate Your Customers

There’s nothing like building a real sense of community to help humanise your brand. And there’s no-one better to help you do this than – yes you guessed it, your actual customers! So don’t just talk about them, immerse them into your brand photography and include them in your videos. It’s the best way to show how your brand really fits in with your customers’ experiences. When you start really seeing your customers as more than a target demographic, a user or a click, you’ll naturally bring the inner human out of your brand!

Woman sat in a coffee shop. Viewed from behind the window. Photo by Manchester photographer, Georgie Glass.

So, what are you waiting for? Harnessing the human-y authentic side of your business is not only a brilliant way to create deeper and more meaningful messaging but it might just be the best way to build your brand in 2023.

Georgie x

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5 Easy Ways Photography Can Help Humanise Your Brand