Brand stories to invite your customers into your world

A large part of brand photography is the storytelling images that can quickly show the many layers of your business: what you do, how you do it, what it feels like to work with you and more besides for your business to become more visible, connect with your customers and grow. In this post I will share my favourite brand story ideas that I like to include in my photo shoot plan when working with small business owners or small business teams. Small business brand stories with brand photography is a magic mix which will boost connection and engagement with your customers, as well as grow your business.

Why are storytelling photos so important for small business? 

With storytelling photos true to you and your business, the right customers will feel invited further into your world, welcomed and ready to discover more about the products and services you provide. 

Here are 7 brand story ideas that I like to include in my brand photography work :

Small Business Brand Story – 1

Your business reason & purpose: understanding 

This story is to share what matters most to you in your business, your reasons and values as well as why you started your business. These images can include showing your resources, books, your brand quotes, signs, props, branded marketing materials, work tools and objects to give your customers even more insight and understanding. 

Small Business Brand Story – 2 

Your business expertise:  confidence

This story is to share your skills, talent, work experience, awards, press coverage and ‘social proof’ reviews. These photos could include places or things that have impact on your creativity, inspiration, rituals, objects and mindset which will give your customers confidence about your expertise. 

Small Business Brand Story – 3

Photograph your business process & behind-the-scenes: honesty and value

This story is to give your customers an insider look on the journey of your business: how you work, where you work and all the steps of your process. These storytelling photos about your behind the scenes work life will connect your customers more to your business and brand as they see the team and the processes behind the finished article or service. As well as showing the true story behind your business, this can often demonstrate the manpower, time and skills that go into your product or service which demonstrate the value of your work.

Small Business Brand Story – 4

Show your personality & passion: inspire

This story is to create photos to share your style and attitude as the person or people behind the brand. Telling stories with photos of what excites you most about your business, what you love to do as well as experiences and objects that communicate your passions. This could be a favourite book, a favourite cocktail, trainers and yoga accessories, a musical instrument, your learnings and discoveries. When you share what lights you up, you connect and inspire on both a human and emotional level.

Small Business Brand Story – 5

Your products & services: purchase

This story is to show the goods and services that you provide in a way that lets your customers envision how they would experience your product or service and the benefits around this. Photography showing what the end result of your product or service looks like and what it means for your customers, will help build the bridge between a decision and a purchase. Photos holding the final product or with customers enjoying the results of working with you.

Small Business Brand Story – 6

Connect with your communities: identity

This story is to create photos to share info about your customers, your community, your meetings and business networks. It could be photos of your team, your Zoom meetings, working with your clients, brainstorming, teaching or speaking at an event. These images allows your audience / future customers to see more of your identity, the relationships that you have and the bigger communities that you are part of.  It allows them to imagine themselves as they see themselves represented in your community and clientele.

Small Business Story – 7  

Your business vision: future relationship

This story is about creating photos that portray your future dreams, goals and aspirations for your business. An image of you to show your dreams of writing a book; a photo of you with a microphone in your hand to show your dreams of speaking about your subject at an event or podcast; an image of you holding a special branded ticket with your hopes of planning your own event. Whatever hopes and dreams you have, share some of them with your customers to build future relationships with journeys to follow.  

Bonus Brand Story – 8

Story of difference: the subtle details 

Find your differences, your USP, and showcase this in your brand photos: subtleties

Take a close look at your business along with the story ideas above and highlight what you are doing differently, your specialist subject, the reasons people come to you. Think about the smaller details, it can be totally random, that could distinguish you and your business. 

See how you can show this story of difference in your photos. They may just be subtle differences but might well become part of the bigger reason a future customer will connect with you in the future.