Prepping Your Team for a Brand Photoshoot

Your brand is more than just a logo on the side of a truck. It is the people inside of that truck.

Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a franchise that invests in high-quality brand imagery for them. If you are an independent owner, you have to build that library yourself. Even if you do have corporate backing, you still need to show your local community who you are.

Using stock photos of models in spotless hard hats doesn’t have nearly the same impact as showing your own team. Customers look for authenticity when deciding which home service business to go with. They want to see who is actually showing up to their house or who they’ll be working with. The truth is, we are quicker to trust and want to support a company with real people.

Getting real photos of your team is one of the best investments you can make. You can use these images for years on your website, social media, and mailers. But you have to get it right!

Preparing for the Photoshoot

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail...

First, for anyone who may be involved in the shoot, get photo releases so you have permission to use their likeness in your brand assets. No one likes to pull content that shows a now disgruntled, past employee.  

Once you have your signed releases, next look at the uniforms. Shirts should be tucked in. If you have logo hats, make sure they aren't beat up. If you don't have uniforms, just tell everyone to wear a clean shirt in the same color. You want the team to look ready to work, but professional!

Remember to wash the trucks. It sounds simple, but road grime shows up clearly on camera. If your vans are wrapped, make sure they are clean enough to read the phone number from fifty feet away.  

Get the Right Shots

Don't just line everyone up against a wall and say “cheese.” You want "action" shots that can be used for different marketing campaigns.  

Focus on these scenarios:

• The Arrival: A tech walking up a driveway carrying a tool bag. This is great for "We're on the way" text messages.

• The Education: A tech pointing at a unit or a tablet while talking to a "customer" (have a friend stand in). This builds trust.

• The Work: Tight shots of hands turning a wrench or wiring a panel. This proves you know your trade and have the right tools for the job.

• The Handshake: Ending the interaction with a smile. This works perfectly for thank-you emails.

There are many photo/video themes you can use to create consistent assets that show your entire team. And, trust us, it’s a team effort. Here are our suggestions for other ‘clips to capture’ your team can try.  

Big or Small, Your Branding Matters

We work with everyone from large fleets with multiple franchises to small family-owned partners like ACHV Services and solopreneurs.

Whether you are a one-man show or a smaller team, you don't need a whole film crew. You just need a decent camera or a newer smartphone and good lighting. The goal is to look genuine! A solopreneur with a friendly, high-quality photo on their homepage will often beat a large company that looks corporate and cold.

Ready to revamp your branding? We help clients across the US and Canada set their trades companies apart from the competition and achieve more market share. Reach out to our team at My Marketing Works today.