- Jason Pang Gallery and Up My Influence
Photography to Grow Your Business: No More Stock Photos for Entrepreneurs! 1/2
No More Stock Photography with Jason Pang Gallery’s Angie Ho Pang
Interview by Josh Elledge of Up My Influence
Lights. Camera. Action! That’s pretty much the world that Angie Ho Pang rules.
Angie is the Director of Strategy & Marketing at Hong Kong’s Jason Pang Gallery, on a mission to get marketers, entrepreneurs, and business owners to use good stock photography to grow their business and she is here to share her story with us.. sit tight! 😆
You probably are used to seeing the cliché business board meeting where everyone is giving a concerted high five...
Or the odd elderly couple walking hand in hand on the beach. 😂
These images aren’t just boring. They’re the precise reason Angie wakes up every morning and works until past midnight. From both a marketing and a branding standpoint, Angie says these stock images achieve just the opposite of what entrepreneurs want.
What’s Wrong with Stock Photography?
Most entrepreneurs will typically reach for a distinct connection through their website, social media, or other means that tell the world they exist. It's impossible to achieve any measure of distinction by using the same stock photo as others in the same or a separate industry.
Why? Because... It diminishes the ability of desirable prospects to connect with your business. They wonder who's really behind the product or service brand!
If you’re going to be using stock photography, you’re also going to be losing the authority and influence you might otherwise have earned. The reason is simple: you’re not showing up enough.
Personality matters when you're owning a brand, and you're not yet on the level of big players like Apple, Disney, Pepsi, or Microsoft. As an independent brand, people want to connect to your back story first.
Photography and Brands
One of the first steps people take in starting a business is going social. So, they get a Facebook page going and ask friends and fellow entrepreneurs to hit the Like button. People want to support their friends, but there’s a problem: each one of them gets several invites daily.
The invites are not bad news. In a bid to spur some engagement, these new business pages usually have a few not-so-thoughtful posts along with a few stock images.
The Problem for the person viewing these new Website or Facebook Page or IG Account? It is hard to connect with those not-so-thoughtful-stock photos posts!
These images hardly lead to relevant engagement...
It can also hurt your Website Rankings on Google - because of the poor experience when people scroll through the website, they start bouncing off eventhough they clicked!
Realistic images of artists painting in front of a camera, or a musician repairing a guitar or strumming chords on one, are far more inspiring than some of the stock photos people opt to use online.
Thankfully, a few brands are catching on to this, and it's a clever trend, according to Angie Ho.
Brands should aim for authenticity rather than ease when it comes to photos.
Angie further recommends that a great strategy as businesses grow in size is to use their in-house teams for exciting photo concepts. You can show your team sweating it out behind the scenes.
It may be a group or just one person in a unique pose or setting. This idea also works for videos, and you can extend to those. It all makes for a more lasting impression than stock photos or footage. These are just a few ideas; it's definitely good ground to explore your creativity. People actually expect such creativity online!
So, Entrepreneurs! Would you like to know what photos and videos in particular can lead to more clients for your business?
Click the Button to contact us via Messenger or Whatsapp and we are happy to have a chat with you about your business!
<Part 1/2 end. To be Continued...>
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Full Interview at Josh's Up My Influence Website. Thank you for Interviewing Jason Pang Gallery!
Link: https://upmyinfluence.com/jason_pang_gallery_angie_ho_pang/
