Every customer has their own journey leading them to the same destination – purchasing your product.

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ach phase in between needs to be analyzed to provide the best customer experience.

From the ‘thinking about buying’ phase to purchasing, to the delivery of your product, think about each step that led the customer to that point. What is it about the product that draws them to buy from you? What steps do they take before making the final purchase? Do those steps make sense? Is anything about this process going to make them rethink a purchase from your business and choose someone else? Would they suggest your product to their friends? 

This process from start to finish is called the customer journey. When you truly understand it, it becomes a pivotal step in creating a positive customer experience and can create a memorable brand. 

Defining the Customer Journey

To identify potential areas of improvement in your customer journey, you must first map out the entire process. Start by identifying your ideal customer, their age, gender, interests, etc. Creating an ideal client avatar is a key step in building your product business. Then, break down the entire journey step-by-step, starting from how they discovered your product to the final purchase. For example, if you are selling jewelry, your customer journey might be something like this: 

1. Customer finds out about your product from an Instagram post
2. They click on the link in your bio to learn more
3. They browse your website, looking at different photos of the types of jewelry you make
4. They decide they want to buy, so they click on your product and enter their payment information
5. Customer waits for the product to arrive

The customer journey doesn’t end there, however, it continues through the use of your product and even recommending it to others. Customer retention and word-of-mouth are much less time-intensive and therefore much more cost-effective than having to attract new customers. To obtain this level of customer retention, every step of their journey has to be perfect.

Unlock Unlimited Photo Concepts

When you have fully mapped out your ideal customer journey, identify the places of opportunity. Brainstorm ideas that will ease any pain points they come across along the way and use them as photo concepts that your audience can relate to. 

Remember, the importance of visual storytelling. Every photo of your product needs to have a clear message of why your customer should purchase it and how it can solve their problems. Mapping out your customer’s journey is also the first step to provide everything you need to ensure they have the best customer experience interacting with your company and brand. 

Utilize the journey to your advantage and go above and beyond in customer service to increase customer satisfaction. Memorable customer experience is what keeps people coming back for more. If they feel like their problems are being addressed, you will naturally build stronger customer relationships. This is why it’s important to identify areas of improvement and incorporate these ideas into your product photography. 

Your photos are usually the first interaction your customer has with your product. Illustrate a relatable concept consistently that addresses your ideal customer’s struggles. This establishes your brand as memorable and trustworthy because your audience will believe that you provide a solution to their problems. If you create a memorable start to the customer journey, the customers will return and referrals to your brand will be made.

To learn more about how to make the journey more user-friendly, let’s connect! I understand that every business is different and that it’s important to have a specific plan for each. This is also why I offer more services than just photography. You can also find me and fun behind the scenes on Instagram! 

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By now you’ve heard the phrase, “a picture is worth a thousand words” and as a business owner, it’s extremely important to keep this in mind when selling your product.

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 great visual has the power to tell a captivating story that creates emotion in your ideal customer and clearly explains what it is that you do, who you work with, and who will benefit from your product. Know what you’re looking to achieve with your visual storytelling before moving forward.

Have a Clear Message

Telling a story through photos can keep someone from misinterpreting what you do and who you work with, as long as your message is clear. I say it often, but remember your “why.” Why is this the best way to convey the story of your product to your audience? Can they resonate? Is this something they need? Always assess the situation and be transparent with your customers.

Less is more so consider the visuals. Keep distractions that take away from the initial story that you’re trying to convey to a minimum. In the few seconds it takes a customer to look at your photo before they look away, create a clear message that addresses their pain points. How will your product solve their problem? You don’t want your product and your message to get lost in the visuals. Create a visual story using real-life scenarios. Potential customers are more likely to convert into buyers if they can clearly understand what it is you do, what your product is, and how it will help them. 

The Human Element

People relate to people. When you add a human element to your visuals, you create the opportunity to deepen the connection with your ideal customer. It becomes easier for them to feel the emotions you’re trying to convey and reveals the person behind the brand. After all, you are human and you want your customers to be able to relate to you as a person. 

Some ideas to incorporate could be showcasing satisfied customers using your product or strategically placing your model in a scene that sets up the story for your product. The human element also brings a scale. Give your customers a better visual of why they need what you’re selling and how they can use it. Ask yourself:

• How will adding the human element come into play when selling my product? 
• How will certain elements in my photo help me with my narrative? 
• How will this make my ideal customer feel?

It’s all about the details. I share some of my best product photography tips to help your product stand out in my blog post here.

Branding Colors

Maintain a consistent, visual theme across the board when telling a story. The use of your brand colors to streamline your products and your business strengthens brand awareness. Brand colors can also evoke different feelings, so if your customer finds that they can relate to your message they are more likely to buy from you. Your brand colors also have a direct influence on your brand identity so be sure you’re clear from the start on the message you want to convey to your customers. Repetition of the same colors, the same message, and the same values builds trust and, ultimately, a community of people who believe in you, your business and your product.

Conclusion

Visual storytelling helps you connect to the people you want to work with and serve or buy your products. They’re always looking for a solution to their problem (whatever that may be), but the visual storytelling helps them to see that you are what they need. Have a clear message, add a human element, and streamline your brand colors and you’re off to a great start!

If you’re ready to improve your brand coordination in your images, be sure to grab my quick guide! You can also connect with me here and we can discuss the visual story you’d like to tell with your product. And as always, you can check me out on Instagram!

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I am not a point and click kind of gal and here is why…

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once comprised myself and allowed a client to dictate how and why I should do my business a certain way, and friend, that is the most toxic thing you can do to yourself.

Running a business is not a one-size-fits-all kind of deal. Each has a different mission, different values, and its own ideal audience. As a business owner, it’s important to have a specific plan geared towards you and your business needs, so never compromise on something you don’t fully believe in. 

You Can’t Do It Alone

However, good things take time and success cannot be accomplished alone. I believe that’s why it’s important to team up with someone who has a true understanding and appreciation for what you have to offer. If not, you could end up in a similar situation like myself where you’re shoved into a box that you don’t want to be in. 

Work with someone who will factor in other important business aspects that not only showcase your product in the best light but gives a true brand message, markets to your ideal audience, and has a strategy in place to help your business grow. Although great photography can capture what makes your product unique, it takes more work, more thought, and more action to really hone in on how to properly brand and market your product. 

Build Strong Relationships 

I live for serving the business community through styled imagery and personal brand photography because I understand that every business is different and unique. That’s why I also offer more than just photography – services like branding, illustration, marketing, and visual strategy are all important components of your business foundation. They are all factors that photography alone cannot fix if they are flawed. In fact, several different factors come into play. I go in more detail about the common myth that photography will fix your business here. It’s just simply untrue. 

Offering these services gives me and my clients the chance to work on different elements and build strong, ongoing relationships. I get to learn more about my clients and their struggles – and as a result, I find ways to provide organization, structure, and clear communication in their photoshoots and processes. It makes it easy, transparent, and effortless.

I’m a full shop that helps you and your business launch, optimize, and grow a brand with a strong online presence. Providing mentorship and support for small business owners who are struggling to connect, build, and grow their businesses is what I specialize in. It’s important to know that you’re not alone and sometimes all that’s missing is a little guidance. If you have any questions or are looking to connect, you can contact me here. You can also catch me on Instagram!

And here’s a special offer! For the next 5 days (though July 11th, 2020), the Create Your Content Kit is available as part of a bundle of over 82 courses made by influential female entrepreneurs for up-and-coming female entrepreneurs.  The entire bundle costs $99, which is the cost of the Create Your Content course alone. At under a dollar and half per course, this is an unbelievable deal for product businesses that are ready to take off. But this bundle is only available for a short amount of time, so if you’re interested, don’t miss this opportunity!

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