Create The Image Productions

One of the biggest mistakes businesses make when planning a content shoot isn't buying the wrong camera.

It's creating content in the wrong format.

We've all seen it happen. A business invests in a professional video, uploads it to Instagram, and suddenly people's heads are cut off. Or they try to use a vertical Reel on their website and it looks tiny with huge black bars down the side.

The problem is that the content wasn't created for where it's going to be used.

At Visual Marketing Lab, we believe every photo and video should have a purpose before the camera even comes out. If you know where your marketing content is going to live, you'll capture it differently from the very beginning.

Read our blog post Where Do You Actually Need Horizontal vs Vertical Content? (The Complete Guide for Small Businesses) https://createtheimage.co.uk/visual-marketing-lab-insights/where-do-you-actually-need-horizontal-vs-vertical-content-the-complete-guide-for-small-businesses

Create The Image Productions - A Strategy-First Visual Marketing Partner, creating marketing content which leaves a Lasting Impression, Builds Trust & Engages with your Ideal Audience.

Over the years I have notice the same issue time and time again with some of my clients.

I send over to my clients their Marketing Asset Library, full of images & videos ready to be used in their marketing.

However, 3, 6, 9 months later, the content is still not being used.

What I have found from conversations with clients, is that they are not sure the best way to share this new content.

This is why I want to be your visual marketing partner, helping your business to plan, create, act and review.

Even better for your business is that Create The Image has a huge Partner Directory of trusted marketing professionals and services which we work closely with to be Trusted by 100’s of businesses for Strategy First Marketing, Creating Scroll-Stopping Content, Visual Marketing That Works and Testing Better Marketing.

Check out our blog post on Posting with Purpose https://createtheimage.co.uk/visual-marketing-lab-insights/reels-stories-carousels-or-lives-what-should-your-business-post

Create The Image Productions - A Strategy-First Visual Marketing Partner, creating marketing content which leaves a Lasting Impression, Builds Trust & Engages with your Ideal Audience.

Is the DJI Pocket 4 Worth Buying?

The Tiny Camera That's Changed How We Capture Marketing Content

When I have a planning session with a client, I am doing a few things.
- Making sure that everything on the shoot list has a purpose for the clients end goals
- Looking at how we can create something that stops the scroll
- Making a list of the gear we need to create the content we need

And that last point means that sometimes we are not just using our mirrorless camera. Sometimes we need to pack the drone or use action cameras to get into the places a large camera can not.

What I love about the DJI Pocket 4, is that its;
- Small enough to fit into any camera bag.
- Stabilised without needing a separate gimbal.
- Professional enough that we'd happily use the footage alongside our larger cameras.

Check out our blog post about the DJI Pocket 4 to see if you could use it to create content for your business https://createtheimage.co.uk/visual-marketing-lab-creative-essentials/is-the-dji-pocket-4-worth-buying-the-tiny-camera-thats-changed-how-we-capture-marketing-content

Create The Image Productions - A Strategy-First Visual Marketing Partner, creating marketing content which leaves a Lasting Impression, Builds Trust & Engages with your Ideal Audience.

When I started in photography, I was mainly doing product photography shoots.

These were great, I use to tell everyone how I would add flames and fire to your images (using Photoshop) to make your image pop.

And it was great to be creative and come up with these scroll stopping shots.

However, I like to talk and interact with people, and products dont talk back to you (unless its been a 12 hour straight shoot!)

So my favourite type of shoots are always ones with people.

I get to have meaningful conversations, direct them into poses which make them look great and we work together to lay out a room in a totally different way or use different set ups to create an image which they would not of seen or thought of.

Portrait shoots are where we get to be more creative. Its showing more of the environment and builds a story for the client, not just a head and shoulders corporate shot.

Here are some of my highlights from the portrait collection.

Create The Image Productions - A Strategy-First Visual Marketing Partner, creating marketing content which leaves a Lasting Impression, Builds Trust & Engages with your Ideal Audience.



The go to kit we use on these projects;
- Camera https://amzlink.to/az0T7QTiILy39
- Lens https://amzlink.to/az0xMqCltgphu
- Lights https://amzlink.to/az0j0AZApqRud

New Blog Post - Photography vs Video Isn't Really a Fight

I love photography & I love video.

And I don't think businesses should be choosing one and abandoning the other.

They're different tools.

Think of photography as the Swiss Army knife of your visual marketing.

One well planned photography shoot can give you assets for:
- Your website
- LinkedIn
- Instagram
- Facebook
- Google Business Profile
- Blog posts
- Email campaigns
- Proposals
- Presentations
- PR
- Recruitment
- Brochures
- Advertising
- Sales material

A photograph can communicate something in a fraction of a second.

Video does something different.

Video buys you time with your customer.

Instead of showing someone what your business looks like, you can explain what you do.

They can hear your voice, see your personality, watch your product being used, meet your team, hear your customers talking about their experience and see the transformation you provide.

Read more of our blog post here https://createtheimage.co.uk/visual-marketing-lab-insights/video-vs-photography-marketing-analytics-what-does-the-data-actually-tell-us

Create The Image Productions - A Strategy-First Visual Marketing Partner, creating marketing content which leaves a Lasting Impression, Builds Trust & Engages with your Ideal Audience.

Your customers want to see:
- The quality of your work
- The people behind the business
- Proof you can be trusted
- Real projects
- Before and after transformations
- Professional photos for your website and social media

We visit you on-site and capture a library of professional photos that you can use across your website, social media, Google Business Profile, brochures, proposals and adverts.

Everything is planned in advance so your content supports your marketing strategy and you get to have evergreen assets which will match the quality of your work.

Check out some more of our work here https://createtheimage.co.uk/professional-trades-marketing-content

Create The Image Productions - A Strategy-First Visual Marketing Partner, creating marketing content which leaves a Lasting Impression, Builds Trust & Engages with your Ideal Audience.

Over the last three months I have been working with more restaurants who want to showcase their food.

Its not surprising when the data shows the benefits of restaurants having high quality photography of their food.
- Menus with photographs of individual dishes generated up to 44% more monthly sales!
- Menus featuring a strong header image achieved up to 50% more monthly sales.
- Adding photographs to at least half of the menu could increase sales by 13%

Academic research has found that the type of food photograph used can influence purchase intention. Images showing the preparation process can create stronger purchase intentions than images showing only the finished result.

But photography and video perform different jobs.

High quality photography helps customers;
- Notice the dish
- Understand what they are ordering
- Feel confident about their choice

High quality video adds;
- Atmosphere
- Sound
- The complete dining experience

This matters because 89% of consumers say video quality affects their trust in a brand, while 85% say a video has convinced them to buy a product or service.

Great food photography sells the dish. Great video sells the experience.

Create The Image Productions - A Strategy-First Visual Marketing Partner, creating marketing content which leaves a Lasting Impression, Builds Trust & Engages with your Ideal Audience.