Power Pair Marketing often counsels clients to either update their photography or to get better photography. There are times this puts us nose-to-nose with a client on a qualitative point, and we’re not afraid of having those discussions.

We were reminded of this the other day. Glen spends a lot of time on the New York City Subway, and he was riding along and noticed something. It was an ad for a personal injury law firm, and the photography of the two principles was so bad that it led to a Zoom with Jeff and Glen trying to pose as these men. 

The best way to describe it is that one of the partners looked like he was smelling a bag of dog poop, while the other partner was wearing a Grinch-link smirk at his partner’s misfortune. This is not an image you want prospective clients to see. Wait, let’s repeat that because it’s critical: THIS IS NOT AN IMAGE YOU WANT PROSPECTIVE CLIENTS TO SEE. PERIOD!

Then why the heck is it on display on the New York Subway?!! The MTA reports that the subway has daily ridership of 3.2 million people. That means that there is the potential for this ad to make more than 22 million impressions a week. That’s a great selling point for a subway ad, but if you have 22 million people laughing at photography that people are laughing at for being Grinch-like and poop-smelling, it’s not doing wonders for your business. In fact, you’ve shot your imaging in the foot. 

Let’s go one step further. Before launching Power Pair Marketing, Glen (the critic) worked for a broker dealer, where he connected via LinkedIn with some of his young colleagues. Many had recent vacation pictures of them in T-shirts, on beaches, having fun. Glen sent them a nice note, basically saying that if they wanted to grow in their career and be taken seriously in their profession to go spend a few bucks getting a decent headshot. After a little back-and-forth in the “does this really matter” vein, they agreed and now all look like polished professionals. To answer question one: Yes, it really does make a difference to have high-quality, professional photography. And as for question two: All have made terrific progress in their careers and personal lives. (BTW, if you’re not currently following us on LinkedIn, please do.)

Often the first question we get is: “What’s this going to cost me?” Well, depending on where you’re located, a half day with a high-quality photographer is going to cost somewhere in the $750 to $1,500 neighborhood. That’s usually about two-thirds of the full-day rate. The picture you took at a party with your cellphone camera that you think is good really isn’t. Remember Grinchy and Poop Sniffer? This is not who you want to be. 

The first element of your imaging is just that: It’s you! It’s what you look like, what your partner looks like, what your staff look like. Putting casual pictures or vacation pictures on your website screams that you don’t take yourself seriously, even if you do. And clients will take away that message.

If you want a perfect picture concept of how your marketing could look, click the link below and make an appointment to consult with the pros at Power Pair Marketing. You’ll like how you look, or you’ll pay nothing for the free consultation. We promise!