Personal branding photos help build influence.

Let me introduce you to Natalie, owner of Maryland Teacher Tutors and Influencer. She has found great success in her business and wanted to share a little bit of what helped take her to the next level.  I was honored to work with Natalie as her personal branding photographer.  She will tell you below how her personal branding photos helped catapult her brand.

It is clear that Natalie has many aspects to her own personal brand. We had many stories to tell that would come together and and show her full personal brand.  She wanted to highlight her dedication to fitness, her family relationships and also the work that her employees do with the children they tutor.  Her collection of personal branding photos did just that – told the story of Natalie.

That is exactly the power of personal branding, it is not just the work you do – is the STORIES about YOU! Your audience wants to do business with those they know, like and trust.  We want to do business with people.  Once we get to know the whole person, we can begin to know, like and trust them our business.

Now let’s hear from Natalie’s perspective…

Personal Branding Photos vs. Selfies?  What is the difference?

“Anyone with a social media account knows that professional personal branding photos are a way to immediately get new eyes on your page, and increase your likes and following. Certainly, you’ve been to an Instagram page or a website that has blurry iPhone photos, and you were disappointed. But let’s be honest. Personal branding photos cost money. And can I be really honest? I was hesitant about investing in professional photos because I didn’t quite see what the return on investment would be. Would anyone really notice? Is there really that big a difference when it comes to distinguishing between really good camera phone photos and pics from a professional?  

Well, the answer is yes. Let me share my experience as I have wrestled with these same questions. And let me tell you why I am a big believer in making the investment for personal branding photographs!

Should I make the branding investment?

In October, I started paying more attention to the direct messages and texts I was getting pertaining to my life as an entrepreneur. Other women were seemingly fascinated with my business model and growth at Maryland Teacher Tutors, and felt inspired by my story. Rather than ignore this, I took to my journal and wrote down some ideas! What if I started actually taking Instagram seriously? Could I have a bigger impact? Could I create a community of women who would feel inspired and motivated to pursue their dreams?

This led me to research some of the major influencers in business, fashion, and lifestyle. And what did I notice as the common thread? You guessed it! Beautiful, clear, professional images was what they all had. My page, on the other hand, was a hot mess.

I inquired about professional photographers in some of the fempreneur and mompreneur Facebook groups I was in, and majority of the women who responded recommended Shayna Hardy. I connected with her immediately and within days, Shayna and I had a photoshoot scheduled.

The results… my personal branding took off!

I was not at all prepared for how my @nattymangrum Instagram feed would take off! Shayna was so accommodating and efficient! She knew I wanted to take my influencer status to another level.  She was quick to give me what I needed, right when I needed it. Once I started posting the beautiful images from our session, everything changed. I was getting tons of direct messages, my followers were coming out of nowhere, and my likes increased by 50%!

The instagram engagement was a huge boost in confidence for me. It gave me the fire I needed to continue posting great content! Not only was it a motivating factor for me to take Instagram by storm, but others started taking notice of my content as well! I started working with local boutiques and national fitness franchises and began monetizing my influence. If you’re considering personal branding photos, but aren’t sure the investment is worth it – let me tell you, it absolutely is!”

Let’s take YOUR personal branding to the next level!  Check out the possibilities here and let’s start planning your session. 

Better yet, let’s set up a time to chat and brainstorm the stories you want to tell about your brand. Click here to connect and take your brand to the next level.  You can reach Shayna at 443-686.9569 or shayna@shaynahardy.com to get started.  No more FOMO, you are ready to catapult!