Branding and images. In my series on How To Succeed Online I talk a lot about branding and how it is an important part of your online image. After all, you need to be easily identifiable to your readers and to potential brands who want you to represent them. Think about the best commercials you’ve ever seen. They always elicit powerful feelings in us, as well as having a component that we can identify with.

Although what you say in a post is vital, what you show is just as important. We are inherently visual and first impressions matter.  Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Snapchat and even Twitter (to a degree) are all visual mediums. Think about it, you follow people based largely on the images they post.  Your images should tell a story without you needing to say a word. They should tie in nicely with your brand without being overly promotional and in fact, they should add value to your reader.

Now, I understand that we aren’t all professional photographers and that’s okay because you can put your own stamp on your images, whether it’s quirky and cute or sleek and elegant. You have a voice and you can show it off.  The key, really, is to make it consistent so that your community knows what to expect.  The good news is that there are lots of free and very inexpensive tools on the market for those of us who aren’t quite at the Photoshop level. One of my favourite photo editing tools is PicMonkey and for image composition, I’m a big fan of Canva.

BRANDING AND IMAGES

Recently I was asked to put together a post for International Fashion Bloggers (IFB) about my experience using Canva which you can read here.

Of course, images are only a small part of your branding but they are a great place to start!

What are some of your favourite tools for taking your images to the next level?

For more great images don’t forget to follow me on INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST

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All images courtesy of DollarPhotoClub.