There are few things more attention-grabbing than a solid visual. Good pictures and graphics get people to stop and pay attention to what you have to say, whether it’s a blog post, a beer release, or an update.
Don’t believe us? Think of the last time you were scrolling through your newsfeed, flipping through a magazine, or walking down the street. Strong visuals make you stop and pay attention to the message.
So we’re not kidding when we say that taking good pictures is a must if you want to grab potential customers’ attention and ultimately convert that attention into sales.
If you’re finding yourself sitting at your desk, staring at the screen and thinking “yeah, that’s great, but how do I do that?” keep reading.
#1: CHECK YOUR LIGHTING
Lighting can seriously make or break a picture. If the photo is too dark or too bright, it can be hard to make out what’s going on. We recommend setting aside some time during the day to take pictures with natural light. When you use natural light though, you may want to go for the indirect lighting. If the sun is shining directly on your glass, it could look washed out.
#2: TAKE MULTIPLE PICTURES
We’ll admit it. We’re “those people” at the bar who take a picture, adjust slightly and then take the picture again. Sometimes we end up using one of the first pictures that we took, and sometimes we use the 30th (no, we’re not exaggerating), but either way, we have options to choose from. Taking multiple pictures lets us see how changes in lighting and positioning look, and often the first few pictures that we take really just help us adjust the setting moving forward.
#3: TRY PORTRAIT MODE
Portrait mode = life. Ok, now we’re exaggerating. But really, using portrait mode on your phone can often give your photo the look and feel of one taken with a professional camera. Take a picture using your phone’s normal mode, then try out portrait mode. You can even play around with portrait mode’s focal point to see how adjusting the focus changes your photo. We’re not going to tell you that portrait mode is always better, but we think you’ll be happy if you add it to your toolkit.
#4: TIDY UP THE BACKGROUND
You could spend a lot of time adjusting your picture to get your subject in the frame just right and the focus of the picture perfect, but it’ll all be for nothing if what’s behind it looks off. When you take your pictures, pay attention to what’s in the background. Are you promoting your Friday night happy hour? Then make sure people smiling and having fun drinking in your photos. Are you showcasing a particular product? Then you might want to have a clean background. Beware of random “floating limbs” that could awkwardly be cut off in the side of your picture.
#5: PREP YOUR PINTS
At the end of the day, you’re trying to sell drinks. So make sure they look good enough that people want to actually drink them. A half-full glass of beer with no head isn’t going to inspire thirst in the masses. So if you’re selling a beer, make sure the glass is full (unless you have a person in the picture drinking it) and there is head. Yes, that sometimes means that you have to get a spoon out and stir up the beer to create bubbles. This behind-the-scenes prep might hurt die hard beer fans, but it’s necessary to take pictures that sell.
#6: ADD PEOPLE
People stop scrolling to look at people. We’re not saying that a person has to be in every photo you take, but it definitely helps to see a smiling face every now and again. Putting people in your pictures helps your audience connect with your post. If you’re having a hard time getting people in your pictures, try doing an employee or customer spotlight.
#7: GET A SECOND OPINION – AND EVEN A THIRD
Seriously, a second set of eyes can really help – especially if you’ve just adjusted the picture for the millionth time. Sometimes a fresh point of view is exactly what your photo needs!
Honestly, everything you need to know about taking a good picture would be hard to fit into one book, let alone one blog. Start by playing around with these tips, and send us an email when you’re ready for take your photo game to the next level.