Who wants old or out-of-date photos representing their brand?  No one, that’s who!

How about instead, you regularly update your images and keep your audience engaged?

Images are such an incredible tool for connecting us to our audience, for creating an impression and sending a message about who we are.  Therefore, it is SO important to get them right.  But – it’s just as essential to update them regularly or we risk our audience ‘switching off’. If we don’t give them something new and of interest, they will move onto the next piece of content quickly.

Five reasons to update your images

Having a beautiful batch of new, unique images will keep you on trend and feeling fresh, but there are more benefits than just looking cool. Here are 5 reasons why you should consider regularly updating your images:

1. Brands evolve just as people do,

It’s important for our images to keep up with our brand.  Just as we evolve and change over the years, so too do our businesses.  It’s natural.  Maybe your business has changed direction, your packages may have changed, or you’ve adjusted the way you want to position yourself in the market. Your values, where you live, how you work and what you wear could be completely different from what they were a year or more ago.

As things change, make sure your visuals are still aligned with your business; take your audience with you on your journey and let them know what’s happening.  Show them that you are adapting, changing, growing. As your trusted followers that already know, like and trust you, they’re in for the long haul and will stay around for the ride.  And if they’re not?  Well, then you’re doing them a favour by letting them know you’re no longer the right person for them.

2. New images show your audience that you are staying relevant

Just because you LOVE that shoot from years ago isn’t enough of a reason to avoid updating your images.  New images are proof that you are still around and doing things – hustlin’ and making things happen! How is your audience going to know you are out there creating change if you don’t show them? Continue to cycle through the same old images you captured a few years ago, and your audience is going to think you’re still doing the same old things.

It’s also smart to keep up with the latest industry trends – whether it’s fashion, locations or image styling, you can also show you’re relevant by updating your brand images in line with changes in the world around you.

3. You don’t want to shock people when they meet you

We change our look as we get older – your hair may be longer, shorter, or a different colour.  Or let’s be honest, our bodies change as we get older too.  Whether it’s a few extra pounds or some extra lines around our face, they’re things that we often don’t love about ourselves. I know people avoid updating their images because they want to look how they did when they were younger, but our audience aren’t looking at those things – they just want to see the real you! They want to see someone they can relate to, someone just like them.

To gain people’s trust and to show up in an authentic way, you need to show up as ‘you’ now – not as you looked 5 or 10 years ago, no matter how much you rocked that hair cut back then or what size jeans you could fit into.  If people’s expectations of what you look like aren’t met when they meet you, they’ll get confused and lose trust.  Don’t risk that happening.

4. It keeps you memorable in the minds of your audience

The more we show up, the more our audience remembers us. And if we can show up consistently, in a way that excites and interests our viewers, then we can increase the ‘know, like and trust’ factor that’s so important in branding.  Keep doing this and you’ll start to become memorable, particularly if your images all have a cohesive look and feel that matches your particular brand style.

And let’s not forget, when you have some shiny new images to share, it’s SO much easier to post images of yourself online and capture people’s attention.

5. It’s boring to use the same images over and over again

Not only boring for you, but for your audience as well. They will get tired and switch off if there is nothing interesting or new to look at.

On one of my recent shoots my client mentioned that her audience loves it when she has a photo shoot – they want to see the lead up, what she’s wearing, where it takes place, sneak peeks on the day.  So she shares it all with them.

Take your audience with you! People love seeing behind the scenes in your business.  Let them in on any nerves you might be feeling, what you’re doing to prep, what you’re going to wear and how much fun you’re having on the day (because yes, shoots are fun).  And don’t just do it with photoshoots – sharing behind the scenes in different areas of your life will make your audience feel closer to you, and help build an even stronger connection.

There are so many exciting things you can share through your images, and exciting ways you can use them.  Visuals are one of the best marketing tools we can use to grab attention and send people a message – don’t miss those opportunities because you waited too long to update your images.

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Need some fresh, updated images tailored to your brand?

Get in touch and let’s chat about how we can create some stunning new images that will engage and inspire your audience.

If you’d love to build a powerful brand, show up more consistently online and build a successful business doing what you love, check out my monthly membership where I’m also helping women do just that.

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