Pennie Withers, Photographer at Photos by Pennie, writes the latest guest article for Taylor Alden.
I have come across many businesses that organise events – whether that’s to launch their business, celebrate a big milestone or just give their employees a chance to let their hair down. A huge amount of time is spent organising these events – making plans, setting up centrepieces and trying to ensure that everything is just perfect.
However, what always amazes me, is how all this time and money is spent planning only to end up having no evidence of the event afterwards!
My one big piece of advice if you are organising an event is… Be sure to capture the elements that reflect the time spent creating this great experience for your guests! Most people don’t realise that these photos can be used to market your business.
In our now visual world, many people don’t engage with marketing without photos. Whether that’s scrolling through Facebook pages or opening a magazine, if you do not include photos or your photos are not eye catching, the impact is lost! So, make the most of this and have a photographer at your next event. Here are some tips on where you can use these photos to market your business:
Where to use your event photos:
Use this content on social media platforms after your event as a recap for your guests and for those that did not attend. A great photo could make someone wish they had attended the event and look for next year’s save the date.
Tag people who came to your event on social media – this creates a buzz and plenty of comments.
Use the photos in press coverage in industry media or social pages
Whether you are writing a blog about the event or a marketing piece, any photos you have paid for during the event, are up to you to use! The worst thing is to write a blog and then realize you don’t have any photos to put in it.
If it is a yearly event, you can use photos from the previous year for next year’s invitation
On your website, you may have a ‘about us’ section or a page or your company culture – use photos from your events to show potential new recruits or clients what kind of company you are.
If you have a key note speaker – tag them in any posts with their photo – get exposure to their followers too!
Who to use?
Probably one of the most important things to note, however, when it comes to event photography is to hire a professional.
It’s always tempting to save the budget and ask the marketing graduate or someone who has a smart camera, but often events have extremely tricky lighting and so it is really important to hire someone who knows what they are doing.