The Secret To Stand-Out Marketing Photography That Sets You Apart

Think you know a SchlickArt headshot? Here’s how we create stand-out marketing photography that’s as unique as you are. 

We all want our marketing photography to stand out and stop the scroll. 

That’s the goal, right? 

We create content so that the right people will notice our brand long enough to engage with it in a meaningful way. 

But how do you actually do that? 

How do you create content that looks different enough to grab people’s attention? 

Well, we have good news. There are a bunch of ways to make your images stand out from the crowd. 

And there’s one really great secret to doing that. 

But it’s not what you might think. 

The Secret To Stand-Out Marketing Photography

If you really want to create content that stands out, get specific. 

The more specific you can be about the elements of your photography and marketing, the more originality you can add to the process – and the more your content will stand out. 

When you know exactly what you need, it’s easier to create images that speak directly to that need and really say something. 

Otherwise we’re just creating content for the sake of creating content. 

How To Add Specificity To Your Marketing Photography 

To help you distinguish your brand in the content race, we’ve identified 5 places to add specificity to your marketing photography, so you can create content that rises above the rest. 

1. Use

One of the easiest ways to add specificity to your shoot is to know exactly how you’re using your images. The options are endless: website pages, social media platforms, book covers, billboards, online courses, landing pages, and more. We see clients come in for all different types of projects. But it gets a little tricky when you’re not sure about the purpose of your images. When you already know the exact uses, it helps us hone in on a specific look, size and even resolution that will set your images apart. 

Take Jami Rice and Melissa Moore for example. They knew they wanted to use their images to market their podcast, Lipstick and Lies, which tells the stories of lurid women in crime. Jami and Melissa chose red, black and gold as their branding colors for the podcast, and they knew they needed potential mages to use for their podcast cover image. That information set the tone from the get-go. Already, the deep red color and square-sized cover image gave us something specific to work with, and the result was absolutely stand-out. 

2. Audience / Message

Another excellent way to add specificity to your marketing photography is to consider your different audiences and create content that speaks directly to them. Most brands appeal to more than one audience. They have more than just one type of ideal client. Sometimes those ideal clients are different enough that they need content tailored to them. You may even have specific brand messages that you share to set yourself apart in these audiences. By creating content that speaks directly to your target clients, or tells the visual story of your core brand messages, you’re adding personality and intention that can make an image look different than every other standard smiling shot. 

Take speaker, author and educator Tressa Lacy for example. Not only did she define her various target audiences, but she also identified core messages that she wanted to visually illustrate to increase the power of the image when people are scrolling past. Her images symbolized the messages of her brand, and not only was it a beautiful shoot – but it was a meaningful one, too. 

3. Style 

There are many different styles of marketing photography that we can choose from. There’s contemporary portraiture, which gives you the traditional in-studio headshot look with a modern feel. We also have lifestyle photography, which captures that day-in-the-life look that’s common on social media. Then there’s also business marketing photography, which captures the culture of your office or work life with a professional yet approachable feel. While there are plenty more photography styles to choose from, we tend to focus on these styles for marketing purposes. But that doesn’t mean you can’t try other styles, blend them, or get creative within them. 

Take Vance Wealth for example. They use a variety of styles in their marketing photography. While they started with a more traditional style of headshot, we now shoot their team members’ headshots at the office, to create a more dynamic and branded look. But we wanted to create even more variety for them, so this year, we captured some headshots with a full team meeting in the background. The main subject of the photo, Founder John Vance, stands in the foreground, while the firm’s office culture is captured in the background. It takes the traditional headshot and puts in a business marketing setting, creating a style that is truly their own. 

4. Look 

While the style of photography tends to determine the big-picture aspects of the shoot, such as location and posing, the look of a shoot deals with some of the more subtle aspects, such as lighting, color correcting and retouching. Even wardrobe and expression can add to the overall tone or mood of a shoot. While we tend to approach shoots with a light and bright style that incorporates polished retouching, that doesn’t mean we shoot exclusively in this style. Depending on the mood and vision of your shoot, we can craft different looks for different purposes. 

Take Alex Farzan, Founder of Farzan Law, for example. Located on Wilshire Boulevard, his firm works on major cases and serves a high-end clientele. He needed marketing photography that captured the degree of sophistication and high-stakes legal work they’re accustomed to on a daily basis. That’s why we decided to create a more editorial-style look, which is often more artistic and conveys a specific emotion. We also made sure the LA city skyline was captured in his shots, to show the community he serves. These subtle differences may not be noticeable at first glance, but they all contribute toward the overall look – and story – you’re telling. 

5. Lifestyle 

All these different elements add up to convey the look and feel of a certain lifestyle. By adding elements of your personality, interests, hobbies, and personal style, you can capture more than a look – you can communicate a whole vibe. This is important in marketing because people buy for who they want to be, not who they are right now. We want to be healthy and fit, so we buy a new supplement or workout clothes. We purchase based on our aspirations for the future. That means, if we can capture the look of an aspirational lifestyle, then we also capture our audience. 

Take the KV Lagree studio in Porter Ranch, for example. The studio is stunningly decorated in neutral tones and modern finishes. The instructors wear monochromatic athleisure that showcases the camaraderie among the women. And the style of photography is mostly light, bright and lifestyle-based, to capture the uplifting atmosphere and energy when you walk into the studio. This is a place where you can go to be with people who will root for the best of you, and it’s obvious from the style of images they chose. 

If you’re looking to create the kind of imagery that stands out, we’re here to help you hone in on that perfect vision. The more personality you bring to a session, the more individuality we can bring to your images. Most importantly, your audience is more likely to connect with content that has more of you in it. So dive into the details, get specific about what you want, and don’t forget to phone a friend if you get stuck.

Marketing Photography in Santa Clarita

When it comes to marketing photography, our goal is simple: We want you to walk away feeling like you have the best headshots in Santa Clarita. That’s why we’ve designed a line of Marketing Photography Sessions that are custom-made to make you happy. How do we do that? Simple. We pay attention to you, your needs and your business. We take the time to create a photography experience – we don’t just point, shoot and send you on your way. We bring our visual marketing background to every session, to help you make smart choices in wardrobe, appearance, posing and expression.

Visual Marketing Education 

At SchlickArt, we know your marketing visuals are only effective if you actually use them. That’s why we help you create powerful photography and video – and then we teach you how to share it. With each session, we’ll give you our best tips based on your specific marketing goals. We provide the education and resources you need to brand your content, integrate it into your marketing strategy, post it with intention, and maximize engagement along the way. 

If you want even more tips and resources, we have an educational blog, newsletter and video channel to help you dive deeper, as well as professional presentations, workshops, and coaching sessions if you’re ready to take action and level-up your marketing now.

About SchlickArt 

SchlickArt, a boutique photo and video studio in Santa Clarita, started in March 2012 with the simple idea that empowerment creates a kind of beauty and authenticity that shines through every camera lens. Built on a philosophy — rather than a product, service or person — SchlickArt has rapidly evolved, meeting professional portraiture, business photo and business video needs as diverse as the community we capture. It’s the desire to take care of you, the client, that drives us at SchlickArt.

Kirsten Quinn

A lover of strong coffee and yellowed pages, Kirsten Quinn-Smith is a professional content writer and owner of WordSmith Content Marketing here in Santa Clarita. She believes great content can forge a loyal, authentic and beneficial relationship between you and your audience – and grow your business. With each piece of writing, Kirsten's goal is to position you in the content spotlight through audience-centered, strategy-based writing that actually sounds like you. Why? Everyone has a story, and every story deserves to be heard.

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