If you think celebrities are the only people getting constantly caught on film by roving bands of photographers, we’ve got news for you. Everyone’s an amateur documentarian these days, and that means anywhere where there’s a smartphone, there is likely to be a record of what went on there– including plenty of pictures.
That’s why it’s important to have a camera-ready store. If your small business deals with retail sales in any way, you already know that each store is a little slice of your brand that customers get to experience in person. Here are a few good reasons to make sure you try to win the prize for most photogenic.
Visual Social Media is on the Rise
If you thought expressing yourself in 140 characters or less was tough, try summing up your brand in just one image. That’s exactly the kind of thinking that big brands are trying to wrap their heads around as visual social media has saturated the web. With user-generated photography playing a big part in the rise of visual media on social network, your store is more than likely to become the backdrop for lots of moments, so make sure it’s ready to steal the spotlight at every chance.
Yelpers and Reviewers are Everywhere
“Everyone’s a critic,” the saying goes, and that’s especially true now that users have platforms like Yelp at the tip of their fingers. Applications like Yelp, which roundup reviews from everyday customers, are also visually driven. Many reviewers will take pictures of your store. Don’t let a disgruntled patron who complains about cleanliness have a heydey by also giving them the perfect photo-op to backup their criticism!
Build Your Brand
Thinking about the visual impact your store makes is a great opportunity to think about your identity. What kind of impression are you trying to make on customers? What are the best design choices that communicate those ideas effectively? Changes you make in order to be more photo-ready–like improving your lighting, updating frumpy decor or adding a fresh coat of paint–are changes that reflect well on you no matter how customers are interacting with you.
Do you think your store is camera-ready? Walk around and look at things through the lens of your smartphone or digital camera. Something may look great when you’re up close and personal, but lose its charm once you see it on a screen, so take a shot at playing paparazzi for a bit and see what you discover.
