Look at the pictures on your website, brochures and all of your materials. What are they saying about you? Let me take the voice of the general public when I answer these questions. Strangers and your friends won’t tell you the truth, they are too nice. I will tell you straight up because I do care about you. Every year, since 2001, I have had the pleasure of being around a unique bunch of people who love to people. Don’t get me wrong, I like earthlings too, but the balloon twister group really goes out of their way to dazzle and engage strangers walking by. In the jam room, you will find folks studying, researching testing different balloon designs from 9am to 5am. Crazy. This kind of dedication to your craft is not showing through your pictures or through your brand. Your pictures, don’t look like you care. You are too talented to lose all this money and respect by looking like an amateur.
Here is the truth about what I have seen on many entertainer sites and what people will think. I could go out to many sites and give you examples, but I don’t think that will be necessary.
Old and scanned pictures – You have been doing this forever and you are old. You won’t get our audience. Did you know we have digital cameras now? Wow, you can’t afford a digital camera or do you electronics confuse you? When was your last audience? Do you see big feathered hair? Mullets? Tails? You haven’t had an event since 1980’s.
Pixilated or blurry pictures – You can’t afford a good camera or you can’t afford a photographer. Or maybe you don’t have enough rapport with your audience for them to take a picture for you.
Weird size or dark picture a picture that should be cropped – You don’t know anything about computers, you can’t even crop a picture. You must be old or not afford modern software.
Pictures of strange people or odd expressions – You aren’t mainstream. Our people won’t be able to relate to you. Where did you find these people? What were you doing with these people provoke that odd expression?
Stock photography – You don’t have your own photos, you must be new. We want an expert not a newby. Your probably not good because you are not willing to share your photos.
Here are examples of great picture usage.
Action Items:
- Evaluate your pictures and get fresh eyes to look at them
- Make sure you pictures are clear
- Edit the pictures
- Use the pictures of your target market audience
- Show pictures of your interacting with the crowd
- Show the you at the different events you want to be at
Get your pictures to brag about you. “Maximize your Return On Image.”
I noticed to often that entertainers photos start to focus to much on their work, and not the audience. Consider if your a performer, an audience reaction is 100 great in sale presentation then seeing a picture of the entertainer. Selection of the right image helps sell the story, which in this case is the entertainer. I personally feel that if one used to many promotional pictures in their website, their whole balance is offset, buy the introduction of a real photograph. You have 27 studio photos and 3 live action shot at a major event and the 3 major event shots look out of place. Just the background, angle, and style is totally different than the stage pictures. I think you need to have a balance of both to have a successful website