How Hiring A Photographer Can Grow Your Band

You want to save every last penny you can, I get it. There’s one question you should ask yourself though: are you in it for the long haul? If so, and if you’d like to start making some more money from your long term investment, it’s time to start treating your band like a business. If you’d like to succeed, you’ll need to look at what you can do to move forward as much as possible. If you have a website already and you’re out playing shows, it’s time to hire a photographer.

Photo by Mafer Benitez on Unsplash

Why Do I Need A Photographer?

There are so many reasons. For one, what is setting you apart from the other bands in the area? A visual aspect is one of the easiest things that can differentiate you. If you can portray a certain style consistently, it will become part of your brand and people will begin to associate you with this type of imagery.

Branding is a major aspect of business. The more you can lean in to certain things that define you and your image, the better someone can recognize you and relate to you. What this translates to is more people at your shows and more sales that can go into running your business!

Overall, professional photos of you will make people take you more seriously about what you do, whether consciously or subconsciously. They will see the extra effort you’re putting into your work, and respect you for it.

On top of all of that, it gives you more content to share to your fans; it will keep you relevant. If they haven’t heard or seen you in months, you’re as good as gone to them until you post again! Photos can show you’re still at it and taking it seriously.

But It’s So Expensive!

Some photographers are, sure. It’s all about how far you’re willing to take your craft. Those photographers are premium priced for a reason! They know what they are doing.

If they’re out of your budget, find another within your budget, that you like the work and style of. Ultimately you’re projecting their work as a reflection of you, so make sure you connect with their work!

In the end, it is an investment/some assets. They’ll work for you in the long run. They could be the difference between getting gigs and sales, and it scales the more of an audience you have! If you use one of their photos as an ad to promote your album, that’s a way you can generate sales. After so many sales, hiring the photographer actually made you money instead of losing some.

How To Use Photos To Your Advantage

Photos can be extremely powerful for you if you use them wisely. They can make you sales, build your brand, and get more eyes on your band. If you’re smart, you’ll cater to these exact purposes.

If you have an album coming out, get a nice cover photo done. The cover photo can drastically improve the chances of someone clicking on your music and listening. How likely are you to listen to something where the cover photo is literally just a solid color with comic sans text compared to a mind-blowing photo with a clear message?

More than just the cover photo, you can make separate ads based on those photos too to promote the album. If you’re smart, you’d have them all styled the same, all unified to one theme, the album theme.

Promoting shows is a good route too. If you take some photos at a venue and return to that venue, you can use those photos as promo material to show your audience what this next show will be like.

I think the best thing you can do with photos, is use them for your website. This is where you want to show off the most, and most likely where your sales will take place.

You’ll want to show that you take your craft seriously, and show that you’re actually out doing the things you say you’re doing. This is the ultimate place to host everything about you, so make it as attractive as possible!!

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Honestly, I think photos are a little underrated in the music space right now, and I think it’s because everyone wants to save as much money as possible. But, if you think of it as an investment, over time you’ll build your brand more and more and eventually it will start paying off in one way or another. How important do you think professional photos are in the local music scene? Is it worth the money for you? If not, when?

-Michael