Personal Brand Photography with Steven de Cuba |Ep 39
In this episode Steven de Cuba talks about the benefits of having a personal brand photography session. He also shares tips on how to prepare for it!
Steven de Cuba, Business Strategist and Wedding & Brand Photographer, helps people build their personal brand on social media to stand out in a saturated market which attracts leads and converts sales.
“You have the opportunity to say ‘Despite not having all things figured out, I am still going to show up. And I’m going to show up for my dreams, I’m going to show up for my biggest mission, but most importantly I’m going to show up for my audience to serve them and let them know I can give the solution to their problem.”
-Steven de Cuba
Personal branding is what makes someone choose you over the competition. Making your brand feel personal can work well for solopreneurs as well as for larger companies. You can put a face on the company by sharing behind the scenes footage of how the product is made, highlighting employees as they talk about what they do, or showcasing a recurring message from the CEO.
Why Use Social Media?
It’s FREE!
It is growing - more than half the population is on social media and it continues to grow. More platforms are popping up all the time and anyone can learn how to use them to their advantage.
One thing to be careful of is to not attempt to sell, sell, sell on social media. It’s a place to build a relationship with your audience by creating content, being consistent with posting, starting conversations, and being responsive to questions and comments. The sales will follow.
Pay Attention to Three Factors on Social Media
Know - your audience must know that you exist and even better if they feel they know you personally.
Like - people buy from those they like.
Trust - most importantly, they must trust you.
It’s ok not to be perfect on social media, just be YOU! Try to move past any feelings of intimidation or fear and just get on there and figure it out as you go. As you start engaging with people, asking what they like, and looking at your metrics to see what is resonating, you’ll gain confidence in your online presence. Keep showing up and serving your audience and they’ll feel your authenticity.
Don’t wait until you feel “ready” because there’s never a perfect time. Courage precedes confidence and successful entrepreneurs have courage first before they feel the confidence of being ready. When you show up from a place of service, to help solve your audience’s problems, it really doesn’t matter if you’re ready or not.
Step-By-Step Guide for Your Personal Branding Photoshoot
People connect with people so it’s important to put a face with the name.
Define your goal - why are you doing a photoshoot? Is it for launching a new website? Your new podcast? A newsletter? Launching a course?
Create a list of where you’ll use the photos - this will help you determine what size and shape photos you’ll need.
Create a Mood Board - you can use Pinterest to create a board (private or not) to share with your photographer to let them know what you want, what you like, what you’re feeling, where you’re heading, etc. It also gives you ideas for photos.
Create a ‘Must Have’ photo list - with your goal in mind, create a list of ‘must haves’ for your photos. You can also create a Bonus list for extra photos.
Choose props - coffee cup, pet, trees...whatever sets the tone for your message.
Location - choose the location for the shoot before choosing your outfit.
Outfit - your outfit needs to fit your location. No high heels on the beach! Stay away from neon colors and a lot of patterns to keep attention on you and not the outfit.
How to Feel Confident in Front of the Camera
Feeling confident starts with having a great plan (7 step guide above).
It’s also important to have a great relationship with your photographer to put yourself at ease and connect with them. Your relationship starts by following them on Instagram, diving into their website, following their work wherever you can, and possibly booking a video call to discuss your shoot and get a feel for if you all are a good fit.
Remember courage precedes confidence. Go forward with the photoshoot and you can make changes and improvements during the next photoshoot!
“Let’s build a relationship with our audience online and that is going to make the difference. And how do you build a relationship with your audience? You show up, you create content, you show up again and again and again, you create relationships, you start conversations, you reach out. That, that is it.
-Steven de Cuba
Steven’s Three Favorite Tools
Use your own cell phone - you don’t need to start out with fancy, expensive equipment to create videos for IGTV or promo ads for a course launch.
Lightroom mobile app - a free mobile phone tool to edit photos available for iPhone and Android.
Connect with Steven
StevendeCuba.com
instagram.com/stevendecuba
FREE step-by-step personal branding photography guide https://www.stevendecuba.com/personalbranding/
Steven de Cuba Presets for Lightroom https://www.stevendecuba.com/freepresets
HOLA, I’M YESENIA!
I’m passionate about helping coaches, educators, and creative entrepreneurs how to launch and grow a profitable, and purpose-driven brand online through podcasting and content creation.
