#14: How Authenticity Sells Your Brand

If you’ve ever made a purchase because of a social media post, then you know first hand how good photography can help increase sales and find ideal shoppers. Lifestyle photography in particular is attracting shoppers, partly due to the rise of social media influencers who deliver organic content, and ads, through lifestyle photography that their audience actually wants to see. Apex Drop founder and CEO, Zak Stahlsmith explained this shift in preferring ads from influencers over ads from companies. “Influencers are a trusted space where people are listening and they trust their opinions. And brands are having such a hard time breaking into that trust, that they are now asking influencers to help them,” Stahlsmith said. He noted there's been a massive shift in the marketing space towards these real and authentic people talking about products and services in a way that's more easily receptive to customers. In other words, their ads don’t feel like ads. Brands who are looking to take advantage of the benefits of lifestyle photography, as influencers do, can pick up a few tips. Stahlsmith recommends the following best practices for nailing the shot in an authentic way. 1. Use your first, ideally candid, shot. “If you want something that's engaging, try not to polish it at all try and make it that first shot,” Stahlsmith said. 2. Skip the filters, including ones that whiten teeth or enhance beauty features like freckles. If you are going to use filters, he suggests not using the standard plug in filters. 3. Photos taken in motion translate to a more real feeling for audiences and help the shot avoid looking staged.