Blog Post | Oct 15, 2024
How Great Before-and-After Pictures Can Transform Your Marketing
Before-and-after pictures are a compelling way to document a transformation that would not have been possible without your product. Whether you're marketing health, beauty, and wellness products or home improvement services, here's why consumers love before-and-afters.
You know the saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words?" Consider the power of before-and-after images: two pictures that show a transformation that would not have been possible without a given product or service. Clear, strategically composed before-and-afters tell a story that inspires customers and motivates them to take action.
Why Consumers Love Before-and-After Pictures
There's not a lot of deep psychology as to why before-and-afters are such a powerful marketing tool. They can lend credibility to your claims and add social proof by demonstrating that others successfully use your product. Maybe there is just a little psychology to their effectiveness: before-and-afters invite customers into a story where they're the main characters and tell them, "It's OK, no matter where you're starting from, we can help take you where you need to be."
When you think about memorable before and after images, you may think about pictures that document a weight-loss transformation or the results of an aesthetic treatment, but these images can be highly effective for a range of industries, products and services, including:
Tips for Creating the Most Effective Images and Video
Because of their potential value to your marketing efforts, we recommend hiring a professional photographer to help arrange and capture your image or video. However, if you have access to a quality digital camera and accessories, you can probably create some of these images on your own. Before you start shooting, consider these tips:
Even if you shoot the photos yourself, having them professionally edited and color-corrected can make them appear more professional and vibrant. Our graphic designers also know all the tricks to what's known as 'batch editing,' so they can quickly and efficiently edit your photos.
Then, once your images look great, a graphic designer can optimize them for different mediums. For example, what might look great on your website probably won't work on a printed piece, and a professional will know how to make your images appear consistent across all tactics. To learn more, contact us today.
Why Consumers Love Before-and-After Pictures
There's not a lot of deep psychology as to why before-and-afters are such a powerful marketing tool. They can lend credibility to your claims and add social proof by demonstrating that others successfully use your product. Maybe there is just a little psychology to their effectiveness: before-and-afters invite customers into a story where they're the main characters and tell them, "It's OK, no matter where you're starting from, we can help take you where you need to be."
When you think about memorable before and after images, you may think about pictures that document a weight-loss transformation or the results of an aesthetic treatment, but these images can be highly effective for a range of industries, products and services, including:
- Beauty and grooming
- Personal training
- Health and wellness
- Home improvement
- Cleaning services
- Automotive detailing/bodywork
- Any type of repair or restoration service
Tips for Creating the Most Effective Images and Video
Because of their potential value to your marketing efforts, we recommend hiring a professional photographer to help arrange and capture your image or video. However, if you have access to a quality digital camera and accessories, you can probably create some of these images on your own. Before you start shooting, consider these tips:
- Plan ahead. - You'll need a compelling 'before' picture, so consider that before you start the work.
- Get permission. - Besides asking your client, you'll need signed releases if you're photographing or recording a person.
- Use good lighting. - The details are important, and well-lit photos also lend credibility.
- Keep the same composition in both images. - Another reason these images really 'wow' us and break through the clutter in our brains is that they almost appear magical, as if you've copied the original and then pasted a better version of the subject in the same place. Recreating the same photo, including where it's taken, the pose, and the perspective, will help. We can also create a branded photo backdrop that you can use for your images.
- Don't fake it - Light retouching to help the photos look bright, clear, and crisp is OK; using filters to exaggerate the achievements is not. Falsifying marketing photos is unethical and, depending on your industry, could be illegal.
Even if you shoot the photos yourself, having them professionally edited and color-corrected can make them appear more professional and vibrant. Our graphic designers also know all the tricks to what's known as 'batch editing,' so they can quickly and efficiently edit your photos.
Then, once your images look great, a graphic designer can optimize them for different mediums. For example, what might look great on your website probably won't work on a printed piece, and a professional will know how to make your images appear consistent across all tactics. To learn more, contact us today.