Christina Gressianu Photographer

Portrait Photography Studio in Loveland, Colorado

business

How Personal Branding Boosts Your Business

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Whether you are starting your own business, looking to grow and maintain your own business, be a part of a business, or wanting to stand out in the business you’re currently in, personal branding in a positive and encouraging manner is always important. Successful personal branding ties your business together, so people can see how respectable you are. It helps people believe in you and what you do, so they feel good about handing you their credit cards.

What’s one of the first steps in promoting yourself in the best light possible? Photography of you—beautifully and professionally done photography that communicates what you want the world to know about you and your business.

One entrepreneur who brought on the Christina Gressianu Photographer team be a part of her successful business adventure is a lovely woman named Crystal.

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Crystal lives in Southern California with her dog Bruiser and boyfriend Dustin. Her hobbies include wine tasting (yum), and get this, her job! Crystal owns a social media education company where she and her team train independent retailers how to market online. Her business and her customers mean so much to her, and she wanted her potential customers to trust her from the very first glance at her website.

Many of Crystal’s clients get to know her and her business through online platforms. She knew having professional branding photos done would increase her personal connection with her clientele. Crystal uses the professional pictures on her websites, social media sites, speaker posters, speaker programs, banners for conferences, and printed flyers. When her visitors and followers noticed the new and improved photos, Crystal said she was, and still is, constantly getting compliments on her pictures. She believes people love her photos because she felt like herself during her portrait session with Christina Gressianu, and that authenticity shows through the photos. This gives me so much joy because that means people are seeing Crystal for the beautiful, successful, hard-working woman that she is.

Crystal believes her professional photographs were key to the success of branding herself within her business. I am SO glad I was able to be a part of her journey and I can’t wait to see how she grows in herself and in her business. Check Crystal out at www.SocialEdge.co

Want your own Personal Branding Session?? Click here: Personal Branding Session Info

View more photos from Crystal’s shoot below!

How much is the right headshot worth?

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When you need a service—a new dentist, hair stylist, veterinarian— how do you find a good one? The Right One? For me, I ask my friends first. An endorsement from a friend of mine is the best. But, what if you don’t have anyone to ask, like when I first moved to Fort Collins from New York? Well, then I just look around websites to find businesses I think I can trust. And I’ve noticed that I go by the photos. I picked a dermatologist just because I got a good feeling when I saw her picture on her website.

During the years that I worked in advertising, every real estate agent needed his or her photo on everything. Business cards, newspaper ads, brochures… everything. They all said that they simply get a better response when people can see their faces. And it’s not about looking a certain way or fitting into any definition of “attractive.” It’s about making a connection.

Ever notice that books have author photos in them? Why do you think that is?

And so how much do you think the right head shot is worth for your business? And since the name of the game is “connection,” then the right headshot is one where you look authentic, personable and approachable. The days of the stuffy studio portrait are over. This not to say that the right head shot can’t be done in a studio, but it certainly can’t be done the way a studio portrait comes to mind. It can’t be done like a 5th grade school photo. And it has to be current. A head shot is not authentic it doesn’t look like you today. Especially with this incredibly exciting explosion of social media. If you’re a fun person, and that’s why people should hire you to do whatever it is you, then your photo should feel fun. You should look like you’re having fun in that photo. But if you are uncomfortable in your photo, how do you think a Twitter or Facebook friend will relate? Or that new girl in town who’s looking for your service?

Head shots with me are a relaxed, fun experience. And these aren’t my words… After our session Dawn Todd (pictured above) said “Thank you, these look great!! thank you for making me feel so comfortable! it was painless and easy! ! ” And her photo reflects that. She’s had compliment after compliment on it. She loves it, she uses it on all her marketing materials, and it helps her business.

Viveka Von Rosen and Crystal Vilkaitis are Social Media Marketting Geniuses

I know it’s hard to evaluate a photo of yourself subjectively. And your friends will probably tell you your photo is great because they love you. So, for the rest of January, I’m offering free head shot evaluations. Email your photo to me at photo@christinagressianu.com, and I’ll tell you what it conveys, how it feels. Also tell me what your business is. Knowing if you’re a party planner, or an accountant helps me evaluate better. If after my evaluation, you schedule a head shot session with me, I’ll give you 20% off, just because I think every business owner should have great photos of themselves and their staff.

Dr. Towbin and Dr. Lefler, are both, well... doctors.

I want to help you make the connection.

Amy Walsh is a Family Therapist, and William Combs is a lawyer!