What do your photos say about your business?

There’s a local gastropub that I used to like going to. In case you’re not familiar with the term, a gastropub is a place that serves high-quality food (sometimes quite pricey) and a varied selection of alcoholic beverages, most notably creative cocktails and craft beer.

This local gastropub recently went through an ownership change. I could speculate that it was due to the impact of the pandemic, but I honestly don’t know why ownership was transferred. When it was run by the previous owners, I thought it was a bit expensive for the quality of the food and beverages available. But, I still went there occasionally for the people, the environment, and the beverage selection.

Since being sold, the new ownership appears to think that social media is the place to be to gain or retain patronage. I agree in concept, but in practice, I think they could use a bit of help. Take this photo, for example (faces manipulated to protect identities), which was used to promote the hiring of new kitchen staff who would be preparing your food:

Essentially, they began branding the establishment as a party place with singles nights, open mic nights for entertainment, and other activities they thought would bring in additional clients.

This next image comes from the social media post of another local restaurant that, while not branding itself as a gastropub, has strong recognition, enjoys a great food/beverage selection, and puts out a quality product.

Look at this picture. What does it convey to you about the individuals preparing your food? To me, it conveys quality, professionalism and consistency. Everyone is in a uniform and the lighting, as well as the overall professionalism of the photo, has an impact.

As a previous customer of the establishment featuring the new t-shirt clad chefs (I had no affiliation or relationship with the prior owners), their social media image does absolutely nothing to draw me back to their place, even if to belly up to the bar for a craft beer, which I’ve absolutely enjoyed doing there.

To me, these two images illustrate that how you present yourself on social media has a huge impact. The pictures you post truly matter, both in terms of technical quality and content. The nature of your posts also matters. How you are perceived definitely matters.

I’ve seen several other social media posts from this establishment recently, and they’ve not been very reassuring. They hired an employee dedicated to social media, but knowing what to post versus how to post to social media can make all the difference. Do not hesitate to use a professional marketing or photography service if possible.

I had always felt that without a serious change to their branding and social media efforts, this particular business would either sell again, have a huge shift in clientele, or fold within the next year. The parking lot has been empty the past few months and it certainly looks like the place is no longer open. I’ll definitely make a note to see what has happened a few months from now and update this post with any additional developments.

The bottom line is, always remember to keep the end in mind! Be aware of the quality of your imagery and don't hesitate to invest in those creative service providers who can give your business a professional look across your social media and advertising platforms. We're always here to help and guide you if you ever need such services for your business endeavors.