What to Do After Your Branding Photo Session

A Post-Session Guide for Small Business Owners in Vermont

​

You’ve invested in a branding photo session (woohoo!), you’ve got a gallery full of gorgeous, cohesive and authentic images that capture your personality, your purpose, and the heart of your business — but now what?

Whether you’re a yoga teacher in Burlington, a designer in Montpelier, or an outdoor hear company selling at Vermont craft fairs, your branding photos are more than just pretty pictures. They’re strategic business tools, they are assets — and when used right, they can help grow your visibility, confidence, and client base.

So here’s your ultimate post-branding-session checklist, filled with easy-to-follow steps, marketing ideas (so valuable), and ways to organize and protect your new brand visual assets.

​

Step 1: Download, Save and Backup Your Branding Photos

Before anything else, download your full gallery in both high-res and web-size versions (your photographer — hey, that’s me, Barbee! — should provide both).  You'll want high res for any print marketing materials you may need to provide for and use the web sized images for your site to not bog down loading times. 

Here’s how to keep them safe and accessible:

• ✅ Download to your computer or external hard drive

• ☁️ Upload to Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud, or any other cloud service storage you use (bonus: you can access them from anywhere!)

• 🖥️ Create and organize labeled folders like:

  • “Website”

  • “Social Media”

  • “Email Newsletters”

  • “Press Kit”

  • “Behind the Scenes / Lifestyle”

These are just a few ideas, but feel free to make categories that work for you!

Pro tip: Save your headshots separately in a folder called “PR/Press Headshots” — it’ll save you a scramble later when someone asks for a photo for a podcast or article feature!

Step 2: Let's Freshen Up Your Website

Branding photos are meant to be seen — and your website is priority number one!

Here are key pages to update with your brand new photos:

• Home page "hero" image — use a wide, eye-catching photo that communicates who you are (hint: video is AMAZING for this, too)

• "About Me/Us" page — include a warm, friendly portrait plus any behind-the-scenes or lifestyle shots that will make a dynamic impression

• Services/Offerings page — add photos that show you working, creating, working with clients, or engaging with your product/service

• Contact page — a smiling, confident portrait can help convert visits into potential clients.

Hot tip for SEO: Use descriptive file names like vermont-brand-photographer-barbee-creative-studio.jpg and alt text like "Portrait of woman-owned business owner in Vermont with laptop and coffee mug."

Step 3: Plan Your Social Media Content

Now comes the fun part! A branding session can give you months of content — if you use it strategically.

Content ideas using your branding photos:

• Meet the Artist/Owner post

• Day in the Life carousel (showcase workspace, tools, client work, snack time, your afternoon walk etc.)

• Before & After — your process or product transformation (people LOVE this!)

• Behind-the-scenes of your service in action (show your clients what your process is life) 

• Client testimonials with your photo next to them

• Quotes or tips overlaid on lifestyle images

• SO SO SO MUCH MORE!! Check out this article!

💡 Gen Z or younger audience? Try turning your photos into Reels or TikToks with trending sounds and behind-the-scenes edits (or set up a bts video while you're at work and include photos at the end of the reel).

Bonus tool: Use a scheduler like Later or Planoly to batch out your posts and build a cohesive feed with your new visuals. THIS IS A GAME CHANGER!

 Step 4: Updating Your Email Marketing + Signature

Whether you use Mailchimp, Flodesk, or ConvertKit, your subscribers want to see the real you. Add your new photos to:

• Your welcome sequence

• Newsletter headers

• Announcements or launches

• Email signature (add a headshot or lifestyle image with a tagline like “Branding by Owl’s Iris Photography”)

Even one small photo in your email signature helps reinforce your brand identity every time you hit send! Remeber, people LOVE to see your face! Feel free to mix them up!

 Step 5: Use Your Photos in Launches and Offers

Got a course coming? A new product line? A retreat or workshop?

This is where your branding photos can really shine:

• Create launch graphics for Instagram and Stories (importing to Canva and using their designs is super helpful)

• Adding banners and buttons on your website

• Pairing copy with photos for Facebook Ads or Pinterest pins (did you know Pinterest is HOT for marketing???!)

• Include photos in sales pages or lead magnets and free content

Want help designing templates for this? Ask your photographer (aka, me!) about add-ons or Canva templates to make it easier.

 Step 6: Be Ready for Press + PR Opportunities

If you’re growing your business visibility (and I hope you are), you’ll need photos for:

• Podcast guest interviews

• Speaking engagements

• Blog interviews or press features

• Business directories (like Vermont Womenpreneurs or Vermont Business Magazine)

Keep a few pro images on hand in a “Media Kit” folder so you can say YES to last-minute opportunities without stress.

 Step 7: Repurpose, Repurpose, Repurpose

Think you’ve used your photos enough? Think again! The beauty of branding photography is that it’s versatile.

Here’s how to stretch them even further:

• Crop a wide photo into a square for Instagram (get creative with this!)

• Turn your photos into a header image for a guide or PDF (hint: these can be used even when reusing and recycling your branded content)

• Use images on podcast covers, course slides, or Canva templates (you'll get enough images that you can keep this fresh) 

• Add them to invoices or onboarding documents for a polished and professional touch

• Update your LinkedIn banner and Facebook cover photo

You don’t need new photos every month — just smart, creative reuse! If you're not sure where to start, maybe get inspiration from other businesses that you admire- how are they strategically using branding images? 

Want Help Organizing or Using Your Photos?

If you’re not sure where to start, I offer post-session strategy calls where I’ll walk you through using your images, help brainstorm captions or ideas, and make sure your investment actually works for you.

As a Vermont-based branding photographer, I love helping women-owned businesses shine online with photography that feels real, confident, and powerful. You deserve to be seen — and I’m here to make sure you are.

Ready to Book Your Branding Session?

If you’re just dreaming about a session (or ready to refresh your old headshots), let’s talk!
 

You can inquire here or DM me on Instagram. I’d love to help you create visuals that tell your story — and guide you every step of the way after.