Turn your pictures into ads

     You take a zillion pictures with your new technological marvels. But how many times have you used your pictures to promote your business?
     Time was, you had to hire a professional photographer to take pictures for your business promotions. Those days are gone.

     Today, professional photographers still stand ready to serve. They take pictures meeting high standards of quality--weddings, events and product photography are examples.

     But using pictures to promote your business on social media is a different world. Viewers see your pictures for a few seconds. Pictures remind people who you are. The pictures build your brand. And they get passed around to friends.

     Healthcare -- Yolinda is a certified acupuncturist. She opened her place and attracted a growing stream of clients, but she knew she could do more. To promote, she decided to set aside a room devoted to community acupuncture. People could walk in, no appointment necessary, spend 20 minutes in a quiet, darkened room and relax. It served as an introduction to acupuncture. She posted close-up pictures (no faces) of her work on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram two or three times each week. More curious clients showed up--including healthcare professionals eager to learn more about acupuncture.

     Construction -- Mike is a small contractor specializing in creatively designed decks and porches. To promote, Mike takes pictures of jobs in progress and he posts them on social media. His multi-level decks attract lots of attention, and the close-ups of details of his work clearly show his expertise as a carpenter. Recently, he posted pictures of a tree house he built for neighborhood kids. These pictures led to several new projects.

     Interiors -- Susan is an interior decorator specializing in window treatments. She, too, takes pictures of all projects underway and posts on social media. Pictures of her drapery arrangements have created quite a buzz. Drapery materials, pleats and hangings are shown in her pictures. But nothing attracted more attention than a picture she posted showing open drapes with a cat curled up on the windowsill. Pets can be used to promote any business--work them into any picture you take and watch the results. 

     You are missing opportunities to promote your small business if you don't post pictures on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and others. Just keep taking those pictures.