Steps of Planning Your Branding Session - Cheryl Jackson Photography

The Steps of Planning Your Branding Session

wide angle shot of a young black girl wearing a red top and jeans sitting on a couch in a coffee shop looking to the side with a coffee table and chairs around her

So now that you’ve decided you’re ready for a branding session, you probably want to know what you should expect in the planning process. What are the steps to plan a personal branding session?

This blog will give you a general overview of the planning timeline and workflow of my personal branding sessions. It will also help you understand the important part you play in the process! Your commitment and effort will make all the difference in getting the images you need for your brand. The more you are willing to put into the process, the more successful it’s going to be! So let’s dive in.

CHERYL JACKSON PHOTOGRAPHY | OKLAHOMA CITY PERSONAL BRANDING PHOTOGRAPHER

Timeline from inquiry to photo session is 2-3 months

This means you shouldn’t plan it last minute and expect to rush it. A solid, successful branding session takes time. You are investing your resources in these photos and you want to make the most of that. Go big or go home, right? So when you reach out to a branding photographer, be ready to take the time necessary to do it right. And if you want to use your new branding photos for a specific product or launch with a deadline, think ahead and schedule your session accordingly.

The Pre-Shoot Questionnaire

Once you’ve signed the contract, you will immediately receive two things from me. One is a Branding Client Experience Guide that will answer some FAQs and give you tips on planning.

The second is a Pre-Shoot Questionnaire. Before you roll your eyes at me because this sounds like homework, hear me out. Yes, it will require a little work on your part. But it is essential in making sure I can give you the authentic, creative photos you need for your business.

So what’s in this thing? It’s a deep dive into you and your brand. I ask questions about your ideal client, your business structure, products and services, unique facets of your marketing and what your specific needs are from the session. It gives me vital info to do research and craft storylines for your brand so I can create authentic images with depth.

Bonus: once you put these things into words for me, you will come away with some excellent marketing text to use in captions, blogs, etc. See, totally worth it!

The Pre-Shoot Call

About 3 weeks before your session, we will have a video conference call. This call is important! During it, I will fill you in on the ideas I have for the photos based on my research and brainstorming. We will go over other information specific to the shoot and I will answer any questions you have. I will also be asking for you to send me pictures of the outfits you’ve chosen within the next week or so. This allows me to start matching outfits with specific pictures before the session day.

Final Info + Session Day

A week before your session, I will send you a final info email with reminders for you, a packing list of props, exact timeline of the session and more. Then we will have our amazing branding session!

Previews + Gallery Delivery

I will start working on your images right away. Within five business days, you will receive 10 fully edited preview images to start using immediately in your marketing! Then I will deliver your full gallery of images within 3 weeks of the session date.

One more thing…

Even though the session is over, an awesome thing you can do as a client is to give me some honest feedback about your experience. I will email you a feedback form after gallery delivery. I really want to hear how your client experience was so I can make sure you are fully satisfied with it. Plus you can tell me if there’s anything that could be better from your perspective. Your doing that is so valuable and appreciated!

And that’s the way a personal branding session goes with me! I hope you found this information helpful as you plan for yours.