Worth a Thousand Words
Its been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Well in the world of Dance, this is especially true. Dance photography done well can capture the essence of the moment. The emotion of a dancers face. The technical grace of the execution. The elegance of movement. The combination of power and beauty. All of these things combined can convey more than just the aesthetics of an image. They convey feeling, passion, strength, and dedication. These are also all of the characteristics that a good dance studio provides its students.
A great dance photograph can help a studio craft a message or brand identity of what it is they do. In today’s digital age, it is just as important to convey the messages of a great dance photograph to as many possible, as it is to have a great dance photograph. Here are some of the areas that need to be considered and utilized to help your studio broadcast the message of just what it is you do.
Website
This would seem to be an obvious choice, however many studios don’t leverage this option to its fullest ability. You website is the digital representation of what it is your business does and more often that not, it is one of the first impressions of your business. Remember first impressions don’t get a second chance. Incorporate the right images throughout you website to help show what it is you can do for your customers. Also, don’t be afraid to have a an easy to navigate gallery of images that will help establish your business in your customers minds.
In the Studio
Again, possibly an obvious choice. The real difference with this is that too many times, studios get some stock images or posters and put them throughout the studio. If you have using stock images, then you are telling your customers that you are typical, stock studio. Incorporating pictures of what it is your studio and students can do, will help not only convey a message to your possible customers, it also can help convey the message to your current students of what they should aspire to be and that your studio can help them achieve that. Moreover, how the pictures are presented is also part of the message you are trying to convey. Sticking them up on the wall with tape conveys a totally different message than framing the pictures and hanging them on wall in strategic location. Also, don’t forget to change and update the images throughout your studio. This will also show that your studio isn’t standing still but is continually advancing and evolving to help its studios advance and evolve in the skills and in life.
Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Email, and other Social Media
We have so many tools at our fingertips to continually reinforce who and what we are as a business. Leveraging the possibilities of these tools is not a one and done type of process. You need to remember to not only just communicate in the social media world with words, but also with images as well. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words. As such, posting images that accurately depict your studio and what it can do for its students, on a regular basis will only help solidify what it is your business can do for people. Don’t be afraid to post the same images in multiple locations either. We don’t all interact online the same way and just as many people can find you on Facebook, as can find you on Twitter, as can find you on Flickr, as can find you on Email, as can find you on Newsletters, as can find you on etc… And there are lots of tools, literally at you fingertips, to help convey a message through images on to your clients, be sure to use them.
Yes print is not dead yet. It is still around and is a very powerful way to get a message out to an audience. If you are advertising upcoming events, programs, shows, etc.. be sure to incorporate Dance Photographs into your fliers, brochures, and other types of handouts. These are still a very cost effective and powerful way to convey a message with an image. There is impact in someone actually having physical contact with the image by holding that is different in engaging with the image on a screen. Don’t forget to leverage that impact to help send the correct message about your Dance Studio.
Dance Photographs not only help to highlight the positive aspects of what Dance is and can do, they can also help your studio help others realize those positive aspects as well. How are you using Dance Photographs to help your studio?