Visual Storytelling for Herbalists
If you missed Hannah’s presentation at the Herbal Entrepreneur Conference this year, you can check out the written version of her talk, “Visual Storytelling for Herbalists” here!
Say you have a flourishing herbal business, or you decided you want to take the dive in the future - But regarding photos, you’re not sure where to start, or the images you’ve been using have lost their luster. In this post, we’ll discuss the concept of visual storytelling, its benefits, and how it can help your botanically inspired brand grow.
What is Visual Storytelling?
At its core, visual storytelling is a highly-effective form of communication that uses photography and videography as the two main tools.
In a world where information is quickly coming at us from all angles, photos and videos break up the noise and trigger a different response in our brains.
Studies show that the human brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text, and 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual.
Besides its significant biological impact, visual storytelling is an essential marketing tool for herbal entrepreneurs. Professional, genuine photography can:
Share a memorable message
Communicate who you are and what you value
Create context for your brand or service
So imagery holds much power, but how do we use visuals to create a story? Let’s unpack the structure of a good story and discuss how it relates to your herbal business.
Elements of a Good Story
Visual storytelling takes the elements of a good story and applies them to your brand so that it’s easier for your dream clients/customers to relate.
When we think of our favorite books and novels, we see a common trend throughout. The hero (your client) has a problem. They go on a journey to find a solution. They find your brand, they’re impressed, so they decide to give it a try. Your product/service solves their problem, and they live happily ever after.
How can you represent each of these stages with your brand photos?
The Hero
Every good story starts with a hero. In this case, the hero is your target customer or client. Identifying your hero is crucial in the early stages of creating a business. Who is your demographic, and what are their passions and interests?
Creating eye-catching visuals that show your hero can pique the interest of other like-minded heroes! For example: If your brand is doing a course called Foraging for Therapeutic Herbs, creating a stunning visual of an herbalist collecting herbal florets will intrigue, inspire, and paint a picture for the hero’s imagination to run free.
When it comes to visually representing your brand, inclusivity is vital. You want your photos to embody the core values of your business, so we recommend expressing your commitment to equality by showing heroes that represent a wide variety of races, ages, body types, religions, sexes, and gender identities. At HCC, we hold a deep dedication to equality and are grateful to have our incredible and diverse team of photography models who come from numerous backgrounds and represent various skin and body types. All are welcome at the content cottage!
Also, keep in mind your hero’s style. Is your target audience pretty earthy and creative, do they wear natural fibers and have tattoos? Show heroes that embody that vibe.
The Problem + Journey
The beloved hero always seems to run into a problem. Cinderella is stuck at home with her evil step sisters who are making her sweep the chimney, or Peter Rabbit gets caught eating Farmer Brown’s vegetables. Portraying problems through brand photography creates connection and makes the hero feel they can relate.
What problem(s) does your product or service solve? Once you have an answer, find ways to represent that problem visually.
For instance, consider your hero (your target audience) struggles to get quality sleep. Using a photo that depicts tired body language, such as rubbing the eyes, putting the head down on a table, or yawning, will make the hero feel understood and on the right track.
“Before and after” pictures are the perfect example of this visual type, as they clearly show the problem, but they immediately follow up with a shining example of the results. This will encourage the hero to investigate your brand further.
Finding Your Brand
The hero has been searching for a solution, and they stumble upon your brand! In our fairy tale example, this would be when Cinderella’s godperson magically shows up with a genius plan - and a bit of magic.
When helping clients find your brand visually, we keep three main marketing concepts in mind: Know, Like, Trust.
Know: First and foremost, the hero has to know of your brand. If the hero is searching for products that can help them ease occasional anxiety, perhaps they come across your tincture labeled “anxiety soother.” The hero knows they need a good night's rest, so this could be the ticket to their success! Sharing photos that represent your products and services, including images that clearly show your brand labels, logos, and other identifying features, will help the hero “know you.”
The time-tested Marketing “Rule of 7 states that it takes an average of seven interactions with your brand before a prospect will decide to take action.”
This is why you need to show up consistently via social media, newsletters, and other platforms. Just because your hero identifies your brand or service once, doesn’t mean they’re going to take the plunge right away.
Like: We buy products and services from brands we like. We like people (and companies) that we have a lot in common with and that share the same values we do. So how do you represent that visually?
If one of your brand’s values is that you support ethical wildcrafting, then you could show a photo of someone foraging.
If one of your values is that you support the use of biodegradable packing materials, then you could show one of your team members packing up an order.
If your brand supports land conservation, then show photos of people enjoying time outdoors.
The more your hero has in common with your brand, the more likely they are to like you - and buy from you! Ask yourself, what are my brand’s top values, and how can I represent them visually?
Trust: And finally, consumers invest their hard-earned money in brands that they trust.
To visually represent trust, you can show yourself in your element - offering a service or product in a professional setting. This shows that you’re a professional and you know what you’re doing. You can also share photos of your degrees, diplomas, or herbal reference books, all of which are items that show you’ve invested in your herbal education.
Testimonials are a wonderful way to establish trust in your brand, but they can be a bit tricky to represent visually. You could consider sharing a photo of a happy client, or you can create a graphic that displays a testimonial in text form. (We love using Canva for this!)
Trying your Offer
We’ve come to the part in the story where the hero tries your offer. You (the fairy godperson) already impressed Cinderella by showing up in a magical cloud of fairy dust. She knows you, she likes you, she trusts you, and she’s pretty dang sure that you can solve her problem. At this point, she’s riding in your pumpkin carriage and hoping that you deliver on your promise.
With capturing herbal photography for our clients, we often represent this part of the journey in three different ways.
Trying the Product or Service
At this stage in the journey, it’s helpful to show your hero actually trying your product or service so that your target audience can imagine themselves doing the same thing. For example, with herbal skincare products, you could show your hero applying your cream or serum to show what it looks like and how it absorbs into the skin.
If you’re a clinical herbalist, you could show a photo of your hero in your office participating in a consultation.
Engaging with Your Information
Perhaps your herbal business offers information in the form of a book, course, or podcast. This falls under the information category, as you’ll be visually depicting the information the hero will gather from your product or service. We love the example of Herbal Academy’s Flower Pressing for Herbalists workshop. The stunning picture of an herbalist pressing comfrey leaves prompts our brains to say, “Oh, that’s exactly what I want to learn. I want to be in her shoes!”
Making a Recipe
Showing a beautiful recipe is one of our favorite ways to encourage interest and convert potential heroes into loyal customers and clients. This is especially true if you include one of your brand’s products in the recipe! When the hero needs an herbal recipe in the future, they’ll know precisely where to find one - and how to make it.
We often develop recipes for our clients to help show new and original ways to use their products. For example, an herbal tea blend can be used to make a simple syrup for cocktails and mocktails!
The Solution
The last stage of the journey is that the hero finds success with your product or service, and their problem is solved! We want to show the hero feeling happy, healthy, and empowered. If the hero was looking for a good night's rest, show someone sleeping soundly with the tincture bottle on their bedside table. Or perhaps you offer a course on gardening - share an inspiring photo of someone confidently growing their own herbs.
Because the hero found your product or service, their problem is solved, and their story will end happily ever after.
Ask yourself: If your target audience were living their absolute best life, what would they be doing? Take that answer, and show it visually!
In Closing,
Visual storytelling is an eye-catching and effective marketing tool that can significantly alter a customer or client’s perspective of your brand. Through high-quality, intentional photography, you can create a story that highlights the glowing essence and mission of your herbal business and supports the process of building a more extensive loyal customer base.
Want to go all in with custom photos that tell your brand’s story? Book a free discovery call with our Founder and Creative Director, Hannah, to discuss your brand’s goals!
