It’s no hot take that lifestyle photography is great for any brand. But as internet brands and AI inundate our social feeds, it may now be more important than ever. And influencer culture has everything to do with it.

Sure, there’s absolutely a place for your gorgeously lit, hero-style studio photography of your product. It needs to stand alone to build brand recognition in some applications. But don’t keep your audience wondering if you’re legit.

The increase in social media marketing has made getting the word out there so much more accessible for startups and smaller brands without the biggest marketing budgets. But that can also leave consumers wondering just how real what you’re trying to sell is.

That’s where influencers took off! Instead of written reviews for a product, it’s just as easy to quickly find a TikTok of someone genuinely reviewing a product, while maintaining the element of humanity. The world is moving fast, but we still crave honest, human moments where we can get them. Especially if we’re being marketed to.

Because we have this filter for AI generated, overly photoshopped products all over the internet, a thoughtful solution to your social presence is simple. It’s humans. 

Now I’m not saying you need a million-dollar spokesperson or even hired models to promote what you’re selling. Something as simple as your product actually being used by a person is incredibly impactful. Just a hand, arm, out of focus torso in a photo with your product elevates its validity immediately. There are so many times we’ve been on set and once we’ve gotten all we need on one setup, we throw some hands in there to dip a chip, pour a can, simply move around the composition. Immediately the organized tension of the perfect product feels more real and inviting. A human person was interacting with it, so now our AI suspicious brains can confirm it’s at least real and in the world.

In addition to confirming the legitimacy of your brand, putting humans in your photography tells a bigger story. It shows authenticity, your values, your brand’s identity. This is everything! Your audience wants to feel like they know you as a brand. What you stand for, what drives you. Authentic visuals help build trust from your consumers and give them insight into your brand’s personality.

So the secret to authentic story telling that gains consumers trust? Believe it or not, it’s humans.