Visual storytelling
implementation Guide
Implementing a strategic visual storytelling approach isn’t about dumping photos everywhere—it’s about intentionally placing them where they will have the most impact.
Whether you've recently invested in professional photos, looking to better implement your existing library, or a combination of the two, this checklist is your guide to strategically integrating visuals across every facet of your online and offline presence.
It’s time to eliminate stock photography and replace it with genuine images that reinforce your credibility, amplify your expertise, and position you as a relevant, go-to authority in your space. Your photos need to prove what you say is true and show your audience that you've not only done it before, but that you’ve done it exceptionally well and over-delivered every step of the way.
Implementing your photos across multiple online and offline touchpoints can feel overwhelming, but the key is to take it one step at a time. Think of this process as an evolution, not a snap-your-fingers, and-it’s-done transformation. With a clear roadmap and the right strategy, your visuals will become a powerful tool that drives engagement, builds relationships, and helps you achieve your business goals.
This checklist is divided into distinct phases, each designed to take you through a logical and achievable progression. Let’s dive in and build a visual presence that works as hard as you do.
Speaker/Media/Pr Kit Photos
Your speaker, media, and PR kit photos are the foundation of your online presence. These images will be used everywhere—on your website, social media profiles, speaker kits, and promotional materials. That’s why it’s crucial to select photos that are up-to-date, high-quality, and truly represent who you are. They should capture your personality, your confidence, and the way you want your audience to perceive you.
These images aren’t just for vanity—they’re strategic assets that set the tone for how potential clients and event organizers see you. They tell the story of you at first glance, making it easier for others to say “yes” to working with you.
Where Photos Are Needed:
Speaker/Media/PR Kit:
Tightly cropped headshots - 2-3 total
Wider portraits - 2-3 total
Vertically cropped portraits - 1-2 total
Action shots - keynotes, panels, workshops, etc. - 5-10 total
Once you’ve selected these foundational images for your kit, leverage them to fulfill specific needs in other areas across your online presence:
Social Media Profiles:
LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, YouTube, TikTok
Profile photos, banner images, featured section visuals
Professional/Trade Website Listings:
Industry association profiles
Speaking directories and bureaus
Online coaching and training platforms
Contributor bios on media websites and blogs
Professional memberships and certifications listings
Key Points to Keep in Mind:
Ensure every professional platform reflects a consistent, polished, and intentional presence
Make these photos easily accessible for download for media, event organizers, and partners
Select a variety of images that represent different aspects of your personality, wearingdifferent outfits, and photographed in different locations
For banner image selection, select candid event images that best reflect the type of work you want to attract—whether it’s speaking, coaching, or consulting.
Utilize images that contain negative space for easy text overlays, enhancing marketing flexibility
Website
Your website is the digital home base of your brand. It must communicate credibility, trust, and relevance at first glance. Your photos need to visually punctuate the narrative of the copy on each page, enhancing impact and guiding visitors to see you as the solution to their problems.
Strong visuals ensure that potential clients feel connected, inspired, and motivated to take action—whether that’s booking a consultation, signing up for a workshop, requesting a proposal to speak or purchasing your book. Your images need to create an immediate sense that you are a market of one - the right choice to solve their specific problem.
Where Photos Are Needed:
Individual Website Pages:
Homepage - hero images, inline images, testimonials of clients, CTA banners
About page - headshot, team shots, lifestyle moments
Services page - be caught demonstrating the specific service in action
Speaker page - relevant conference keynotes, breakouts and workshops
Book page - author portrait, book signing events, photos of your book
Contact page - working with clients, working alone, other portraits
Key Points to Keep in Mind:
Rely on your Speaker/Media/PR Kit photos to help plug in the gaps throughout the site where appropriate on each page
Avoid using candid action photos from the same 1-2 events on every page - it looks like you don’t get booked often to work
Use genuine imagery that reinforces your expertise instead of relying on generic stock photos
Don’t simply rely on company logos and graphical elements - add a human touch with inline images to break up text throughout the various pages
Training Materials
Your training materials—whether in the form of live workshops, online courses, PDFs, or webinars—can also serve to provide an opportunity to offer compelling images that visually support the learning experience and reinforce your authority.
Well-placed visuals in your educational materials enhance clarity, engagement, and retention. They help create a more immersive experience for your audience while reinforcing your credibility.
Where Photos Are Needed:
Slide Decks & Presentations: Branding and action shots, detail photos that visually punctuate slide copy
Online Course Modules: Module thumbnails, instructional images and detail photos
Workbooks and Course Guides: Branded imagery to maintain consistency and create a professional learning experience
Webinar Promotions: Engaging visuals for landing pages and email marketing
PDF Handouts: Carefully curated images that enhance the messaging without distracting from the content
Key Points to Keep in Mind:
Choose images that enhance, not clutter, the content.
For slide decks, think of metaphorical ways to leverage custom photographs to punctuate the slide’s message and sentiment
Ensure the visuals align with your learning objectives and reinforce key points
Use a variety of visuals - i.e. not just portraits of you, but of objects - to keep the materials engaging, visually compelling and aligned with your overall brand
BOOK LAUNCH
Launching a book isn’t just about words on a page—it’s about creating a compelling brand experience that includes visuals. Your book deserves a marketing plan that integrates photography, video, and written content to generate excitement and credibility.
Where Photos Are Needed:
Amazon Listings: For your main profile and A+ content to personalize your book page and build credibility
Retail Bookstore One-Sheet: Feature an author photo, book cover, and relevant lifestyle shots to create a compelling promotional tool
Book Website Landing Page: Use strong hero images, behind-the-scenes shots, book boudoir and book signing photos to engage potential readers
Press and Media Kits: Repurpose your Speaker/Media/PR Kit photos for journalists and industry influencers
Social Media Storytelling: Share book-boudoir related images to create engaging content
Book Event Signage and Marketing Materials: Use large-scale visuals such as posters and banners to reinforce your brand at events
Email Marketing Campaigns: Leverage author and lifestyle images to personalize and enhance email promotions
Printed Marketing Collateral: Include portraits and book boudoir photos on bookmarks and inserted postcards to extend your brand offline
Book Trailers and Video Content: Use still images from branding and book boudoir sessions to support video content and boost engagement
Key Points To Keep In Mind:
Again, your Speaker/Media/PR Kit photos need to do a lot of heavy lifting to maintain consistency and brand recognition across all promotional materials
Invest in a book boudoir session once the book is beyond the galley copy phase and you can get books sent out to be photographed - the earlier the better
These book photos aren’t one and done - use them for post-launch, evergreen content, too
Hand your branding, event and book boudoir photos to your video team to integrate with video content to create more diversified and compelling content
Online Content
Once the foundation is set, it’s time to maximize your branding, event and book photos by strategically integrating them into your online content. Your visuals need to work hand-in-hand with your messaging to create a deeper connection with your audience. Whether you’re telling a compelling client story, sharing a teachable moment, or showcasing your personality, your photos are a vital tool for stopping the scroll and making an impact.
Every image you use should either amplify the story you’re telling or inspire a new narrative you hadn’t considered before. By approaching your content this way, you create a seamless and authentic visual presence that supports your brand goals. This isn’t about throwing a random headshot into a post—it’s about using intentional visuals to make your content more engaging, credible, and relevant to your audience.
How to Incorporate Images into Content:
LinkedIn:
Use images to visually punctuate thought leadership articles or posts.
Feature event photos and behind-the-scenes moments in the Featured Section.
Pair storytelling captions with powerful visuals for engaging posts.
Facebook:
Share lifestyle photos, client moments, or event highlights in Business Page posts.
Use story highlights for day-in-the-life glimpses or behind-the-scenes action.
Integrate branded images into community posts or live session promotions.
Instagram:
Curate lifestyle and storytelling images in grid carousels for engaging narratives.
Share real-time stories with a mix of candid moments and branding shots.
Leverage Reels and IGTV with dynamic visuals from client and speaking engagements.
YouTube:
Create compelling custom thumbnails featuring high-quality headshots or action shots.
Use community posts to share candid moments and connect on a personal level.
Twitter/X:
Enhance tweet content with action-driven or personality-aligned visuals.
TikTok:
Use carefully selected behind-the-scenes images or video snippets to anchor storytelling.
Types of Content to Create:
Story-First Posts: Start with a key message or insight and select a photo to punctuate the sentiment, such as showing a candid coaching session to amplify a teaching moment.
Reverse-Engineered Content: Begin with a photo that resonates with you, and craft a story around the emotion, activity, or context it captures. For instance, a thoughtful image of brainstorming with a client could inspire a post about creative problem-solving.
Quote Graphics: Overlay impactful quotes from your framework, presentations or book on branded images for memorable and shareable posts.
Carousels: Use a series of branding, event and book photos to walk your audience through a step-by-step process or tell a more impactful story.
Video Thumbnails: Repurpose branding, event, or book photos to create scroll-stopping thumbnails for video content.
Key Points to Keep in Mind:
Repurpose Thoughtfully: Use existing content (e.g., book excerpts, past articles) and pair it with fresh visuals to breathe new life into your messaging.
Visually Punctuate the Narrative: Ensure every photo enhances the emotional tone of the accompanying text, creating a cohesive and engaging story.
Diverse Image Library: Draw from a variety of photos—branding, event, and book—to keep your content dynamic and aligned with your evolving brand.
And what else?
You’ve done the hard work of creating a foundational visual presence that reinforces your expertise, credibility, and personality across your primary touchpoints. But the value of your visuals doesn’t stop there. This phase is about thinking beyond the obvious online spaces and making sure your photos work as hard as you do in every corner of your brand—both online and offline.
When your marketing collateral, advertising, and internal materials align with your online presence, you create a cohesive, professional, and memorable experience. Every time someone encounters your brand—whether it’s through an email, a paid ad, or even a conference brochure—you want them to feel the same connection, trust, and authority that your visuals already communicate elsewhere.
This phase is also where you future-proof your brand. Investing in high-quality, versatile images up front means you’re prepared for anything—whether it’s a new ad campaign, a pitch deck for an upcoming client meeting, or promotional materials for a trade show. The goal is to create a library of visuals that not only supports your current needs but also grows with your business.
Where Photos Are Needed:
Other Marketing & Promotional Material:
Paid ads (Google, social media)
Email marketing campaigns (headers, inline images)
Lead magnets and downloadable resources
Promotional videos and social media ads
Offline Marketing Materials:
Event banners and trade show booths
Conference brochures and flyers
Business cards and postcards
Internal Business Uses:
Proposals & Client Presentations
Company Reports & Case Studies
Internal Training Materials
Employee Spotlights
Key Points to Keep in Mind:
Strategic visuals create emotional connections with prospects before they ever meet you: A well-chosen image can stop someone in their tracks and inspire them to take action, whether it’s clicking an ad or signing up for a service.
Printed materials and offline assets need to mirror your online branding: Consistency across all mediums builds trust and reinforces your expertise.
Investing in high-quality images upfront saves time and effort in future marketing efforts: Versatile photos can be repurposed across countless applications, saving you the hassle of scrambling for last-minute visuals later.
What’s Next?
You’ve built a strong foundation for your brand with visuals that reinforce your personality, credibility and relevance. But here’s the truth: visual storytelling isn’t a one-and-done process. It’s an ongoing effort to ensure your brand evolves as your goals, services, and audience shift. Your visuals need to grow alongside your business to stay relevant and impactful.
Future launches, rebrands, and new opportunities will command fresh visuals to keep your story compelling. By regularly assessing what’s working, identifying gaps, and planning strategically, you can ensure your visual storytelling remains a powerful tool for connection and growth. Small, intentional updates combined with complete brand refreshes can have a big impact over time.
Having the right team in place is key to making this happen. Photographers, marketers, and other professionals who understand your vision will help you implement visuals consistently across all platforms, ensuring your brand stays cohesive, engaging, and ready for whatever’s next.
Questions to Ask for Future Planning:
Are the current photos reflecting how I want to be perceived today?
Do my visuals align with my long-term vision, mission, and goals?
Have new services, offerings, or speaking engagements been added that need visuals?
Do I have enough variety in my image library to keep my brand fresh and engaging?
Are there any images that no longer represent me or my work?
Have I incorporated visuals that align with my personality and the perception I want to create?
What upcoming launches, events, or milestones will require new photography?
Have I identified gaps in specific touchpoints, such as social media banners, email campaigns, or training materials?
Do I have visuals for new products, programs, or partnerships I’m planning to launch?
Are there “nice-to-have” shots, such as candid lifestyle moments or detail photos, that would enhance my storytelling?
How frequently should I schedule new branding, event, or book photography sessions to keep my visuals current?
Have I revisited all platforms (online and offline) to ensure my visuals are consistent and cohesive?
What’s my process for repurposing existing photos into new content ideas?
Do I have a trusted team in place to ensure consistent implementation of my visuals across all channels?
FINAL THOUGHT
Building and maintaining an intentional visual presence is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s about staying proactive, regularly refining your strategy, and ensuring your visuals evolve in tandem with your brand. The good news? Each iteration brings you closer to a cohesive and compelling story that connects deeply with your audience.