Quickly, when was your last round of professional photos taken? Was it after the most recent renovation? Was it the grand reopening? Or was at the opening of your property more than 5 years ago? If you haven’t had professional photos taken in the last 5 years then your property may be misrepresented in the eyes of you guests.

When you think about the way your property is visually represented on the internet you might only consider what’s on your website and in your booking engine of choice. The truth is that your official images are a tiny fraction of the imagery that represents your hotel on the web. Most visitors will use a search engine to find your property, and unless your SEO marketing budget is very high, there is a good chance that a review site or OTA site will take the top slots. Those OTA’s all offer guest reviews with the option to upload visitor images.

As of 2019 there were over 859 million user reviews and opinions shared on TripAdvisor. With a large portion of those including images taken by the guest. These images range from the benign to the terrifying. Guest images taken with poor quality phones can make a well lit space look dark and dreary. Don’t let a minor housekeeping or maintenance slip up become a rallying point for complaints.

Top 5 Reasons why your property should use professional photography:

1. Quality: Professional photographers have the experience and equipment necessary to capture high-quality images that are visually appealing and can effectively represent your brand. They have the technical knowledge and skill to manipulate lighting, composition, and other factors that affect the quality of an image.
2. Consistency: Professional photographers can create a consistent visual identity for your brand by ensuring that all images have a similar look and feel. This consistency helps to establish your brand identity and makes it easier for guests to recognize and remember your property.
3. Control: With professional photography, properties have control over the images that are used to represent their brand. This means that they can choose images that align with their brand values and messaging, rather than relying on user-generated content that may not be in line with their brand image.
4. Legal considerations: User-generated content may raise legal issues around copyright and intellectual property. Professional photographers can provide properties with a license to use their images, ensuring that they are legally protected and free to use the images as they see fit.
5. Professionalism: Using professional photography can convey a sense of professionalism and credibility to consumers. It shows that a property is willing to invest in its image and is committed to presenting itself in the best possible light.

Overall, while user-generated content can be valuable for social proof and engagement, it should not replace professional photography when it comes to representing a business’s brand identity and values.