How to Tell a Better Product Story Through Photos
Your product deserves more than a snapshot, it deserves a story. Here’s how to capture it in photos that make shoppers stop scrolling and start imagining your product in their hands.
Selling Your Product Through Stories
The first time you browse Amazon for a kitchen tool, you’re bound to see a lot of options. Some are going to look identical. I scrolled past dozens of listings that looked nearly identical.
So how do you set yourself apart in a world of listings that all look the same?
That’s the power of storytelling in product photography.
Your photos are the closest thing shoppers get to touching your product. They don’t have the chance to pick it up, feel the texture, or see how it fits into their life so we need your images to tell that story for them.
Amazon photos Requirements
Amazon requires a white background for your main image, and yes, you need that. But if you stop there, you’re missing out on the heart of what convinces people to buy.
If all you do is post your images on a white background, we are missing the bulk of sales. Bigger brands might be able to get away with this and there are several factors at play here: their brand awareness, organic and paid traffic off amazon, and more.
Photos that tell a story do three things:
Build trust because shoppers can see the product in a real life setting
Create something aspirational because they picture themselves using it
Stand out because most listings only meet the minimum requirements
1. Show the Product in Context
We want to add real humans and real life back into photos. Artificial Intelligence has its place but if that is your content strategy, it won’t last. Consumers are showing frustration specificially with AI photos and videos.
Customers have always craved authenticity and something real.
Here’s how we need to set this up:
Lifestyle Photos: We need to get your product in real-life settings and situations. If it’s a desk organizer, show it on a real desk with pens, notebooks, and maybe a laptop in the background. There’s more to this including competitor research and shot list development but lifestyle photos have a real life setting surrounding your product.
Human Touch: We want to include hands and people as often as we can. We want diversity and to show your company’s values through the imagery. It bridges the gap between “that looks nice” and “I need that in my life.” We need to show them whether this is actually what they are looking for.
2. Highlight the Details That Matter
Online shoppers can’t pick up your product, so your photos have to do that job. Think of details as the handshake your product offers, it should be firm, confident, and clear.
What this looks like:
Close-Up Shots: Show textures, buttons, zippers, or finishes that make your product unique.
Scale Photos: We want to show your product in a real life setting so the customer can understand the size of your product.
Step-by-Step Photos: If your product has a process (assembly, usage), we need to break it down visually.
3. Evoke Emotion Through Light & Style
Let’s get creative. There are some staples on the shot list that I definitely need to get but there’s something great that happens when creativity is allowed, you know the product and you can play a big. These images tend to convert well in social media ads, A+ brand content, etc.
Why It Matters (Especially on Amazon)
On Amazon, competition is intense. Two products can have the same features, the same price, even the same shipping speed. But the one that tells a better story through photos will win every time. That product eventually gets ahead with reviews, sales and it is game over.
Stories create an emotional memory in the shopper’s mind. And long after they’ve closed the browser tab, they’ll remember how your product made them feel.
Encouragement: Beauty From the Everyday
Your product has a story worth telling and it is okay if you don’t know what that is. Most of my clients know the ins and outs of their products but don’t know exactly how to communicate that through phtoos and videos. That’s exactly why I’m here and something I’m actually really good at.
You need a team around you who understands your product, company, customers and can create content that lives up to it.
I’d love to hear from you: Which of these tips will you try in your next product photoshoot? Drop your thoughts in the comments or tag me if you share on Instagram, I’d love to cheer you on.
