Why Photo Booth Props and Backdrops Are the Cornerstone of Your Business
Make no mistake: high quality photo booth props, backdrops and accessories are your photo booth business. Without them, you would cease to exist.
That statement may sound like an exaggeration, but consider this: anyone can take a picture using a cell phone these days. Photo quality that used to require professional equipment and hours of developing work can now be achieved at the literal press of a button. Since anyone can take a selfie or have their friends take a group photo, photo booths must create a unique experience that cannot be replicated with smartphone apps and a selfie stick.
How can photo booth operators provide this experience? By offering guests not just a setup for taking group photos easily but the means to make each photo hilarious, memorable and indicative of their unique personality. In other words: you need fun props and backgrounds to make your photo booth worthwhile.
Read on to learn more about why photo booth backdrops, props and other components serve a vital purpose for photo booth marketing and your overall guest experience.
Photo Booth Props Bring in Guests
Every photo booth owner wants a significant portion of event guests to participate. The classic scenario for a photo booth is that no one touches it at first, but as guests are seen entering it, setting up wacky photos and having a wonderful time, the line gets longer.
Encouraging this line to form means guests need options. They should see others holding fun props and think to themselves “I can’t wait for that to be me.” Guests should also have several options that suit their needs, which is why having a variety of props is important. Someone can rapidly switch from a dashing Robin Hood type to a glam rock star with an inflatable guitar in just seconds. They can also coordinate group shoots that turn each participant into a member of the A-team or a 70’s disco supergroup.
The hilarity of handling all these props and changing them out is 99% of the appeal for a photo booth. The picture your guest takes with them is just a token memento of the fun time they had.
Event Guests Can Represent Their Personality Through Props
Photo booths are an excuse to let your hair down, be wacky and express latent parts of your personality. The toughest football player at a quinceañera may actually be a giant nerd at heart, so putting him in suspenders and a beanie can help change people’s perspective. Grandma may look reserved in most wedding photos, but give her a feather boa and a pair of giant sunglasses, and she reveals her adventurous side that caught grandpa’s eye in the first place.
Moments like these make photo booth printouts more than just token keepsakes. They show the rare glimmers when guests are willing to set aside their ego, be silly and reveal sides of themselves that only certain people ever see.
High-Quality Photo Booth Props Signify the Quality of Your Business
Photo booth props serve as a yardstick for the quality of your business. Far too many booths force guests to use low-quality paper or cardboard props that wilt by the time the night is over. “We could be having fun,” they may think, “but the operator skimped on props.”
Props have to be sturdy, withstand abuse and adequately represent what they claim to be. For instance, a low-quality plastic fedora can look like a brown grocery sack more than something a 1940s gangster would wear, but buying an affordable stage-quality hat means that everyone will be tempted to try it on.
Themed and Relevant Props Enhance Event Enjoyment
Photo booth operators can enhance the appeal of their booths by coordinating props to the theme of their event. “One Fun Photobooth” in Idaho uses this approach to not only book more events but to ensure that resulting photos reinforce the theme and let everyone feel like a participant in something special.
“[We] [have]invested thousands of dollars in stocking a complete prop house that is filled with over 4500 hats, signs and props allowing their crew to rotate and change out the props for every event,” the company writes on their site. “Props range from the comical to cute and every genre you can think about, including roaring twenties, country western, military, nautical, rustic, shabby chic, vintage, super heroes, fantasy, Star Wars®, Marvel®, Disney®, movies and more.”
By having props that people recognize and that have contextual meaning in their lives, you add another layer of depth to your photos and make them all the more worth remembering. Seeing a pile of emoji face photo booth props, for instance, might encourage groups to give themselves their most representative emotion and stage a photo full of feels.
Photo Booth Accessories Become a Potent Marketing Tool
The accessories you buy for your photo booth not only bring in extra guests during an event, but they can also lure in new bookings afterwards. People are more drawn to social media posts, website pages and other marketing materials that demonstrate fun, outlandish scenarios created through wacky props.
The more attention your props are capable of generating, the more powerful your marketing appeal becomes with each photo you put online. Coordinate themes, add relevance and ensure every single guest has a blast at your next event by investing in sturdy photo booth props and backdrops that make every photo an adventure.
