Photography Tips for Social Media Marketing
Technology and new platform creations have brought photographers new ways of perceiving and practicing photography when it comes to social media platforms.
Social Media Builds Brand Perception — The purpose of social media is to create, build, and nurture lasting and meaningful relationships with real people, some of whom will naturally become your clients. The way your brand is presented and perceived across all your marketing channels is obviously important.
Photography is Part of Brand Personality — Your logo, the colors you use on your website and blog, and the language you use in your marketing, are all important elements of your brand. But, so are things like your approach, philosophy about photography, and the experience you give your clients.
“In essence, your personal brand is how others see you and talk about you when you’re not there.”
1. Images
When taking pictures, the photographer should always consider the particular platform on which it is posted in order to create an image that suits it.
Make an Impact with your Photos — Your images are your work. They speak for you, so you have to know how to use them to your advantage. The photographs you post on social media are used to draw attention and make an impact on your audience in the hope that they take action.
Take Photos with Placement in Mind — There are small differences in framing, composition, angles, and lighting for social media compared to other mediums. If you look at Framing and Composition for example, the general ‘Rule of Thirds’ may not work on social media. It works for your Facebook cover photo, but it won’t work on Instagram where the ideal image is not wide. It also won’t work for profile pictures and on most other social media platforms as the images are ideally more narrow. Similarly, there are other changes that photographers need to adapt to, on different platforms, to make their photos appealing.
2. Content/Storytelling
For photographers, it is no longer enough to post good images and expect results.
Your Content Should Add Value — You have to give your audience something that either benefits them in some way or solves a problem. Showing also a bit of your process and giving small tips gets you a lot of engagement points and helps you grow exponentially. Not only will this make it more likely for your audience to relate with your post, it will also increase your ranking on social algorithms.
Photography Should Tell a Story — Storytelling has always played a part in successful marketing. Stories enable us to build personality and create a connection with consumers. Good stories humanize your brand and force people to remember what they saw because of the personal connection they were able to make. A great photograph can tell such a more powerful story than a five paragraph synopsis of a series of events. Photography is an authentic medium that instantaneously tell a story. And luckily, with the growth of technology and digital new media, the content we are using is more visually compelling than ever before. Overall, good content is key to becoming more visible in your industry and gaining new opportunities.
“People connect with people, not with a brand name or a product type.”
A Brand can Deliver Human Experiences — Speaking through human experiences produces great stories that resonate with people, which then makes your content relevant. This powerful communication tool cuts out the long clutter of information that bores people, and speaks a message without a complicated explanation.
3. Consistency
The key to any form of online marketing is consistency.
Be Consistent to Stay Relevant — Unlike the real world, social media tends to move at a much quicker pace. Without consistency, you are driving your audience into the hands of more regular competitors.
Post Often, But Not Too Much — Ideally, you should be posting at least two to three times a week — be it pictures, content, or both. The more you post, the harder it is for your audience to scroll past without noticing you. Just remember not to be too pushy as it can turn people off.
Brand Identity — Everything should be tailored to match the look and feel of your brand. Your brand has a look and feel, a mood with colors to match.
4. Simple Elements
Simple elements can speak multitudes.
Limit the Visual Elements — When telling a story through photo, we must remember that if tons of things are going on in the photo, it will confuse its viewers. A clear photo can tell the message it is trying to convey so easily.
5. Remembering your audience
The photo should always be authentic and catchy.
Know Your Audience — Producing content that you know your audience would like is very important, that makes it appealing and relevant in their lives.
Get the Format Correct — Correct format also has the ability to capture a particular mood, which is very important in digital storytelling. Photographers want their viewers to see a photo like this, and be moved to the scene.
And The Angles Too — Angles are a subtle format tool, with such a dramatic effect.
6. Correct Composition
Good composition is what separates the amateurs from the pros.
Composition — Framing, cropping, background blur, correct lighting are all so important in capturing a great image. People will scroll past a bad photo, especially on Instagram.
Be Candid — Candid photos freeze a moment in time and reflect real human experiences, which is one of the most authentic ways to tell a story.
7. Show Value
Stories that demonstrate meaning and have a sense of giving back stick with people.
Inspire and Add Value — People love being associated with a brand that tell inspirational stories that resonate with them because they believe it is bettering their moral fiber. The brand should focus on the lifestyle their products promise with an emphasis on the morals of their brand.
Sell a Lifestyle Along with Your Product — Instagram is the perfect place to showcase high-quality images of your product and that lifestyle that comes with it right next to a personal story. Sharing true stories about your life, things you’ve learned or want to teach or a behind-the-scenes story of the staff. Each image should make your audience fall in love with your product or the lifestyle it brings them just like they should fall in love with the brand story when looking at your feed.
8. Attention to Detail & A Focused Subject Will Make For Better Photography
The best way to take a better photo for your social media is to simply capture your business vibe.
Bring your Audience Behind the Scenes — Let people into your world by snapping behind-the-scenes shots of your everyday business routine. For example, take photos of your workspace, materials used and work in progress. You can take a photo of things related to your niche in order to shake things up.
Set the Scene for the Main Action — All your photos should be taken with a clean background to really make your social media stand out and look professional. This does not mean the backgrounds have to always be plain; however, it does mean that you need to pay close attention to what is in the frame of your photo. With this, the subject of the photo will pop more and your social feeds and website will look more clean and professional.
9. Dos & Don’ts
- Do consider the social media the image is posted on, Don’t create one image for all platforms.
- Do tell a story through your photo, Don’t post something that doesn’t add value to the audience or resonate with them.
- Do post in consistent times with respect to the brand identity feel, Don’t post too frequent or too irregular.
- Do focus on few elements in each photo and study your background in order to make the subject pop, Don’t clutter your image with many irrelevant elements to the main subject.
- Do consider your audience in each photograph taken, Don’t post anything that your audience wouldn’t relate to.
- Do showcase the lifestyle that the product fit in, Don’t isolate the product from the human experience it should reflect. (Product Placement is important in that case)
- Do use natural lighting in photos, Don’t use flash and overly harsh exposures.
- Do shoot in an authentic environment, Don’t go for a staged locations.
- Do shoot models that reflect the aspiring persona you are trying to target for your product, Don’t aim for the overly brushed beauty shots. Your audience should aspire to look and be like the models and they should associate your product with something that they can relate to.
- Do show motion, movement and natural reactions in photos, Don’t shoot staged, rigid photos that do not reflect life.
