BLOGS

How to create more authentic imagery for your social media

It’s one thing having to write good content for social media, and another thing having to select good imagery to go with it! Google and Getty images may be your best friends, but maybe it’s time to give each other some space…

Not that image again!

You may think that leaving a three week gap between posting the same image is okay, and for new visitors to your social media, sure, it kind of makes sense! Not everyone will scroll down that far, right? But what happens if they do? What does that say about your business?

People love to see fresh content on social media, and that goes for text AND imagery. In saying this, there may be times where using the same image for a repeated post is beneficial. Imagine you’re a cafe running a monthly coffee and cake giveaway. Using the same image of the coffee and cake each month will show consistency, and will be a super quick reminder of the competition when someone sees that image. 

Surely I can’t outshine Google and Getty?

The huge range of images available for use online is pretty incredible, so it’s easy to just fall back on this as your source. It can be daunting thinking about creating your own images, but it doesn’t have to be difficult.

If you’re, say, a nutritionist, get into the habit of taking a picture of the yummy lunch you make at home and share it on your socials. You don’t need to have a fancy camera to do this. You can use your cell phone and add a few extra touches like brightening the image if it’s too dark, or adding a cool filter to add some intrigue. 

But sometimes fancy cameras are pretty fancy

Imagine you run your own home decor store, and you’re walking around wishing you had some amazing pictures of all your amazing items. It may be that you don’t have the equipment to shoot, or the time to do it, or you simply just don’t know where to start. 

This is why it can be a great idea to invest in a professional photo shoot. 

For some businesses, hiring an agency with lots of equipment may be the best thing for them, but it’s not the only option you have. It may be that you get a smaller business or an individual to come in, talk you through what images you’d like for your content, set up a suitable spot to shoot, and get some great content for your own image bank. 

This way, you will have a whole host of your own images to pick and choose from over time and wow your audience with on social media.

Customers love to be included

Nothing screams authenticity more than including your customers in your content! Plus, user-generated content is one of the easiest ways to convert potential customers. 

Have a go at asking your customers to send through their images, for instance, a shot of them trying one of your food products in their evening meal. People may already be tagging you in images they’ve taken with your products, so half the job’s done already. You just have to re-share them on your social media and tag them in! 

In conclusion….

Putting stock imagery to the side and having a crack at taking some of your own images will be a great way to build authenticity. People buy from people, not cold, faceless organisations. 

But if getting creative isn’t your thing, we’re here for you! Get in touch and learn more about our photography packages.