6 Easy Tips for Posting Better Social Photos & Videos
If you’re not yet sold on the benefits of social media videos and photos, it’s time to get on board. Whether you know it or not, your fans and followers are begging you and your social team to post engaging multimedia your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, even LinkedIn company pages. Use these six tips to give them what they want — and convert them to your cause.
1. Use a Stunning Background Image
Put serious thought into your background images. They’re “background” only in name.
The ideal background image says something unmistakable about you or company. It could be an all-company photo taken from an elevated position on your factory floor, a candid shot of your founders huddled over important-looking work, or a landscape scene that captures the beauty of your company’s hometown. For example, this company founder’s LinkedIn profile includes a background photo of local vineyards to highlight his passion for the industry. Use a tasteful filter and light-touch editing to achieve the right tone without veering into “overproduced” territory.
2. Don’t Post the Same Generic Photo to Every Account
Background photos aside, variety is the watchword for savvy social media photography. Create separate photo stables for each account and resort to crossover photos only when clearly warranted. Save the artsy imagery for “photo-first” media like Pinterest and Instagram. Leave the practical stuff for businesslike platforms like LinkedIn.
3. Be Judicious & Assertive with Image Text
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but that doesn’t mean you have to let it do all the talking. Don’t be afraid to “memeify” your social photos with assertive overlay text that leaves little doubt about the content’s purpose. For example, a few years ago, the Seattle Seahawks Twitter handle posted a passionate end-of-season photo message with three simple, unmistakable words — “Thank you 12s!” — overlaid on a montage of cheering (and screaming) fans. For the uninitiated, “12s” is a reference to the Seahawks’ home crowd, the team’s infamous “12th man.”
4. Take Advantage of Autoplay
The ‘Hawks Twitter handle shows off another clever use of social media’s ever-expanding multimedia functionality: autoplay videos recapping on- and off-the-field action. One eye-catching video had nothing to do with the team’s human members — the star was Taima, an augur hawk that dazzled lucky home fans during the halftime show. Taima starts flying as soon as you scroll past the video panel, just daring you to keep going.
5. Keep Videos Short and to the Point
Shorter videos are more engaging and shareable. Your fans are more likely to sit through an entire video — all the way to the call to action — if you keep it under a minute. They’ll be more likely to encourage their friends to do the same, too. If you do need to post longer videos, perhaps for tutorials or explainers, be transparent about their length.
6. Invite Fans to Share Their Own Multimedia Content
Admittedly, this is a risky proposition. Even well-meaning fans can go overboard and post content that doesn’t jibe with your brand — or, worse, isn’t age- or audience-appropriate.
If and when you do choose to invite your followers to share their own photo and video content, pair the invite with unambiguous ground rules. Review up-to-date best practices for ideas and make it clear that you’ll block and report accounts that violate your rules or the platform’s terms of service.
Build a Full-Spectrum Social Media Presence
No matter what your company does, it could probably do social media better. Task a team member — or your entire marketing department — with a full-bore competitive analysis of your industry’s social media landscape. What’s your company doing well? Where could it improve? Once you have a road map to better social media performance, put it into action and let the results speak for themselves.
