Social Media Hack: 9 Photos to Keep Your Content Fresh
Having the right photos to keep your social media posts fresh and current is super hard. Or is it? In this social media hack, we are going to give you ideas for the 9 photos to keep your content fresh that you can take every day. Having these photos will streamline your content creation and help keep all your social media profiles on point and full of engaging content. Yes, 9 photos a day and the best part is the images are of you going about your daily life. These will not replace the need for professional shoots, but they will supplement those shoots with high-quality content and help you create your very own custom stock photo library. For more details on how to get the most out of a photoshoot, review this blog post! As you guys know, I am a huge advocate for using only your photos on social media; it is the best way to differentiate yourself right off the bat.
It's almost time to Give You the 9 Photos But First
First, take a second to think about the type of content you post to social media. What kind of content generally resonates with your audience? Are you regularly posting on specific topics or categories? What do you have in the pipeline for the next three to five weeks? Keep these questions in mind when you review the nine photos you can take every day because you can tweek, stretch, or expand on one or all of them to fit your specific needs. Remember I am not one of those people that thinks that one size fits all, I am giving you these nine posts as guidelines based on what I know about social media and what has the potential to engage. Please feel free to adapt them to your needs!
9 Photos to Keep Your Content Fresh
Drumroll Please
- Daily Activity
- Morning Coffee
- Full Body Shot
- Detail Shot
- In the Office
- With a client or customer
- Work close up
- Behind the scenes
- Family/Friend/Pet aka Life outside of work shot
One More Thing
One more thing before I hop on into describing the photos, giving examples and explaining why I think you should take them and that one thing is a pro tip, so when you master the photos, you have someplace to go! PRO TIP: You can also create stock VIDEO content of these things. Think about creating GIFs, silent or talking videos, right now video is engaging at much higher rates so you can stand out by having stock video of yourself and your business
The Daily Routine
I made this one first of the 9 Daily Photos to Keep Your Content Fresh because I find that this one is the easiest. Take a photo or video of something that you do daily.
Why this?
Because if it is something that you do daily, the chances of you talking about it on social media. Or the possibility of it impacting your social media in some way is very high. If you have an appropriate photo that you can utilize when you discuss this routine, you don't have to scramble to figure out what to post. And locating a free stock photo that everyone else has used to highlight a unique aspect of you or your business is no longer a thing.
Additional Tips and Tricks
Again think about what you like to post and what your audience engages with. Is it your fitness routine? Haircare? What you are wearing? Are they asking you specific questions? Use this to guide you on what daily routines you should focus on photographing. Need a place to start? Pizza, pets and babies always work on social media.
The Morning Coffee Shot
Yes, I know you are looking at this and thinking, #omgcoffee, you want me to take a photo of my #coffee first thing in the morning. Okay, #butfirstcoffee, like I need 1 cup before I can even take a picture of it! Whatever it takes, but you know you will have many uses for this shot, stake it.
Why This?
I shouldn't even have to answer the “why this” part of this one. I mean, have you been on Instagram, which might as well be called #instacoffee? These photos will give you content for gap days, bad days, sick days, bad hair days, and more. Take the coffee pictures; you'll thank me later. And no, a stock photo is not just as good.
Additional Tips and Tricks
Not a coffee drinker? No espresso? That's okay, what is your drink of choice in the morning? What is it that helps you jumpstart your day? Your coffee, maybe a donut, or a protein smoothie, or a pair of red-bottomed shoes. Whatever it is that gets you moving in the morning and motivated to face your day will do the trick because that is the main idea of many of the coffee posts so you can substitute in your motivator.
The Full Body Shot
The next one in your list of nine photos to take daily to keep your content fresh is the full body shot. A shot of you pretty much from head to toe doing something, anything. As long as you have clothing on and brand-appropriate, you can't go wrong here.
Why this?
It doesn't matter what you do; you can always utilize a full body shot on social media both in your stories or in your feed. Remember, people do business with other people, not companies. To get people to do business with you, not only do you need to build trust with them, but they also need to feel like they know you. These pictures make it much easier to build trust.
Additional Tips and Tricks
Don't think you are a model. You aren't a model. Be a regular person. Don't overthink, overstage, or overedit. This photo isn't about creating the perfect imaginary life. It is about you being able to have content that features your authentic self. The face of your brand.
The Detail Shot
The detail shot is a vital part of setting the feel for your brand on social media. In an episode of The Anti-Social Guy's Guide to Social Media, I mention how my shoes have become a part of my brand. That was intentional as even before I mentioned it in this post, I had included several pictures of my shoes in stories and on my feed. I used my footwear to gently hint at the fact that my brand is fun, bright, innovative, and not your ordinary type of business. Yes, I can say this all with photos of my shoes.
Why This
Use the detail shot for many different things on social media. I utilized my shoes to say something about my brand that is a little more abstract, and I recently used my New Year's hat in a video and several posts. A photo of your watch could be used for a story on deadlines, setting SMART Goals, or that you hate waiting for something.
Additional Tips and Tricks
Be creative with this one. It can be details of what you are wearing, details of your office, or some detail of your everyday life. This one is also a good one to use if you are planning future content about a particular aspect of your business. For example, a housing form is due in by a specific date. Take a photo of the top of that form on a desk and utilize that in the post. It is much more engaging than a random stock photo.
In The Office Shot or At Work Shot
The next photo of the nine daily images to keep your content fresh is the office shot. A daily photo of you in your office doing the work that you do. A day at the office is just so dull. Well, to you, that day may be annoying, but to your loyal followers on social media who want to know more about you, it's not so horrible. It doesn't have to be the same shot every day. Take shots of you in different parts of the office or doing different parts of your job. Think about what some of the cooler things you do at work are and take photos of them.
Why this?
You are on social media because of the work that you do, you are using social media to attract your ideal client, so it is natural to show the client the work that you do on social as well as how you do the work, why you do the work, and where you do the work. Think about what your ideal client wants to see from their (insert your job title), and take photos that will engage that perfect client.
Additional Tips and Tricks
Keep your ideal client in mind with this one. Additionally, review previous content to see what performed well on social media from your brand. Are you a web developer? These photos can include pictures of you working on your computer, or a picture of you in a session with the web designer discussing how you can make their fancy design work, or you in a training session learning the newest programming language. Don't be afraid to think a little bit outside the box here as well.
With a Client
The next one of the nine photos I can already hear some of you complaining about, but you still have to take these pictures. So, before I say anything else, please note that the client does not need to be identifiable. The important thing is that you are. Be creative, but find a way to show yourself interacting with a client. It could be as easy as you behind a desk and the back of your clients' heads facing the camera or a closeup of you showing the client how to do something.
Why This?
You can not build trust in social media AND show that you are good at your job without doing your job. It is that simple. You need to feature interactions with your clients in some way. Think about your first touchpoints or highlight ways that you build trust with clients even if the models used in the photos are not actual clients but stand-ins (totally didn't hear that from me).
Additional Tips and Tricks
Professional development, speaking opportunities, media events, and more are all great opportunities to get photos of your working with clients or future clients. Take advantage of them and make sure somebody is on hand to take pictures, hubby, girlfriend, best friend, or a real-life photographer.
The Work Closeup
A picture of you working up close. Typing on the computer. Writing a blog post. Taking notes at a seminar. The work close-up is content that you can use all day every day on social media and should be something that you look to capture whenever possible.
Why This?
Because when you talk about your work, it is great to have photos that you can post that show you working. They can't see what you are writing in most instances (primarily when you use the iPhone portrait mode). It doesn't matter that you are writing down the steps to take in your business over the next nine months, but you use the photo in a post about how writing allows your thoughts to flow. You will find that these are the most flexible and useful photos to take as many of them as you can!
Additional Tips and Tricks
Think about the things that you tend to post about and what an excellent generic visual could be that highlights either what you are talking about in the post, or the feeling you want people to get from the post, etc. We are working on creating a library of flexible and usable stock photos for your business.
Behind the Scenes
What are some of the things that you do for your business behind the scenes, or what things would people not ever be able to guess about your business? Photos and videos of different behind the scenes aspects or aspects of prepping for an event, photoshoot, or other special occasions are always phenomenal for engagement.
Why This?
This photo is essential because everybody likes a peek behind the curtain. Behind the scenes, content, and what you do before the public sees you are engaging because people see what's real, and that is what they are craving.
Additional Tips and Tricks
All of the images you take should feel real; they shouldn't be too polished. They should not depict a beautifully perfect life. Make sure to leave your behind the scenes content believable. If it's too perfect, it shows up as inauthentic, and you could lose credibility.
Life Outside of Work Shot
I completely respect a person's choice not to include aspects such as children in their brand. That is your choice. What I do advocate for is that every business shows off a little bit of life outside of work. If it is you going home and reading a book, walking a dog, cooking, or going to the gym. Those are all great, and you should take photos of you doing them.
Why This?
It makes you human, a real person outside of the walls of the business that does cool things and has actual struggles, goals, and dreams. Don't wipe all the things that make you human from your business; it will erase any possibility of you being able to engage your ideal audience out with it.
Additional Tips and Tricks
Social Media is supposed to be social. The things you do outside of work are just as important as those you do at work. 80 % of your content should be about the other stuff, with only 20% being directly related to work. You will end up needing more outside of work photos than you first assume!
Those Are The 9 Photos to Keep Your Content Fresh
Using these nine photos as a guide will help you eliminate some of the stress caused by social media. We promise you will feel less overwhelmed, have stronger posts and be able to level up on social media much more quickly.
