Welcome to our Social Media Series! We will be sharing tips and tricks over the next few weeks to help you make the most of your social media channels for your business. This week, we’re talking about one of the biggest components of a great social media page – visuals. Photos and videos are often what draw people in to read your posts, and ultimately learn more about what you do.

By following these tips and tricks, you’ll be on your way to a great social media presence.

Take photos and videos horizontally whenever possible.

Unless you need a photo or video to fit a background that is taller than it is wide (for example, a phone background or if you’re using Snapchat), turning your phone to the side makes your images and videos easier to work with. Since our brains are trained to read left to right, it’s also easier to process horizontal photos compared to vertical ones. In short, horizontal photos are more pleasing to the eye and much easier to incorporate into photo collages, promotional materials, and more.

Vary your content.

Make sure to switch things up when you’re taking photos and videos. While consistency applies to many aspects of marketing, providing new visuals for your audience to look at keeps them coming back for more. Avoid using the same handful of stock photos, and try taking your own. Try different backgrounds, lighting, and photo subjects as often as possible. Keep your audience guessing – and coming back for more!

Try a different angle.

Taking photos and videos from different angles can make for some really interesting social media content. In many cases, it will work best to take them a certain way, but don’t be afraid to try something different. Try different heights by standing on a chair or kneeling down, or change your positioning to get more unique content.

Check the lighting.

Make sure your photo or video isn’t too bright or too dark. Lighting in darker rooms or outside can be very tricky, so be sure to adjust the settings on your camera or move to another location if needed. If you’ve already taken the photo or video, there are ways to edit the brightness and contrast of your work on photo and video editing platforms before you post.

Edit with care.

Editing your photos and videos comes down to your personal preference, but we do have a few recommendations. Simple adjustments, like changing brightness and contrast settings or cropping and/or rotating your photos, are encouraged. When it comes to adding too many filters and excessive retouching, we advise you to keep your photos and videos as natural as possible. Simple is best!

As far as photo editing goes, Photoshop always tops our recommendation list. If you don’t have access to it, Pixlr.com is a great, free resource. Canva.com is also great if you need to create a social media graphic or promotional materials with your photos.

For video editing, iMovie (Mac users) and Movie Maker (PC users) are both great, free options. If you have access to Adobe programs, Premiere is also a great option.

How can Fusion Forward help?

Feel free to contact us if you need assistance with:

• Photo and video editing
• Professional photography and video production services
• Designing promotional materials with your photos
• Creating social media images
• Compressing your videos
• Adding your photos and videos to your website and social media
• Video and photo ideas

Don’t hesitate to reach out if you would like more information on photography and video production for your business! We can’t wait to chat with you!