07 Dec How to Develop Visual Content That Works
The average consumer has been bombarded with branded content on social media for quite some time now. That’s not news to anyone. In a heavily saturated digital world, getting a piece of the pie is becoming increasingly tough, but what’s also increasing is the value that tiny slice can have to different brands.
Creating visual and written content that sparks an emotion will lead to that follow, which is what we really want most – turning the average consumer into a brand advocate.
So how does one go about developing visual content that just works? I’ve pulled together a few tips to help, using some examples from clients we work with.
That Moment When You Know Your Audience
When looking for current trends and inspiration for content, check out popular meme accounts. Amongst all the inappropriate jokes and imagery, you will find popular vernacular and visual trends that may resonate with your audience. That is – if your audience enjoys that kind of thing (if memes are not what they’re into, figure out what non-branded social media accounts they’re into and use ideas to help mimic them.) Put yourself in their shoes and listen to how they talk. That way, you can check off boxes that will make your content more relatable and engaging for them.
Just watch for over-kitschy-ness and “the cool uncling” your content.
Offer Useful Information That Sparks Conversation
Do you have room as a brand to chime in on a controversial issue as a bystander? Can you bring something to the table your audience legitimately was unaware of? Can you shed light on a topic that will bring out conversation? Do it! Take the most important piece of information and bring it center stage – a major Did You Know, a quote from an article, a funny fun fact – and watch the conversation unfold.
Once the conversation is happening, don’t forget to engage and answer any questions that may have come up in the comments – tada! You’re making all the positive connections with fans.
Tug At The Heart Strings
If you’re one of those lucky brands people are incredibly passionate about, get under their skin (pun intended) with content they’ll happily provide you with. Go Red For Women is one of our clients and we found a lovely photo of one’s fan tattoo in tribute to her overcome heart disease. We shared that SINGLE photo and the response was overwhelming – DOZENS of user-generated photos of their own ink.
So we didn’t stop there: we then made our own follow-up post with some of our favorites. Once again, the response made our audience and us feel warm & fuzzy inside.
Stay Relevant, But Don’t Butt In
Sometimes it may feel like we need to jump at every single trending topic. But unless you can hop on tastefully, we recommend you sit it out – especially with something touchy like the military or religious holidays.
Does it make sense for you to be observing that trend? If you can positively answer yes, by all means, jump right in and make it stick.
Art Matters
Content creation has moved past blurry cell phone photos of product logos. Invest in the lighting, the lens, software and props used in your images to create best-in-class content that is on target, nimble and resonates with the audience you’re aiming to reach.
Focus on the crop, the edit, the setup and the subject matter. That is how you develop visual content that works.
Ignite Social Media has a new team of experts to focus solely on content creation services, keeping all of these guidelines in mind and putting them to work in order to wow visually, ranging from copywriting to photo and video production. Our content creators will work in tandem with community managers as a team, ensuring the best possible pieces of content for each brand. Stay tuned for more news soon!
