For any business owner, having and maintaining a social media presence is critical contributor to whether or not you ultimately sink or swim. It is, perhaps, the lowest cost platform for your brand to reach a large audience quickly and effectively. Not only does a social media presence allow your company to expand its reach, it also gives you the opportunity to connect with and learn from your customers on a more personal level.
And when it comes to setting your brand apart from the rest in an ever-expansive social media market, great photography and unique design is key. Worried about cost? The good news is that finding your own niche in this competitive field doesn’t mean that you need to blow your budget. A small investment and a healthy dose of creativity is all you need to start receiving the recognition you’re seeking. Here are some great tips and resources to get you going:
1. Invest in the best camera you can afford.
While many of the most popular smartphones on the market today are equipped with great cameras, they should not be the primary photo-taking device for your company. For impromptu Instagram snapshots, phone cameras are perfect—but for larger photos on other platforms, you’ll want a good digital camera.
Digital cameras give you much more control over the photos you’re taking, and it’s also much easier to import and edit on a computer than on a phone. If your budget is very tight, a Point & Shoot Digital Camera is an excellent option. Canon and Nikon both have incredible models for under $150, and some are small enough to carry around in your pocket. If you have $400-500 to spend, it’s worth the investment to choose a DSLR Camera—especially if you sell retail. With a good camera, a tabletop Photo Studio Light Tent kit (under $50), and an external shutter for your camera (under $15), you can take professional-looking shots of your products for your website. Taking control of your own photography rather than hiring a professional to do it for you is one of the wisest long-term investments you can make for the future of your brand.
2. Take advantage of free editing apps
You don’t need to shell out hundreds of dollars to purchase Adobe Photoshop for your photo-editing needs. There are plenty of wonderful editing apps and programs online today that allow you to edit your shots into gorgeous images at little-to-no cost. Pixlr Express is an incredible editing app that offers an abundance of photo filters, overlays, borders, and text options—and it’s completely free. Canva is another great editing tool that offers a wide variety of pre-designed design templates (including preset dimensions for all major social media platforms) that are great for creating social media content, promotional ads, marketing publications, and even presentation documents. Many of the layouts are free, and the rest charge only a minimal fee.
3. Show off your style
Once you’re used to working with a digital camera and you’re familiar with the basics of editing apps, start experimenting with different photo filters and overlays to create stunning images that showcase your brand’s personality and style. Incorporate quotes you love (that also align with your company’s beliefs) by overlaying text onto an original photograph. Try out different fonts and colors to make things stand out or evoke different emotions from your audience. You’ll be surprised at how big a difference small changes to a photo or design actually make.
When it comes to setting your brand apart in social media, great photography and unique design is key. With a little time and effort, well-executed social media imagery can easily become one of your greatest allies in expanding your business for years to come.
This article is made possible by Checksforless.com. For more than 35 years, Checksforless.com has provided over 500,000 businesses with high quality business checks, deposit slips, and other banking supplies with easy ordering and fast production times; all at the guaranteed lowest price in the nation. Our discount business checks are easily customizable and compatible with over 4,500 software programs including QuickBooks® and Peachtree/Sage®. Email or call us toll-free at 800-245-5775.
References:
http://apps.pixlr.com/express
http://www.canva.com