If you are running a business in today’s virtual age, you know that using social media is helpful when you want to get the word out about your business. Social media is a tool and a gift to businesses today. Even though social media can be fast, it’s important to focus on quality. Not everyone is trained to take a good photo. But photography is a huge asset when you are creating the clear message that you want. Today, I want to share a few tips for how to take better photos for social media.
From 2009-2019, I was a full time wedding photographer. My husband and I traveled nationally, were featured internationally, and built a giant business that we chose to retire from. As a trained photographer, I understand how important a good photo is and how it can make or break a post. Likewise, I understand that not everyone has a trained eye or knows what to consider before snapping those business photos. I hope these tips will help you!
How To Take Better Photos For Social Media
1. Look For The Light
It’s always important to look for as much natural light as you can. If you’re inside, open up all the windows and allow the sunlight to flood in. Or, make sure you are photographing yourself or your products nearby the window. Natural light can do wonders for a photo and will help with focus and clarity.
If you’re outside, try to avoid taking photos at noon. It will automatically cast shadows on your face due to how harsh the lighting is at that time. Wait until later in the afternoon or about two hours before sundown. The closer to civil twilight you get, the better! The light is warmer and provides a natural glow.
If you have to take photos midday, that’s ok! Just look for ways to avoid the shadows. Photograph yourself in the shade and make sure you aren’t squinting. Always consider where your light source is and how you can use it to your advantage. Even just taking a second to recognize where the light is in whatever space you are in can drastically change how you approach taking a photo. And that can help tremendously!
2. Clear Focus Goes A Long Way
Most of the time, blurry photos aren’t what anyone is going for. There is a certain artistic element that would allow for some blur in photos, but if you aren’t a trained photographer, then you will want your photos to be in focus. The last thing you want is a customer to arrive at your social media and to see blurry photos that don’t make sense. Your social media might be their first impression of you, so make sure it has a fighting chance!
Every phone camera has the ability to focus before you snap that photo. So make sure that you understand how to use that feature. On an iPhone, you just lightly tap the screen where you want the focus to be and it automatically focuses for you.
In low light, the camera will generally have a harder time. In harsh light, it won’t know if it should expose for the shade or the sun. So, sometimes you have to tell it! Play around with this feature but make sure that the photos you are using and posting are in focus. If they are focused, this is one less hurdle you have to leap through in order to attract your target audience.
3. Slow Down & Think It Through
Social media moves very quickly. It can often feel like you need to post anything and do it NOW in order to not miss out on your opportunity. But, I want to encourage you to slow down and think it all through a little bit. What’s five extra minutes in the grand scheme of things?
Slowing down to think through your post and to articulate your exact message will go way further than haphazardly posting just to post. Take a few minutes, think through what you’re posting and also WHY you’re posting it. Don’t wait too long that you don’t end up posting! But pausing for a second to make sure it represents your brand well is very beneficial.
4. Utilize What You Already Have
You do not need anything fancy in order to effectively communicate your message on social media. Truthfully? More and more people want to see REAL lives and an honest glimpse into reality. You don’t need to rent a house and take three months worth of photos in one day to be effective on social media.
Even though, that DOES sound fun! Ha!
Keep it simple. Show gratitude for what you currently have. Allow people into the struggle, the mundane, and the ordinary. Let them watch you grow. They will see the ups and downs of building a business and while YOU are in control of what you share and when you share it, it will be REAL.
Take a glance around your current home, office, city, state. Use what’s already there right now. There are so many things you can do right now. You truly don’t need much! Just start with what you have, be grateful you have it, and get to work!
5. Focus On Your Target Audience
Spending time on photos and posts if they aren’t going to effectively reach your target audience is a waste of time. There will be many things that YOU want to post, but that your target audience doesn’t actually care about. It’s important to understand who your target audience is, what their pain points are, and then to craft a message on social media that will speak directly to THEM.
I have created Target Audience Worksheets for only $6.00 that will help you begin to discover who your target audience is. Not only that, but they will help you begin to formulate a social media plan as well. If you aren’t sure who your target audience is, it’s TIME to figure that out! Purchase these Target Audience Worksheets and let’s start targeting your dream customers today!
In conclusion, the quickest way to start taking better photos for social media is to look for good light, clear focus and keep it simple. Don’t overthink your photo taking skills. And iPhone IS enough. Your life IS interesting and your message WILL translate. Take a deep breath, slow down, and move towards quality over quantity. And look for the light!
Always look for the light.
Thanks for being here,
Jess xo
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