Modern Currency

Category: Social Media Photography

  • HOW TO CREATE MEANINGFUL VIDEO CONTENT FOR YOUR CLIENTS

    HOW TO CREATE MEANINGFUL VIDEO CONTENT FOR YOUR CLIENTS

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    Whether you’re a marketing agency, a freelancer, or an in-house creative team, creating meaningful video content for your clients can make a significant impact on their brand and bottom line. So how do we start?

     

    Be clear with your intention.

    What do you hope to achieve with your video? Are you trying to entertain, educate, inspire, or inform? If your intention is to entertain, focus on creating engaging content involving choppy cuts, emojis, and upbeat music. If your intention is knowledge sharing, think about a slower video, a soft background track to set the scene with a voice over and the correct captions. Having a clear intention will guide your content creation process and ensure that your video serves a specific goal.

     

    Pay attention to the quality of your footage.

    Is your camera clean? It takes 2 seconds! Please clean your camera and avoid any foggy shots! Other things to consider are lighting and alignment. Avoid any kind of backlight when shooting. Work WITH what mother nature gave us, but pay attention to the shadows. In terms of alignment, a great tip is to always have the grids on in your iPhone camera settings. This provides structure and is super helpful when framing your shots.

     

    Tell your story in the right order

    I work with a lot of hospitality clients. If I’m creating a start to finish restaurant video, I always recreate what a customer would experience when dining at the restaurant. If the order of content is mixed, it gets quite confusing when trying to sense the aesthetic of the place. My foolproof video sequence is: a couple of exterior shorts, opening of the main door, pan of the interior , birds eye view of how tables are set, wine pour or drink shot, food being served and finally, cutting into the food.

     

    Curating meaningful video content for your client combines creativity, strategy, and a deep understanding of your client’s goals and audience. Remember to stay attuned to the ever-evolving trends on Instagram and TikTok, and remain flexible in your approach. After all, you can never really know what will be an overnight viral success.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • HOW TO ACHIEVE ON-BRAND PHOTOGRAPHY FOR YOUR CLIENTS

    HOW TO ACHIEVE ON-BRAND PHOTOGRAPHY FOR YOUR CLIENTS

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    Firstly, what is brand photography?

    To put it simply, it’s a collection of images that aim to visually tell a brand’s story –  their beliefs, values and the type of client experience they can expect to encounter with you. This visual identity is achieved through colours, sets, props, models and textures — just to name a few!

    If you want to ace your client’s brand photography, you’ll need a range of top-notch images that give their social media and other marketing materials a cohesive look that lasts. So let’s get into it.

     

    Why is brand photography important?

     

    In today’s world, visuals matter more than ever. The images on your social media can determine whether a user quickly returns to scrolling or sticks around to dive into the content.

     

    Here are 6 key reasons why a strong visual identity is essential on Social Media:

    1. It establishes your brand identity: On-brand photography ensures a brand’s personality matches their message, product offering and values.
    2. First impressions matter: Professional and on-brand photos create a positive first impression, establishing credibility with potential customers, particularly those who may have this as their first introduction to the brand.
    3. Consistency assists brand recognition: Ensuring the visuals are consistent across social media and other marketing platforms allows customers to easily recognise and trust the brand.
    4. Emotional Connection: Great content connects with its audience on a personal level, making the brand more relatable, leading to brand loyalty.
    5. Increased Engagement: Well-crafted images are more likely to be shared on social media and engage the desired audience, expanding the brand’s reach.
    6. Competitive Edge: In a world where looks matter, on-brand photos can make a brand stand out from the crowd and bring in potential customers.

    How can I achieve on-brand photography?

     

    Know the brand: First off, get to know your client’s brand inside and out. Ask your client if they can supply you with their brand book or branding guidelines – this is key, and will determine how you approach the photography itself as well as post production.

    Plan, plan plan: Create a shot list – where, when, who and what brand elements need to go in each shot. Creating a moodboard can also really help to visualise the look and feel of the photoshoot (and is great fun to create too!) Make sure you curate a list of any extra props you might need – this includes extra lighting and equipment.Edit consistently: Always refer back to the clients brand book. If your client doesn’t have specific branding guidelines make sure to have a conversation with them about what they want and what their expectations are.

    Ask for feedback: Feel free to have an open conversation with your client and ask them what they think. Don’t be afraid of constructive criticism – when you actively seek feedback, you show that you care about delivering the best possible service. Plus, it’s a great way to build a stronger connection with your clients. So, just ask, listen, and learn!

    Achieving engaging and high-quality brand photography is all about capturing a brand’s essence through carefully curated visuals. It’s not just about making things look good; it’s the key to making a great first impression, and getting people to stop scrolling in today’s digital era. Happy snapping![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • KNOW YOUR CONTENT PILLARS

    KNOW YOUR CONTENT PILLARS

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    Building a brand can be daunting, and trying to stay relevant can sometimes feel as though you are constantly reinventing yourself.

    “][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/4″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]

    When it comes to having an online presence – whether it is for a brand, individual influencer or content creator – it is crucial to establish and maintain content pillars. Our content pillars are our overarching topics and themes that center around a brand or individual’s identity, core values and objectives.

    Our content pillars are what set us apart from our competitors and are what we use to create an engaged and trusting audience to buy our products or services. When introducing a brand or an individual to an audience, it’s all about consistency, you want to give your audience the opportunity to understand why they are following you, and what they are getting out of it. By staying consistent, we can also maintain a level of reliability.

    Content pillars are also imperative when it comes to content planning and strategy. It gives a brand or influencer a steady stream of content that is relevant, valuable to your audience, and begins to establish you as an authority within your industry. While it will provide you with a framework, you still have the ability to explore various angles and styles while still staying true to overarching themes.

    So, as an example, let’s create content pillars for a skincare brand. This skincare brand offers 5-6 affordable products, utilizes only natural ingredients, and focuses on minimizing breakouts, with a focus on an audience of younger females.

    1. Education – Educating the audience on the ingredients, the benefits of the product, how to use them and when to use them. This pillar would be great for video content to show skincare routines, a walk through of the key benefits of a product, and before and after examples.

    2. Customer stories and testimonials – This is going to be what drives sales the most, as it demonstrates your audience of potential customers how well the product actually works.

    3. Lifestyle – Creating a lifestyle community can bring people across the health and wellness space together. Sharing different recipes, ingredients and exercise that promote a healthy lifestyle and assist with having good skin further adds to messaging around the brand’s core values.

    4. The product – Ensure your audience is familiar with the brand by placing the product, brand colors and logos in as many frames as possible. This helps with brand recognition and authenticity.

    5. Promotions and offerings – This doesn’t have to be a large part of the brand, but anytime there is a bundle or a sale it is a great way to entice new customers who have hesitated to make a purchase.

    6. Trends and pop culture tie-ins – As we are targeting Gen Z and Millennials, it always helps to make the brand as relatable as possible. Talk about things that are trending or utilize music and visuals that are popular at that time. For example, many Gen Z and Millennials love Hailey Bieber, and are always following along with her latest skincare and makeup tips and trends – this would be great to re-share with your audience and demonstrate how your product could replicate the look or routine.

    Building a brand can be daunting, and trying to stay relevant can sometimes feel as though you are constantly reinventing yourself. By sticking to your content pillars, you minimize any risk of drifting from your core messaging, and ensure consistency for your audience. It provides structure and helps you navigate the digital space, while still allowing you to adapt and evolve as your brand does.

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