It can be easy to get into a rut when it comes to posting on social media. No matter how often your brand runs deals, unveils new offerings, or offers specials, sometimes your content feels stale and repetitive. There are, however, plenty of creative ways to keep your content feeling fresh. And the good news is, you don’t always need a professional photo shoot to do it. Here are some ways to freshen up your posts, both by repurposing old content and creating new content.
Repurposing Old Content
Just because a given photo or graphic has already been posted to your channel, does not mean that it can never be used again without feeling repetitive. You can rework images you already have to fit new purposes, and bring new life to them. Editing can work wonders for your social media platforms. Here are a few ways you can edit your pictures to breathe new life into them.
Seasonal and Holiday Content
Get with the times! Seriously, cater your content to the seasons, upcoming holidays, and major events in your area. This is a great way to keep your content from feeling like the same thing over and over, because it is specific to what is currently happening in the world. Even if you can’t take new holiday-specific photos, this can be done through editing your current images. Edit photos in springtime to be vibrant and bright, fall to be more muted with warm colors, and winter to focus on cooler colors and shades of blue. Add graphics for national holidays, or edit relevant items into the background. Add a snowman, a pumpkin, or a cornucopia to provide some seasonal flair to your posts.
Change Backdrop
Another simple way to make your photos look brand-new is by changing the background. This simple editing technique works wonders in completely changing the vibe and aesthetic of an image! It may be the exact same product front and center, but a new backdrop means a whole new world in a photo.
Add a Graphic
Sometimes to reuse a photo, it is as simple as adding a border, a logo in the corner, or some other small and simple design element! Use your company’s branding guidelines to create graphics out of your pre-existing photos. This can be a minor addition, but make a major difference. And if you’re running a special deal on one of your offerings, you can even just take an image you already have and overlay the details of the special offer on it. Easy!
Generating New Content
As great as reusing content can be, you can only edit and tweak and rework an image so many times before it just can’t be reused anymore. In these cases, the only way to give your social media a fresh look is by creating new content. Here are a few ways to get content beyond just standard close-up product photos.
Crowdsource photos from customers
There’s no reason you need to create all your content yourself. Fans and customers are often a great source of content, as they want to share their experiences with their own friends and followers as well. Even if they are not professional photographers, many of your followers can, and probably do, snap very aesthetically pleasing photos of your offerings. Take advantage of these!
Always ask for permission, and then repost some of your favorite photos from your audience. Those who are chosen will likely feel proud and feel a stronger connection with your brand. These real-life photos can also feel more authentic than a perfectly staged photo, and breathe some humanity into your brand, making it feel more authentic and relatable.
Lifestyle Photos
Speaking of authenticity, you should strive to inject this into the content you are creating for your business as well. Instead of just grabbing product shots, snap some photos of your offerings in action. These types of pictures look drastically different than a staged photo, and can really vary the look of your social media channels quite easily. Include people in your photos, shoot in different locations (both indoor and outdoor if possible), and vary how close up or far away your shots are.
Combine multiple offerings in one photo
So whether you’re able to take new pictures or just need to repurpose old ones, there are plenty of ways to keep your social media content from feeling stale. Freshen things up with fun editing, seasonal themes, crowdsourcing, and creative photoshoots that go beyond the expected. Your social media accounts will have a whole new life breathed into them in no time at all!
