It’s true: getting “enough likes” and shares on social networks can be intimidating, especially if you are building your brand or marketing your company. It’s important to develop a strong sense of self-worth offline. According to McLean Hospital, social media is linked with anxiety and depression. Bloggers and social media users who depend on their platforms for a living, sharing their work, or simply expressing themselves relying on an engaged audience is essential.
You can boost your social media engagement and protect your well-being with the right approach.
You can do this by taking photos of yourself for your social media accounts or blog. Yes — even if you have zero experience. Photography is a creative outlet that will help you express yourself better while also increasing likes, comments, and shares.
According to the Content Marketing Institute, using images online can attract 2.3 times as much attention on Facebook and 1.5 times on Twitter. Hubspot also reports that visuals in posts can help readers retain up to 55% more information.
You can learn to take great photos with your smartphone or DLSR, and you’ll have a lot of fun.
1. Create a plan of action.
Before you change your social sharing habits, take a moment to evaluate your current situation, your desired future state, and your plan for getting there.
Set goals.
Take a look at your current audience engagement and decide where you want to be within a year. Don’t just focus on the numbers. You can also set more creative or practical goals to get you outside of your comfort zone, such as posting regularly.
Start Simple
Decide on your first step. Some people will update their blog template with a brand-new design or create new social media accounts. Others may need to decide on a theme or style for their photos. If you aren’t sure where to begin, play around with creative apps and get inspired to create beautiful images using your smartphone.
Shift the mouse as necessary.
It’s okay if some of your experiments don’t turn out the way you hoped. As you gain more experience, be willing to adapt and change. Keep experimenting, and you will find what works.
2. Take a look at some basic photography techniques.
Even if you’re only using photography for social media and blogs, it can be a complex process. There are many online resources available for photographers of all levels. As you begin, here are some essentials you need to know:
Lighting
You’ll want to take pictures that are not too dark or bright. It’s a good idea to take photos outside at sunset, sunrise, or on a cloudy or rainy day. Avoiding bright, direct light will give you softer and more flattering images.
Composition
Composition is an art, but anyone can learn it. Learn about composition techniques such as symmetry and the rule of thirds before you start shooting. Composition is not perfect, but knowing how to compose well can make all the difference.
Gear
The lens you select can make or ruin a photo, whether you are using a DSLR or film camera. You’ll be glad you did when you know which lenses are best for street, landscape, and portrait photography.
Even if you are using a smartphone to take photos, you should invest in a sturdy tripod so that you can capture self-portraits or other types of pictures where stability is key.
Editing
With the right tools, you can make a bad picture look better. You don’t have to be a techie to create a great photo. Try using free and easy-to-use photo editing software to see how far you can push your photos.
Professional editing software, which is portable, can improve the editing of your photos and videos.
3. Push your creative boundaries.
After you’ve mastered the basics of photography, you can experiment with different looks and equipment until you discover your unique style. Both professional and amateur photographers can benefit by doing things differently, especially in the crowded space of social media and blogs.
Here are some tips to help you get out of your comfort zone and take more interesting photos:
Define your style
You don’t have to stick to one style of photography to get the best out of your social media images. It can be useful to have an idea of the visual styles you prefer. A blogger may decide to use surreal photography, which would work well with abstract photography. It might be less logical to include photojournalistic photos if the blogger’s style revolves around turning the world upside-down.
You can challenge yourself by choosing a theme for a certain period. You could, for example, photograph the same subjects each season. You can also choose to shoot in a specific colour palette, like jewel tones, pastels or black and white. Check out these great online resources to help you find the perfect colour palette for your feed.
Learn new skills.
Try new techniques to keep yourself and your audience interested. You’re used to taking pictures outside in the daylight. Try night photography. You may have gained experience with digital cameras. Try film. Try experimenting with both physical and digital media. Go wild with your digital paintbrushes and acrylic paints.
Measure Your Success
After some time, take a look back at your progress and celebrate. It’s likely that the effort and time you spent creating stunning photos paid off. Re-evaluate the goals that you set when you started your journey. You may not have achieved all your goals yet. Consider what you could do differently.
Take care of yourself.
It takes work to maintain an online presence and develop your photography skills. As important as social media and blogs may seem, it’s only one part of your life. Take breaks as needed, ask for help from friends and family, and never stop enjoying yourself.
What you learn from your photos is more valuable than how many people like and share them.
