If you are finding that your marketing is becoming a little stake, you will likely be looking for new ways to add that sense of intrigue and interest to your projects. Marketing a business is a complex thing which can be done in many different ways, but if you want to really grab the attention of your audience, the best thing you can do is use imagery.
If you want to find out more about the different types of marketing you can create with images, you need to do your research online: specifically on social media. Social media is a marketing powerhouse, and it is the home of images which you need to take advantage of. If you don’t know too much about photography or you don’t have an SLR camera, don’t worry! You can create some amazing marketing images from your smartphone using these tips.
Light it up
The single most important concept of photography is light. Photography is the practice of capturing light on film and bringing things to life forever. When you take a photograph, the sensors inside your lens are detecting light, transmitting it to your machine and creating an image from it. Because of this, lighting is the first thing you need to address if you want to take first class photos. Your phones camera will have a feature known as a flash: you should avoid this at all costs. Although the flash used on an SLR camera can enhance an image, the one in your mobile device is not made in the same way. The idea behind taking a great image is using natural light. Whenever you are setting up a photograph you should do it infront of a window and in the light. This will allow you to capture the best quality photos you can.
Stay Simple
When you see flat lays on Instagram which bloggers have taken, you might try to excitedly recreate this and end up with a mess of props and colours which just looks confusing. The key to creating a great image and a great flat lay is to keep things simple. You don’t want any more than 3 colours in your image if you can help it, and try to keep the backdrop as simple as you can. If you can stick to a simple combination of 3 in all of your images you will end up with much more clean, professional looking photographs to use for your campaigns. You can even change the colours during different times of the year to indicate new seasons if you like- this type of photography always draws people in.
Get Up Close And Personal
The key to a great image is to make the most of your subject. The subject could be a new product, a person or even an object which you want to focus on. The trick to getting the best quality image is to make sure that your subject is in the front and centre of your frame. If you are using a mobile phone or take a photograph of your subject, tap on them to put them in focus and this will allow them to be the focal point of your image. Again, try your best here to keep the background uncluttered so that the soul focus of your image can be in your subject.
Put It In Focus!
One of the most important things you need to remember when you are taking a photograph is to make sure that it is in focus. Tap that screen if you are using your phone and focus the lens if you are using a camera. The last thing you want to come across is a messy, blurry image at the end of the day when you come to edit it.
Install An App
Although every phone comes with a built in camera app, these apps won’t always give you enough features to create the most amazing images you can. There are actually plenty of camera apps online which you can install onto your phone which will allow you to better control things such as editing, lighting and focus. One particular app which is a great addition to your phone is Camera+.
Wipe Your Lens
If you seem to be taking photographs and they always turn out slightly blurred or fuzzy, you may need to give your lens a quick wipe. Remember that when you are handling your phone everyday it will over time become a little bit greasy and dusty, which means that when you come to take your photos they will be dirty and in need of a wipe.
The Rule Of Thirds
One of the most basic rules in photography is the rule of thirds. Basically this is a rule which helps you to vary your shots because it tells you not to place your subject in the centre of the frame. Instead you could place it in the bottom centre, top centre, to the right or to the left. The idea is to give your photography more character and allow your images to show more variation and interest to the eye.
Change Your Angles
Sometimes the key to getting a winning image is to simply change the angle tout are shooting the image from. Let’s say you have a person who you want to take a photograph of, and they are stood on the beach in front of the sun. There are three different types of shots you can get from this which don’t involve moving the subject or having them front and centre:
Looking up: A technique which can work brilliantly if you want to change up your photography style and add some interest to the piece is to crouch on the floor and shoot up at your subject. For this shot in particular. Try and make sure the sun is behind their head as you make this shot and this will add some interesting silhouette features to the photo.
Looking down: Sometimes when you are taking a photograph it can be fun to stand slightly above your subject and shoot down towards them. You can tell your subject to look up directly at the camera in this shit and it will give a lovely effect.
From the side: not all photos need to have a subject facing your way. Sometimes a great way to make a fun image is to change things up and show them from the side or the back instead. This can be partially helpful if you are a fashion brand who wants to show of an outfit.
Selfies
Although not the most conventional type of image you might pick for a branded shot: the humble selfie can actually add a sense of fun and life to your business and marketing. For example, if you want to sell the idea of a fun holiday abroad, you could have someone holding a selfie stick to take a fun photo in front of the beach or eating an ice cream. Shots like this are more informal and be pc a use of this they show more of your personality. As a brand this can be brilliant because your customers will relate to you much more.
Horizontal For Videos
If you plan on incorporating some elements of video into your marketing strategy too, you need to make sure that you hold your phone horizontally and not in portrait. The reason for this is that when you look to upload videos to either YouTube or your website, you will end up with black lines on either side of the video, which just looks unprofessional.
Panorama
If you want to give a fun spin on your marketing and try out something new, you can utilise the panorama feature of your camera. This could be used if you ever move into a new office and want to share it with your followers or if you have a new range of items to show off. Panoramas are fun, they are different and I’ve your marketing a little more of an edge.
Shoot A Burst
If you ever plan to take a photograph of a fast moving object or person, the best feature you can use is the photo burst on your phone. This will allow you to take hundreds of photos in a few seconds and be less likely to miss out on the perfect shot. You can scroll through these photos afterwards and choose the best one which captures that all important action moment.
Don’t Use Filters
Since filters became a thing on our photo editing software, we have all fallen victim to using them and ending up with hideously overexposed images. The trick to a good quality image is editing, not filters. You need to enhance your photo and make sure that the best features show. A great app for this is Snapseed which is a photo editing tool by Google. It’s free, gives you a ton of options when editing and leaves you with great quality photographs.
Social Media Council offers resources, Trade Finance, business advice, SME Finance and a forum and directory for businesses! If you are looking to pitch a story, please approach the editorial staff directly. Press releases, story ideas or contributor requests sent to this email address will not be forwarded along. Read the latest and get live updates.