5 Tips to Improve Your Photos for Social Media

Follow these Best Practices for Better Social Media Photos

Builder Team Photo

You’ve probably heard by now that the Facebook newsfeed has recently launched a significant update. (If not, check out our blog!) Facebook is now prioritizing business pages and posts based on how much engagement they receive from their followers. Now, more than ever, you need to grab your followers’ attention, so they’re more likely to engage with your content.

Did you know that people are 10x more likely to engage with a social media post that has a photo/visual? Let’s make sure your efforts are being maximized with high-quality photos that your followers will love. Here are 5 helpful tips to improve your photos for social media:

1. Have a goal.

We highly encourage lots of photo taking throughout the homebuilding process. But as you are capturing various photos, ask yourself, “What is the goal?” Are you showing off the size of a homesite? Pointing out a specific feature? Showing your team in action? Also ask yourself, “Is this image interesting?” or “Would it spark a conversation or reaction?”

All of the images you’re posting on social media should help achieve a certain goal AND encourage followers to interact. Simply posting a bunch of content to your page for the sake of posting will only discourage engagement and hurt your page’s ranking in news feeds.

2. Consider your audience.

Photos for Social MediaEach social media platform garners a slightly different audience and demographic. Users are searching for specific things on each one. For Facebook, people are more attracted to helpful information about your business, as well as an authentic look at your team and culture. Whereas Instagram, the photo-centric platform, urges visually appealing content that reaches a younger demographic. When you’re thinking about who you’re trying to target, ask yourself things like: What’s the value in this photo to our homebuyers? Which parts of our homes will appeal to that specific buyer demographic?

Each of your homes or communities may have a different audience you need to consider, too. If you’re advertising an active adult community, you probably won’t be doing so primarily on Instagram, unless you target the messaging toward the children of your buyers. If that’s the case, what imagery would they connect with to give their parents the lifestyle they deserve? Try to think like your buyer (or their kids) when you’re taking photos and planning your next post.

3. Avoid distractions.

Good Social Media PhotosTake a look at everything in the frame before you press the capture button. Is there anything that detracts from the image? As a builder, you’re often on homesites in the middle of a build, so construction equipment, dumpsters, unfinished landscaping, etc. aren’t uncommon. While these shots are awesome ways to give potential buyers a “behind the scenes” look at your process, you want to feature your job sites, homes, homeowners, and team members in the best light possible! Unruly grass or mounds of construction materials will only distract followers from the main goal of the image, and could leave a negative impression.

4. Check the quality.

Is your photo blurry? Is someone’s arm cropped out? Take the time to make sure the image is properly framed while you’re taking it. Even candid photos need a little staging to make sure there’s nothing big taking away from your photo. Also, make sure it’s colorful! Is the image, bright and inviting? Or dark and dull? You want to evoke emotion with your followers; just make sure it’s the right one! A little clarity and color go a long way.

5. Show off your people.

It’s always a good idea to see if you can incorporate a team member or homeowner into the shot. Images with people tend to perform better on social media channels. Why? Because users are following you on these outlets to see the faces behind your company. While you need a good balance of quality product photography in your strategy as well, social media is primarily a channel for relationship building.

Also, try to tag the team members and homeowners that are featured in your images. Even local businesses or events that you attend should be tagged to showcase the local area and your community involvement in the regions that you build.Company Team Photo

These helpful tips will make it easier to snap a quality photo, so you’ll have lots of great content to incorporate into your social media strategy.  Remember, the average person’s attention span is ONLY 8 seconds… so how will you stand out amongst the social media clutter?

To learn more about what content you should be posting, or for help managing your social media strategy, we’d love to chat, so contact us!

 

 

By Katie Seibert –
Account Manager

 

 

 

 

 

 

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