Do’s and Don'ts: Photos & Social Media

Building a brand on social media starts with photos. In order to create that ~vibe~ you’re going for, it is important to recognize which elements make photos succeed on social media. Boost your social media game with these simple do’s and don'ts of posting photos. 

Do’s

• Always be branding. 

  • Consider every photo as a marketing opportunity, whether that be for your own personal brand or your company's brand. It takes a consumer seven–10 times to see your brand before it becomes memorable subconsciously, so make those count! Stay consistent and keep your brand cohesive throughout so that people are able to more easily identify who you are. 

• Use photos with faces in them.

  • Photos with faces in them get 38 percent more likes and 32 percent more comments on average than photos without them. Candid shots that showcase “in-the-moment” snapshots add a more human element to your brand.

• Trust the natural light. 

  • Natural sunlight is your best friend! 

• Be creative. 

  • Recent studies show that the average human attention span has decreased from 12 seconds to eight seconds (the goldfish has an attention span of nine seconds). Your photos should be memorable and make an impact in a short amount of time. Make each photo count!

• Maximize the caption. 

  • One of the benefits of social media is the ability for companies to control their vision, voice, and narrative from a marketing perspective. Using a "call to action" in the caption helps instigate action from your followers. Deliver a fun fact about your business and add a hyperlink or "link in bio" verbiage to prompt that action. 

Don'ts

• Use zoomed in, blurry, or low-resolution photos. 

  • Instead of zooming in when taking a photo, crop the image after you take it; this will prevent the image from getting too pixelated. Stay away from shots in which objects are moving quickly to avoid blurred figures. Below are the recommended image sizes and resolutions for various social media platforms: 

• Facebook - 1200 x 630 pixels (px)

• Instagram - 1080 x 1350 px

• Twitter - 1024 x 512 px

• LinkedIn - 1400 x 425 px

• Use unnatural filters or edit the photo too much. 

  • Use a light hand when it comes to editing. A couple of touch-up enhancements can go a long way. Followers will be less likely to engage with a post if they notice your photo does not look real or natural. 

• Put too much copy on your photo. 

  • Filling a photo with too much text can take away from the artistry. This can be okay if you are using a hashtag or logo within your graphic, however!

• Post photo collages. 

  • That trend has come and gone! Post multiple pictures that you swipe through instead. People like to interact with posts in this way. 

• Be afraid to have fun. 

  • Social media is a less serious space to showcase your brand. Show your company's personality and lifestyle through your photos. Have fun!