You have worked out a year’s worth of content; you have awareness days, events, promotions and a big arsenal of motivational quotes! The next step is working our your visuals. What will you actually use to go with each of yours ideas? Every single (working) day, you will need yet another pictures to post. Here are four pointers that might help:

1. Be clear on what your message is

It might be “pan cake day”, but what will your message be? If you are into health and fitness, maybe you want to promote a healthy variation of pancakes? If you are selling home ware, you might want to focus on the plates to eat the pan cakes from. If you are a life coach, you might want to focus on the mindful elements of making pan cakes and taking a bit of time out.
Once you know what your message is, it is much easier to work out what image to choose, and enables you to chose a far stronger images than just a picture of pancakes! You might want your picture to look like a healthy pancake, maybe a recipe. You can make sure the pan cake is on the plate you sell. And for the mindfulness coach, your picture could be of pancakes on a tray, with a candle and a book, shouting calmness…. Remember often people will only look at your pictures and not read the text, so make sure your images have a clear message.

2. Choose your visual format

What is the best way to communicate your message? With a still image, a video or a graphic? All the forecasts say that everything is moving towards video, and especially short videos, so worth considering if there is a video option. Video could just be a little animation, or a time-lapse or a behind the scenes, there is a whole world beyond Facebook live and long promotional videos.

3. Consider your brand

Before you get swayed by a pretty stock image, consider if it ties in with your brand. Be consistent with your brand colours, fonts, icons and layout. Also think about the voice of your brand, are you funny, corporate or emotional, and then reflect that in your visuals. Could you perhaps create your own original image? Your mobile phone is fine, and with a bit of planning it won’t take you long.

4. Batch & Plan

Batching is your friend! Set a date and time for creating all the content (images & video) you will need for the next month, or maybe everything you will need for a specific promo.

:: Work out what props you will need, to go with your message.
:: What background or location will you use?
:: What gear will you need. Your phone, maybe you need a little holder and tripod, maybe a remote trigger?
:: Will you need models? Choose the kind of models that you want to sell to.
:: What will you wear, if you are going to be in the pictures?

Nothing makes life easier than a library of ready to go images. Images that are all on brand, and specific for your messages, so all you have to do it post them! That’s it, I hope you have found a little tip in there that you can use 🙂