How Can High Quality Photos and Videos Improve Your Social Media Strategy?

Depending on your social media feed, high-quality photos and videos may not be the first words that spring to mind with the content you come across. (We’re looking at you, Uncle Howard – the half-face selfies while grilling hot dogs aren’t necessarily the most fascinating images we’ve seen on the internet.) But when it comes to promoting your business, high-quality photos and videos should be the only form of quality when it comes to your company’s Social Media Marketing.

For starters, there’s the sharing aspect of social media to consider. There are approximately 684,478 pieces of content shared on Facebook every minute, while 80 million photos are posted on Instagram every day. Out of all that content shared, what motivates someone to share it across their own social media accounts? Perhaps professionally shot, edited, and managed images and videos might have a higher probability of being engaged than ol’ Uncle Howard’s infamous grill selfies?

Then there’s the content within the photos or videos that’s there to consider. Educational or resourceful videos that are professionally shot and edited not only do wonders for boosting your company’s credibility but also help drum up engagement across social media platforms.

In the end, there are a variety of ways high-quality photos and videos can improve your social media strategy, boost your online presence, and generate more active leads. We sat down with Digital Media team at Triton Commerce, to talk about why creating compelling and superior visual content is so crucial to any company’s social media strategy.

Read on for tips to help your business better understand the importance of professional images and videos for successful social media campaigns!

What are the benefits of using real-life photos in Social Media posts?

Real-life photos help your business's posts blend in better on your customer's feed. You'd think blending in would be the opposite of what you want! But social media users are pretty used to the kinds of photos you see most often – taken with a phone, often off the cuff, and spontaneous – and if you're using something more stock for your ad, it's going to stick out as something that isn't what they're on the app to look at. Real-life photos also let you develop your social media personality!

Do you have any advice on taking quality photos for social media use?

The most important thing to know about a cell phone camera, in our opinion, is that the zoom function is not your friend. On a phone camera, zoom really ought to be called “crop,” because that's all you're doing – cropping down the part of the sensor you're using to take the photo. Don't be afraid to get up close and personal when taking pictures with a phone! It's how they're designed to work.

Apart from that, get familiar with the Pro functions your phone offers. Being able to set your own exposure, white balance, and focus will allow you a lot more creative control and help to make sure that the shot is exposed and focused on what you want to take a picture of, not what the phone automatically thinks you're taking a photo of.

What are the benefits of using video in social media posts?

On almost every social platform, video posts get a slight organic reach boost over photo or text posts. This is because when you build your app (and business model) around the amount of time someone spends on the platform, videos are inherently better at holding someone's attention in place than a photo or text story.

While that's reason enough for some people, video is also just a far more engaging way to connect with your audience. Video can be a great way to answer common questions your customers have, introduce new products or specials, as well as a way to reinforce your branding and company message.

What's your best advice for creating quality video to use on social media?

There are two schools of thought on this, both equally valid in different situations. Some people believe the best thing to do is shoot scrappy and off the cuff, using whatever tools and resources you have to show who you are and engage with your audience immediately. Others believe a thoughtful strategy with reusable assets like titles and graphics, dedicated setups with a more powerful camera and ring light, or even a small “stage” where you can do YouTube-style content is the best approach.

Ultimately, which of these paths is the correct one comes down to your business and which style works best for your brand. Some industries and companies make for excellent off-the-cuff content, like the construction or home services industries. Others, like retail or professional services, benefit more from a polished, planned approach.

How can high-quality photos and video benefit businesses trying to promote themselves on social media?

It's been said a lot now to the point that it's cliche, but the nature of commerce turning so heavily towards the internet really puts almost every company in the position of needing high-quality media to compete for attention. Photo and video assets that put your best foot forward as a company aren't just cool things to have – they're vital sales tools.

As social media has evolved over the past 10 years from largely text based message boards to full fledged media companies, high-quality photos and videos are an important resource for any business looking to successfully market themselves there.

Need Help Creating Standout Photo and Video Content?

We’re here to help! At Triton Commerce, our goal is to ensure that your company’s digital marketing campaign is as competitive and successful as possible. Contact our team today to get started learning more about our professional photography and video production services, so your social media strategy can truly stand out!