Taking pictures for social media seems easy enough. You point, click, and post, right? But it is not as easy as it may seem. To optimize the performance of your social media posts, there are some tips and tricks of the trade that you need to know.
Before the onset of smartphones, taking pictures for social media only meant you needed to worry about what your images would look like on a web browser. Now, with 98% of users accessing social media platforms from their phones, you need to be creating your media with mobile in mind.
Your smartphone is one of the greatest tools for capturing photos for your social media content. In this post, we’ll guide you through taking quality pictures with your phone to make your social media content stand out from competitors.
Stand-Alone Photos
Creating a stand-alone post means that you will be posting the pictures without adding any text or graphics to them. When taking images for a stand-alone post, the first thing you need to pay attention to is the orientation and aspect ratio of your pictures.
Your phone will automatically set the aspect ratio to 4:3 when taking vertical pictures. Depending on what platform you are posting on, there will be different recommendations on orientation and aspect ratio. Be sure to use the guide below for your photo specs.
Another important consideration when posting stand-alone images is the caption. You want the caption to have enough information to catch consumers’ attention, but not so much as they feel as if they are reading a novel. You also want to make sure your caption has the correct keywords, or buzzwords, to give your post the best chance of being clicked on and shared.
Other tips to keep in mind when taking stand-alone pictures
Use the features that come built into your phone
Take advantage of both the portrait and live mode features. The portrait mode will give you professional and high-quality images, while the live feature is especially helpful when taking photos of moving targets.
Take more photos than necessary
It’s always a good idea to take multiple photos with multiple orientations. If you take more photos than you need, the chances are you’ll have more than enough photos to choose from for your post.
Photos for Graphics
One of the best ways to inform your social media audience of what’s happening with your company is with the use of a graphic. Graphic posts differ from stand-alone posts in that the most important information is found directly on the picture itself. The post may still include a caption, but the vital information is there without having to read a caption.
When taking pictures for graphics, you’ll want to make sure that you turn your phone horizontally and leave some empty space (about two-thirds of the image) to put a logo and text. Make sure that you place the logo and text where it’s easy for users to see and read.
See also: Photography Tips for Marketing
Recommended Social Media Image Sizes
Different social media platforms have different image sizes that allow posts to look their best.
If you’re posting on Facebook, you’ll want your photo to have a 16:9 aspect ratio or 1920 x 1080 pixels.
For an Instagram photo, you’ll want the aspect ratio to be 1:1 or 1080 x 1080 pixels. Instagram stories should look a bit different, with an aspect ratio of 9:16 or 1080 x 1920 pixels.
Finally, the aspect ratio for Linkedin should be 16:9 or 1920 x 1080 pixels.
If you’re looking for a social media marketing company to assist you in your content creation strategy, contact us at Klout 9. Our team at Klout 9 is here to help make your social media content stand out from the crowd. Call us for a free consultation!