A Better Way to Make Killer Content for Instagram
The big problem with trying to constantly come up with content for social media is that it can consume a lot of time and energy. Here’s a better way to do it.
I have to be honest and say that I find social media a chore. If you’re not careful, it can begin to take over your life when you really should be using that time on actual photography projects. The good news is that you can have your cake and eat it too. Filmmaker and creative director Tyler Babin was facing a similar problem when he decided to switch things up and create content in batches instead. In his latest video, Babin dedicates one day to produce a week’s worth of images for Instagram and takes us along for the ride. He talks through the planning and thought process behind each image as well as including some handy behind the scenes tips along the way. I like how he changes his outfits between shots to help give the illusion that the work was produced on different days. It’s only a small change but little things like that can stop your audience from having that “déjà vu” feeling when they look at your content. It also stops people from thinking you only own one outfit!
Self-portraits, flat lays, throwback images, promotional posts, and continuation of existing work are the themes for the content that Babin creates during the video. This is a well-rounded selection of ideas that can easily be applied to whatever area of photography you work in. Variety is the spice of life and the same should apply to your content too.
Babin ends the video discussing the benefits of pursuing quantity over quality in the content he has just batched out. While we are used to hearing this concept phrased the other way around, there are some merits to gaining experience and understanding through the act of producing large volumes of work. There is always a risk of spreading yourself too thinly with these exercises but seven images in one day seems like a good balance in my opinion. The other great thing about producing work in batches is that it should help your content to look more consistent which is often what many accounts are lacking. We batch out all kinds of things in our lives so why not claw back some time and energy and do the same for social media too.
