Recently I was in the studio with artist SARRA who was shooting a video for her new single Natural. The layers of creativity and inspiration that goes into writing, recording, then shooting a video for a song is simply mind boggling. But I’ll save that for another blog post, here’s what I was inspired by and wanted to share with you this week…
A performer tells her story through the creation and performance of a song – it’s beautiful. Then, when it’s all done, just like you, she has to market her “product”. An artist has to tell their story beyond the bounds of the art they have created. Marketers (business owners) are no different. After you create your product, service or business, the challenge is on to tell the world. And believe me, no matter what playing field you are on, you have to get skin in the game if you want to make an impact. You have to put yourself out there and be relentless with what works.
We are all story tellers
The way you accomplish sharing your story is multi-faceted. The tools and apps are plentiful and the playing field is open for those who will apply them, it all depends on you. Telling a story is how you will get people to remember you. It’s just like a hit song – you need a good hook, a relatable sound and message, and have a recognizable image. You take all that and apply it with a consistent message targeted to your unique audience, and voilà!
Telling your story on Instagram
One glance at an Instagram feed and I will know your business. Two glances and I will know if I want to see more of you. That’s about it – two glances is all you get. Building your feed needs to consist of quality images that visually tell the story of who you are and what you are doing – your BRAND IMAGE. Easy for physical products, but more challenging for those intangibles, or service businesses. For service industries, YOU will ultimately become the brand look of the feed. I’m not talking about an influencer account where it’s all selfies in new outfits, instead I mean YOUR style, your voice, and of course your chosen BRAND IMAGE.
Like this…
If you are a Realtor, tell your story with photos of your listings, inside dream kitchens, or in the penthouse toasting with a view. Give me stories of walking through a fabulous home, hosting a pool party at an open house, or action shots of staging a home before it goes on the market. All wrapped up in your brand colors, tone and image.
This is INSTAGRAM, we are talking about images that catch the eye and tell a story.
If you are a restaurant, tell the photolicious stories of your food, the atmosphere of your cafe, and unforgettable vibe. No one can resist mouthwatering images of food, and when displayed within an irresistible view of the ambiance, it’s nothing but score!
Are you a Corporate brand? Then share the story of your company through images of your team, creative pics of your office and people at work. Get out-of-the-box with your product shots. Don’t be boring! Get outside the corporate mindset and focus on your people… put a personality and face behind that company logo.
The story you are telling is the story of your passion, what you love.
Whatever industry you are in, I believe that great compositions and enticing photography will attract like-minded people [prospective clients]. Get someone to help you with this. Hire a photographer for a shoot and then use those images through strategically planned posts throughout the year. It’s always effective to work from a storehouse of images and information about your business, product, or service. This is where a blog comes in handy and works in tandem with your InstaBranding. Create blog posts that tell your story, instruct, educate and entertain and illustrate them with great photos that can be shared on Instagram and your other social networks.
And always, always, have fun!
Sandy Hibbard Creative offers INSTABranding – a turn-key service to handle your Instagram marketing. We will curate, create, and manage your Instagram accounts. Contact Sandy for details and pricing.
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