Tips to make your social media content stand out

Ever wondered how content creators and influencers make their content look so slick? The answer lies in the visual strategy and photography kit - including photography props. If you’re keen to improve the look of your social media photos, we’ve got you covered. Read on to learn how photography props can take your content from basic to pro.

Basically, it’s any type of online content that’s image based. We’re talking photos, videos, carousel posts, gifs, illustrations, infographics, animations, and memes.

Videos and photos have proven to be more engaging than purely text-based posts across nearly all internet platforms, so it’s important to get your visuals right. This means defining your overall visual strategy and investing in some photography accessories . And the good news is, you don’t need anything particularly flashy (pun intended)!

If you’re building a brand, blog or vlog, honing your aesthetic and visual content strategy is vital. Adding your own personal touch to your content can be the thing that helps your make-up tutorial stand out from the crowd. Not only does it need to be instantly recognisable and enticing, but it must also stand the test of time.

Kick things off by looking at the key elements like brand colours, fonts and a logo. Having a consistent colour palette or mood for your images doesn’t just make your feed look visually appealing, it also means your posts are instantly recognisable to your followers. It could be as simple as choosing a range of complementary backdrops hues or a particular font style and colour. Whatever you decide, your identity needs to have longevity and be able to flex with your brand, blog or vlog as it grows.

Do your research. Ask yourself: how does my competitors’ content look and feel? What’s their brand’s personality? Often, content creators in a particular industry have similar voices, looks, and feels, which gives you a chance to stand out. Don’t be afraid to be brave.

Finding the colours that work for your brand and content can be daunting. Ever spent days deliberating over paint swatches and samples? Then you’ll know what we mean. Our tip? Start with a neutral colour, which will act as your blank canvas. This could be anything from black to greys, browns, beiges or white.

A good way to test your colour palette is by experimenting with different paper backdrops. Coloured backdrops are ideal for creating smooth backgrounds for ‘talking head’ documentary-style vlogs – such as tutorials and short videos – or live streaming and vertical portraits. Just remember to make sure the paper is non-reflective and weightier than your average stock to avoid any show-through. Simply unroll what you need and you’re good to go. And the best bit? The ones from JOBY are recyclable and made from 75% recycled materials.

Once you’ve chosen your hues, you can build your own studio space using several different coloured backdrops.

It’s often helpful to think in terms of warm or cool colours, which can influence your entire palette. Blacks, browns, tans, golds and beige are considered warm, while white, ivory, silver, and grey are cooler in comparison. Next, add some pops of colour. These will be the main colours that represent your brand, so think about what you’ll be creating and how this influences colour. For example, fashion influencers might opt for neutral and muted tones while gaming or makeup vloggers might choose bright colours.

In basic terms, cool colours (blue and green, for example) tend to have a calming effect, while warm colours (reds and oranges) or neons tend to excite.

Adding props is another simple way to lift your content and create a sense of consistency across your images. There are two routes to creating your own props for photography: old-school physical cut-outs or the more polished digital props. Obviously, the former has a rough-and-ready aesthetic that you may not want if you’re building a slick brand. It all comes down to your visual identity.

In terms of digital options, there are complimentary online sites that you can use to design your own digital photo props. You’ll need to choose your paper size according to where you’re printing the props and if you want to print more than one on the page. Then decide your paper weight – thicker paper means the photography props won’t bend so easily. Choose your designs, upload any photographs and then simply download the photoshoot props as a pdf. Just remember to convert them to CMYK for physical printing, instead of RGB.

There are lots of affordable and accessible ways to personalise your content using simple household items as props for photography. You can also use props in photography to change your lighting.

Here are a few examples of items you can use to alter light:

• The underside of CDs can reflect or distort light
• Small lights like the Beamo Led Light can add shape, dimension and shadows

• Prisms/glass balls will create abstract distortion and create rainbow colours
• Fairy lights can create orbs of bokeh or improve your image as props themselves
• A compact mirror will add a reverse perspective to your image
• Lighting gels are good for sticking over your camera lens to create colourful filters

Whether you’re new to props or you’re keen to include something different to freshen up your content, investing in props is great for social media. If you’re ready to really up your game, consider a full creator kit and get your hands on everything you need to create stand-out content.