By: Holly Barraclough, BA, WPICC, CWD Principal Event Planner of Perrier Planning
Social media was important before the pandemic, but now it’s essential to growing your business in a digital world. Clients are browsing your Instagram feed before they even view your website.
The question now becomes, “How do I keep up my social media content without current event material?”. Most of us have had one or two micro weddings in the last year when we would have normally done ten to fifteen events. So, with no weddings or events, where are companies getting their content from? You can only pull inspiring quotes from google so many times, and stock images… well they are stock images.
The secret to content success is not black and white; it takes planning, creativity and a little dose of branding expertise. Here are the two tools I rely on for my company.
- Strategic branding files, with a cache of new branding content
- The mini styled shoot
Let’s dive into these two topics –
Invest in a Professional Branding Company:
The pandemic is slowly weeding out companies that can’t visualize their future. Success not only comes with dreaming, but actually believing those dreams will come true. If you truly believe you have what it takes, you need to invest in yourself. Think of it like this – why would someone choose to invest in your company, if you are not even willing to invest in yourself?
It’s time to HIRE A PROFESSIONAL BRANDING & DESIGN COMPANY!
It may not seem like the ideal time to invest in yourself, but is there ever going to be an “ideal time”? People want to see you, know you and learn about your ethical beliefs – it’s time to sell yourself. What have you got to lose?
Some of my favourite empowerment focused branding agencies include:
(Ps. These companies have no idea I am recommending them.)
After your company re-brand, which should include a photography session, you should have a whole cache of branding photos stored on your desktop. Hello, content for the next year!
The Mini Styled Shoot:
Planning a mini styled shoot helps you zone in on your ideal client, keeps your feed up to date with relevant content and helps support other businesses in your industry. Let’s pass around the love.
By mini style shoot, I mean a creative shoot that takes no more than ten hours to plan. Mini styled shoots can be easily done for under $200.00, or in some cases it can even be done (for free) as an advertisement trade off between vendors.
By creating mini scenes that represent your style, food you love, brands you support and colours that bring you joy, you are calling out to your people. This fresh content (especially during a pandemic) can inspire and motivate clients to reach out to you. It creates interaction online and boosts your followers.
I recommend outside creative shoots, with no more than two vendors, to help keep everyone safe in our current climate. Keep in mind all social distancing guidelines and wear a mask!
By planning a mini styled shoot, you are giving your viewers content that aligns with the current season and it’s a great way to showcase your plans for any upcoming holidays or important milestones (think Valentine’s Day, Earth Day, the first day of spring, etc.).
Although it’s fun to do throwback posts, too many of them gets old fast!
The best part about all of this is that you get to showcase vendors you love! You finally have an opportunity to reach out to your dream photographer. You can actually eat the cupcakes from your favourite bakery, instead of drooling at your clients display. Have you always dreamed of doing a picnic set up in your childhood tree house? Now you can. Be creative and showcase what you love most. Your excitement will seep through to your audience and get people talking.
And my last tip:
Do not be afraid to show your face and share details of your life with your followers. People want to see who you are. The more people know about you, the more trustworthy you become to them.
Happy content planning!
Holly graduated from the University of Victoria with a bachelor’s degree in English Literature. She got certified as a wedding planner, a year later, through the Wedding Planners Institute of Canada (WPIC). In 2018, she decided to open up an eco-friendly event planning company to help promote sustainable events. As a certified wedding designer, she specializes in creating innovative green events and helping clients reduce their carbon footprint. In her spare time, Holly loves painting, cooking, travelling and hiking. She is passionate about using more sustainable business practices and respecting the environment. Her positivity and organizational skills make her a great planner and a fun person to grab a drink with.
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