Unfiltered, unpolished, unapologetic. Could the age of the carefully crafted Instagram feed be coming to an end? As marketers and content creators, we sure as hell hope so!

The aesthetically pleasing “Instagram look” has saturated our newsfeeds for years now, with brands, influencers and everyday users bearing the burden of living up to these impossibly high standards.

You know the formula: the camping scene featuring a guy with headlamp and glowing tent; a “candid” capture of a woman looking pensively out from her glamping teepee; and the couple perched atop an infinity pool overlooking a dramatic backdrop. Craft a quippy caption and you’ll have social media gold– or so we thought.

Businesses of all sizes have agonized over their Insta grid and infused significant amounts of cash into content creation to meet the demand. The result has been a fixation on perfection and polish, rather than authenticity; an aesthetic checklist rather than an authenticity gut check. The common result of this obsession has meant that individuals and brands new to social media were intimidated to jump in, for fear of not producing gleaming content.

But, the tides are changing. The “Instagram look” is no longer capturing attention the way it once did.

Alas, there’s a new no-fuss generation emerging and they are not falling for the painstakingly twee social media feeds of the past. The style of content produced by this fresh new crop of influencers like @Double3Exposure, is raw, grainy and perfectly imperfect. And, waiting in the wings of this 20-something Generation Z, is an onslaught of youth with bigger fish to fry. The generation that started the Extinction Rebellion, they charge forward with role models like climate crisis influencer Gretta Thunburg and school shooting survivor, turned anti-gun warrior, Emma González.

It’s just an assumption, but perhaps people are waking up to the fact that there are more important things to worry about than spending hours capturing the perfect Instagram photo.

“Culture is a pendulum, and the pendulum is swaying,” Matt Klein, a cultural strategist at the consultancy Sparks & Honey, told the Atalantic in a recent interview. 

And thus, social media is slowly inching back towards its old school roots– lo-fidelity content. Handcrafted video, unfiltered images and raw, real-time storytelling make up a growing wave of “ugly social” that has taken our digital feeds by storm (again).

What’s different this time around is that we have better tools and more robust platform features to bring the lo-fi story to life than ever before. Smartphones have amazing cameras, there are countless apps can help us produce cheap and cheerful videos and Stories are pervasive. In fact, Facebook has confirmed that Stories feature will overtake the Newsfeed as the primary posting medium in 2019.

But, one question remains: In a world of lo-fi, what role does high quality video and professional photography play? For a brand, it is still important to have a balance of the two. Should we continue to invest in inspiring video and brand photography? Yes, but use it strategically and thoughtfully to tell big stories and connect with your “why”. Should we worry if our Instagram grid isn’t perfect?  Absolutely not.

Be real, be authentic, share your story! Embrace the lo-fi renaissance.

Need help getting started with your social media program? Get in touch and let’s chat! 

So, you’re building a new company. You’ve created a business plan, invested in a shiny new visual identity and have slick marketing materials to bring your brand to life.

Now, it’s time to get started on building out your social media presence – and time is ticking. But, how you go from fan #1, to a thriving and sustainable online community?

After a decade of working social media brands across a broad range of industries, I have honed in on the 10 most important areas that impact your Facebook business page growth. Read on for all of the details!

1. Do an Audience Analysis

Of course, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Facebook is a pervasive social media platform, but it’s not for everyone. So, know your audience.

Before investing in time and resources to grow your Facebook page, it’s important to do an audience analysis to determine whether your audience is, in fact, using this platform.

Age and geo-location are the primary factors that impact which social media channel will yield the best results. For example, if your market is in China, Weibo may be a better fit. Or, if you are trying to target Gen Z, Instagram, Snap or YouTube might be more appropriate. Additionally, business to business clients use social media very differently than than business to consumer.

A great first step is to survey your target audience to get a better sense of what social channels they use before making any decisions.

2. Brand Your Accounts

Your social media channels must reflect the creative vision for your company. Customers should have a consistent experience with your brand, regardless of what touchpoint they are engaging with you. Whether it’s a newspaper ad, an in-store experience, or a social media interaction, consistency in visual identity, voice and tone is essential to growing your business online and off.

What would your brand sound like if it were a person? Make sure you have a visual ID style guide, as well as a strong sense of your voice and tone.

3. Create A Content Plan

Having a plan for who, what, where, why and when is critical to gaining momentum for your fledgling Facebook page.

It’s tempting to fly by the seat of your pants when it comes to rolling out your social media content. But, a Facebook Live here, a few photos there, and the occasional blog post do not make a strategy.

Know your business goals, then create a social media plan that will help achieve these goals. What is the journey you want to take your customer on? What actions are you trying to drive from the customer? What are your company’s key differentiators and key messages? Once you can answer these questions, you can then create content pillars to help categorize your content, and a calendar for timing.

4.  Invest In Content Creation

Mobile friendly content, video and visually captivating photography are essential to rolling out a  successful social media plan. If you have budget, bring your vision and branding to life by investing in professional photography/videography services. However, even more budget-friendly options require some level of investment. For example, an Adobe Creative Cloud membership, stock photography assets or tools to produce your own content may be necessary.

And, don’t forget: your time is valuable. You have an entire business to run and your time could be better spent on other tasks. Consider the benefits of outsourcing your social media content to a third-party.

5. Leverage Facebook Advertising

With today’s organic pipelines shrinking and the pay-to-play landscape growing across all social media channels, there is literally no point in having a social media presence if you don’t have at least some money to amplify your content.

How much to spend and what to spend that money on is discussion to be had at another time. But, suffice to say, I urge you to carve out a humble budget (even if it’s only $250/month).

As a starting point, run a small Facebook Page Like campaign targeted to the types of customers who would find your business useful or interesting. Once you’ve acquired a healthy number (say 1,000), turn your sights to investing ad spend where it will drive the best business results. If you want to drive online leads, create ads that will drive traffic to your website. If you want to create awareness about a new product, spend money amplifying videos or images that showcase the product features or teach customers how to use it.

There are many ways to slice and dice your Facebook media budget, but the point is – you need one!

6. Seed Your Network

As a business owner, remember that you likely already have a rich personal and professional network. Use your personal channels to drive initial launch of your business page. Like your Facebook friends and invite them to do the same. Cross-promote your Facebook business page on other channels, such as LinkedIn to drive additional awareness.

7. Create A Launch Campaign

Contesting and sweepstakes have been “done before”, but the truth is they work – especially for the business to consumer world. Drive initial interest in and awareness about your business by running a contest or promotion in the early days and you’ll see your audience grow.

Entry mechanisms vary, but if you want to acquire a foundational Facebook audience, consider inviting people to like your Facebook page or comment on your social media post to drive organic reach. Just be sure to follow the latest Facebook promotions guidelines.

8. Up Your Customer Service Game

Ensure you’re winning at customer service, right out of the gates. Before launching, create a game plan for how often you’ll check your comments and private messages, as well as how you will address customer questions and complaints. The key is to respond promptly, transparently and consistently as possible.

Always remember that a simple “thank you” or “we hear you” goes a long way.

9. Leverage Partners

Establishing and nurturing partnerships with sponsors, media outlets, suppliers, influencers or other like-minded businesses is the perfect way to reach new audiences in the social media world. The tactics may vary from industry to industry and audience to audience, but ultimately you want to do the following:

• Create a list of all potential partners and their Facebook page handles
• Provide them with details about your brand and links to your business page
• Follow their pages and have them follow yours
• Log in and “comment” as your page on content
• Regularly tag them in your content
• Establish a virtuous circle of content sharing and cross-posting that is mutually beneficial to all brands involved
• Consider running a joint content campaign or promotion

10. Look Beyond Vanity Metrics

At the end of the day, social media is a long-game. That means vanity metrics such as fan and follower count can only get you so far. It really is a matter of quality over quantity, so qualify your fan base with metrics such as engagement rate and reach to ensure you’re creating awareness, driving action through relevant and resonant content.

Need help creating a Facebook strategy? Get in touch and let’s chat!