Summertime, upcoming events, and an increase in outings mean one thing: more in-the-moment content for your social media pages! Content is everywhere so take advantage of these longer days, brighter colors, and warmer weather; this is what your audience wants to see! They want to see what you’re doing day-to-day. They want to know where you go for meetings, how your organization interacts with others, and what you’re having for lunch… well maybe. Treat this push for in-the-moment content in the summer as a fun change of pace, not a challenging obligation. Follow some of these tips for making your summertime in-the-moment content stick.

Pick your platform

Similar to other social media initiatives, the first step is to pick your platform. Like Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram stories, some lend themselves for this in-the-moment content, so factor this in when choosing your platform. According to Instagram, over 500 million accounts use stories every day and roughly four million business accounts utilize the stories as an ad placement, tapping into this audience of 500 million.

So Instagram stories may be a good place to focus. Because this is a photo and video-driven platform, focusing here this summer can help carry your content through the fall and winter months too. Plus, any activity with your Instagram story (or you can also explore reels if you are feeling adventurous) will only help increase your profile’s overall reach.

Be sure to build up your library of imagery and back up your photos or videos along the way, storing them for later use. Use this time of year to batch work your images so you don’t get stuck in the “what am I going to post today?” rut down the road. 

The other thing to consider: don’t be afraid to repost images to the Instagram feed that you previously posted to the story; it can actually reiterate your brand imagery and can help customers make connections to your business, but we’ll talk more about that later.

Line up your shot

Are you are treating your employees to an after-hours appreciation party? Did you just launch a new menu item, product, or service? Do you have an awesome, loyal customer you want to treat? Did your building get new signage? These are all instances where an in-the-moment post or social media shoutout would be great! Now you just have to capture.

Snap a photo or take a series of videos, explore different angles, and ensure things are well-lit. Be aware of things or people in the background, and have some fun! These are some of the best parts of businesses, and by popping up an in-the-moment post, you’re letting your social audiences in on the fun. 

With a camera on us at all times, there’s no reason to ever be “out of content.” They say you’ll only regret the photos you don’t take, so snap away! And don’t worry, that delete button is always there for you to help weed down the gallery.

Jazz it up

Be sure to leverage the customization features available to you! With an Instagram story specifically, be sure to brand your image or video with an appropriate filter, change any text or icons to your branded colors, and try to match your font with what’s available as often as you can. This helps your audience identify and relate to your brand; connecting this Instagram story with your other posts, your website, or other marketing collateral.

Make it STICK

Subject? Check! Good angle? Check! Nice filter? Check! Branded elements? Check out these additional features you can add to your Instagram story:

• Tag, you’re it! Whether in text or with a sticker, tag any people, business accounts, or applicable locations!
• Let’s groove! Instagram rolled out its coveted music feature to business accounts so you can add tunes to your story
• *Raises hand* Use the question sticker to get to know your audience and make your stories even more interactive. You can learn more about your audience by polling them using this question or the…
• Poll feature! Simple yes or no questions are always fun; users like it when they are involved in making a decision. What special should we run today? Should I paint this wall green or blue? Which picture better represents our business? The possibilities of poll questions are essentially endless.
• GIFs! Make your story stick with the GIF feature to add stickers and animations to your story, bringing it to life – our favorite feature!

Did you snap a great candid of a quality customer experience? Take the perfect time-lapse video? Catch a stunning sunset taking place on your property? Post these to your Instagram story and make a note to use them later, too. Doing this sort of front-end legwork makes social media content creation so much easier down the line. 

P.S. Be sure to save your best to your Instagram account’s highlights so they can live on forever. 

Author: Natalie Droeske