Life is made up of millions of mundane things, yet on social media we want everything to seem like more than it actually is. It's not just unhealthy on the long run but it almost always makes content counterproductive because it usually gravitates towards: 👉 glamorising everyday things. If you went to a coffee shop and you love the peace and quiet of having it all to yourself, build content that conveys that feeling. Don't try to turn it into something else because it doesn't seem grand enough. 👉 content dumps. They're a quick and (very) dirty way of sharing content. That tells me that the creator didn't know what else to do with them. In terms of perception, though, what sticks with us is that when even the best of times in a posh destination is just a random collection of stuff... how am I supposed to feel about my day? 👉 no context posts. Every piece of content is shared for a reason. Even the people who say "it's just for fun" have a reason... Yep, it's that bit about"fun". Context is how we achieve that goal. Without details, story, or meaning, people take nothing away from the experience except that everyday things don't mean very much. Not every post has to be about something amazing that's happened. In fact, mundane stories make us more relatable and can be valuable for our business and brands, so long as we keep things in proportion. #posttheordinary #contentcoach #calmandquiet #coffeeshopvibes #createcapture #tellbetterstories #storiesoftheeveryday #makersandthinkers
When you're done enjoying the art at the IMMA, stop by the gardens. They're not a backdrop, but a beautiful stand-alone feature that, with the exception of a few tourists, dogs and folks reading a book, you'll have to yourself. That's what stuck with me but it's not always the perspective that inches me, as a content creator, closer to my goals. That's because what was valuable for me, is only relevant for my audience if I've developed a very strong relationship with them. Even so, what my audience is interested in, could be: 👉 Useful information that helps them make a decision. In this case, my content should include things like the location and the best option to get there, reasons to visit, costs, other things around IMMA you might want to check out. 👉 Living vicariously through my experience. This means I'd focus less on practical insights and more on describing the experience, making it as immersive as possible. 👉 Escapism. Whether they're trying to escape their day in general, or to somewhere specific, content that facilitates escapism is about creating a different space people can get lost in. In order to be believable, it doesn't just have to just be descriptive, it has to be layered. 👉 Being validated or challenged. Talking about a hidden gem that got us excited or something overhyped that we were underwhelmed by, might turn out to be valuable content that provides either a different perspective or validation. Either way, audiences crave both. Building content around our experiences isn't as simple as choosing something that stands out for us. It's worth considering what kind of experience our audience is interested in. Not just because it'll help us develop more relevant content but because we can also scale our content efforts by simply working with different perspectives of the same story. #naturegram #contentideas #posttheordinary #dublin #createcapture #inspirationiseverywhere #dublingram
Moody shots were one of the biggest trends on social last year. This year isn't all that different and, if you think about what the style conveys, it's easy to understand why. The aesthetic generates an emotional response. The high contrast and dark shadows, create a sense of melancholy, mystery, or nostalgia. Before you jump on the trend - late or early - there are a few things you should consider: 📷 Are you trying to piggy back on a trend or are you integrating it into your communication? Experimenting with trends is fine, if you do it strategically. If you're jumping from one to the next you're only diluting your brand. 📷 Are those emotions compatible with the identity of your brand? If you manage a traditional consultancy business, for instance, your brand will likely want to be perceived as trustworthy or serious, rather than nostalgic. Similarly, if your brand's personality traits gravitate around relatability, positivity, cheerfulness, this aesthetic will stick out like a sore thumb. 📷 Is it something you want to do because you like the aesthetic or because it actually has the potential to be useful? Personal preference is tricky. The things we like aren't necessarily the ones that are actually useful or valuable for the brand we're managing. It's important to set an objective point of reference like a brand manual, style guide or content strategy and make sure that any trend we might be adopting works with that point of reference. #postitfortheaesthetics #creativecollective #postcardplaces #communityovercompetition #creativegrammer #createcapture
It was one of those days when I was a very active person in the morning but a very tired one in the afternoon ...and I still had to walk aaaaaall the way back to our Airbnb. No, it's not even in this shot. You know how I sometimes say "I don't always like writing but I love having written"? Paraphrasing Dorothy Parker, of course. Well, I guess this was going to be one of those things where "I hate hiking but I love having hiked." #capturethemoments #naturegram #creativecollective #inspirationiseverywhere #quietinthewild #createcapture
Snap a photo today that screams ‘paint me’! 📸🎨 What would it look like? #PhotoArt #CaptureArt #ArtInNature #ArtisticEye #Painterly #InstaArtist #ArtPotential #NatureMuse #ScenicViews #LandscapeArt #InspiringViews #PhotoOfTheDay #CreativityEveryday #ArtInspiration #CreativeSights #ArtCapture #CanvasReady #ArtisticWorld #ArtEnthusiast #ArtExpression #ArtistsOfInstagram #CreativeCommunity #WUD #TheMusingCouch #CouchMuse #DailyChallenge #PaintThis #FindArt #CreateCapture
#solodate 🎶Apparently this the latest hashtag craze on #tiktok. I can’t begin to tell you how many great concerts I went to ..,,,,,,,by myself. ✨Sigur Ros ✨Mars Volta ✨Yeah Yeah Yeahs ✨The Rapture ✨Interpol ✨The Black Halos ✨Green Day - The Four Date American Idiot tour stop at the Vic Theatre -just to name a few Gahhhhh I WISH I had photos of these concerts but cameras weren’t allowed back then kids. This is not a woe-is-me post. It’s a get out there and experience things post. Take yourself out on an art date. You won’t regret it. This #throwback concert is from the solo show of @rhettmiller of the Old 97’s (loving the new single btw) (I was actually with friends at this show) #livemusic #concertgoer #musiclover #musicdiscovery #stage #musician #nightabouttown #createcapture #photooftheday #peoplescreative #photogram #concertphotography
I was influenced. Badly. The internet doesn't usually make me want things but it reaaaally made me want these fluffy, jiggly pancakes. It also made me think they were easy to make. So, because I couldn't find them anywhere, I gave it a go. And then I gave it another go .. and another. It's pretty obvious where I'm going with this. I tried (and failed) to make them so many times, I'm pretty sure I've tested most of the recipes on the internet. I could only get one to work but it's too much of a hassle. So, as you and I both drool over these unbutton-your-pants-worthy pancakes I did find in Dublin, remember that what influencers say is easy and what qualifies as easy in real life can be two, very different things. #foodiegram #influencermarketing #creativegrammer #forprettysake #foodie #sweetooth #createcapture #creativelysquared
To be productive, we sometimes have to be willing to be unproductive, so that's what we did for a few days this second winter. That's the bit in March when 9 AM looks like spring, you get frostbite after lunch, and thaw out in the afternoon sun. We found this lovely little cottage in the middle of nowhere that ticked all our boxes. It was very comfortable, easily accessible, with a really cool design, and nobody around. Something really amazing happens when you let your mind wander. It goes places - literally and figuratively. We didn't just get a very relaxing getaway out of these few days but I also got: 💡 a bunch of new pictures for my website (more on that soon) 💡3 or 4 article ideas, with outlines for each (I might have to split one into two separate ones) 💡5 posts for social media - caption, visuals, scheduling and all I know it sounds like I worked but I didn't. When your mind has a chance to breathe, it becomes very effective. It took me around 2 hours to do everything, The rest of the time we spent watching movies, experimenting with food, exploring the area around the cottage, brainstorming a ton of ideas, and relaxing. A creative mind is a rested one. As counter-intuitive as it may seem, if we want to be productive, we have to also be willing to be unproductive and let our minds rest so they can wander. #creativityandwellbeing #createcapture #writergram #writerscommunity #creativeminds #creativelysquared #postcardplaces #distractionsandinspirations
I'm low-key on a mission to capture the most photogenic bridges. Today's low-tide brought me to the foot of the Hammersmith bridge. It's not London's most famous one but it is the city's first suspension bridge. If you look closely, there's a heraldic composition at both ends of the bridge, with Queen Victoria's royal coat of arms in the middle. That'll tell you just how old it is. I only did my homework after I got home, so I didn't know enough to take a shot of the heraldic shields, but now that you know, you can take one for yourself if you're in the neighbourhood. 🔖 Adding layers to your content is what makes it unique to you. A simple shot of a bridge became a story when I: 👉 used an intro that sets the stage for what I'm out to get - shots of photogenic bridges 👉 added a layer of personality through the language and tone of voice. I alternated short and long sentences, picked one informative insight to avoid turning a story into a lecture, included casual terms like low-key, and kept the phrasing simple. 👉 used action verbs to help the story progress, transitioning from "I'm on a mission" to where "the low tide brought me". 👉 turned a mishap - not having done my homework before taking the shot - into an opportunity to make my brand relatable and engage my audience. I could tweak each of the layers to squeeze even more out of them and use the story to advertise a destination or my gear. I could showcase my skills and advertise my services as a photographer. I could also tweak the story to share my passion for traveling, photography, history, or just everyday things; take your pick. The key to every single one of them is layers and context. #wandergram #createcapture #stillswithstories #londonphotography #travelstories #marketingforcreatives #storytellingphotography #creativecollective
Thank you @milaida for your order! #printer #tshirtshop #tshirtworld #designer #diy #createandcapture #tshirtprinting #tshirtlovers #design #designer #diy #createcapture
#photosplitapp #cool #awesome #love #photooftheday #instagood #instamomet #lovely #grid #android #app #photo #canon# #kodat #impresumstudio #photography #nikon #sony #pentax #instagram #elsalvadorimpresionante #travelphotography #phonecaptures #olympus #photoart #beautiful #capture #createcapture# @sonyphotogallery @teddysphotos @photolondonfair photoeyebooks @createinspirepositivity @photosplitapp
🫧 Somewhere between dips, deadlines and daiquiris. Keeping things short isn't necessarily the same thing as keeping them simple. If we're looking at it from the audience's perspective, it can be - sure - but building short and seemingly-simple content is actually quite complicated. There are many techniques that can help you build short and snappy content but one of the simpler ones follows 4 main steps: 👉 Remove the bloat Often, content is complicated and hard to follow because it's bloated, so the first thing you have to do is simply use fewer, simpler words to say the same thing. 👉 Stick to the point Content becomes bulky when we try to say everything we have to say in one go. You don’t have to squeeze your services, achievements, and expert insights into a single piece of content. Pick one key message for each piece and only include the content that’s relevant to it. 👉 Define a cadence Content that sounds snappy usually has a certain, quite short cadence. To achieve it, use words that share common syllables; either at the beginning or the end of the sentence. The words you’re using don’t have to have the same number of syllables; in fact it’s better if they don’t. 👉 Make it make sense for your brand Unless your language and tone of voice relies entirely on bold content - which is very hard to do without it being bland or overdone - you’ll have to carve out a space for this kind of content in your branding. That means you’ll use it for a specific type of content and only for that content; otherwise it’s going to sound off and make you look lazy. Things that seem effortless often aren't. Quite the opposite. Creating content that is bold, short, snappy, and also conveys some meaning actually takes quite a bit of thought and a very tactical approach. #contentcreation #distractionsandinspirations #visualgrams #creativecollective #inspirationiseverywhere #createcultivate #searchwandercollect #contentstrategy #contentcoach #contentideas #createcapture #visualgrams #natureview #seasideview #dosomethingcreativeeveryday
Descriptive or short and snappy? 🍃 If you wanted to brand yourself 200 years ago, something you needed were huge, perfectly manicured gardens. Why that big? Walk around one that's next to a palace and feel just how grand they're trying to be and how small they're trying to make you. 🍃🍃 We walk beneath them on a mundane Saturday and .. they're pretty but they don't seem that important. A few hundred years ago, though, where meticulously manicured arches rose, power followed. The bigger the gardens and parks, the more controlled, and grand, the more obvious the power behind them. They weren't designed for aesthetics as much as they were a communication tactic and the message was "Where I rule, there's wealth, order, culture, and, of course, power". So which post is the right length? It depends. Not on whether you've used the right word count. It's not even about the trends you're trying to leverage or the hashtags you've added. The right length for your content is one that harmonises your audience's attention span with the space needed: 👉 for your brand's voice to shine through 👉 to convey a convincing message 👉 to create an engaging content experience You won't find these things in templates or best practices. At best, they'll give you a starting point. These elements are part of your content strategy. They need to be identified, fine-tuned, and monitored regularly so you can adapt how you communicate with your audience and the direction in which your band is evolving. If you're wondering why tips and tricks around the length of your posts aren't doing much for you, that's why. Those tips only talk about this one, very small, and mostly insignificant aspect of what makes a piece of content successful, rather than the components that'll help you define what works for you. #contentcreation #distractionsandinspirations #travelgram #posttheordinary #contentideas #contentwriting #creativelysquared #creativecollective #searchwandercollect #communityovercompetition #contentstrategy #storytelling #contentcreator #postcardplaces #creativeminds #createcapture #visualgrams
Oxford is the city of dreaming spires. It's also home to the first coffee house in England. It was home to greats like Oscar Wilde and J.R.R Tolkien, and it's also where Lewis Carroll told the beginning of Alice In Wonderland to Dean Henry Liddlle’s daughters... one of whom was named Alice. Right, so we have a couple of interesting but disconnected facts. Let's work them into a story. 🔖 Everyone talks about the almost 1,000 year old university but nobody talks about the city of dreaming spires as the birthplace of coffee culture in England. Oxford isn't just home to greats like Oscar Wilde and J.R.R Tolkien. It's also home to the country's first ever coffee house. 200 years after it opened its doors, Lewis Carroll told the beginning of Alice In Wonderland to ... Alice, Dean Henry Liddlle’s daughter. The story may have been told at a picnic but I'm reading it over a cup of coffee so, for me, it all comes together just right. What I've done here is pick a very simple thread and work the rest of the information around it, hanging on only the details that support it. When building stories that aim to entertain rather than educate, like this one does, this narrative thread doesn't necessarily have to be something all of your insights have in common. You can develop it yourself, as you create the story. Give it a go! #storytelling #oxford #contentcreation #creativecollective #marketingforcreatives #storytellingphotography #stories #contenttips #createcapture #postcardplaces #storytellers #creativelysquared #cityscapes #exploretheworld #oxfordcity #travelstories
Personal content is often uncomfortable for creators because the focus is very much in them. Sharing details about themselves and their lives can make them feel vulnerable, but personal content doesn't equal private content. Pretty far from it. When we talk about personal content, we're actually referring to topics that you can talk about to differentiate your personal brand. Here's what I mean: ✔️ Sharing interesting experiences and inspiring places you've visited. ✖️ Vlogging your entire holiday, including everything your partner, friends, or family are doing; embarrassing moments and all. ✔️ Talking about how important working with people who are as organised as your are is for you and how you help develop those skills in your team. ✖️ Complaining about how frustrated you are about having to work with people who are more chaotic than you, hinting at who they are, and using social media to vent. ✔️ Being grateful for the people who support you - peer, friends, family - and talking about your shared values. ✖️ Detailing your relationship with those around you and revealing things about their personal lives. ✔️ Sharing insights on how you manage conflicts or misalignments in terms of expectations with your clients. ✖️ Bad-mouthing clients and going into details about how their negatively impacting your livelihood. Personal content shouldn't add up to a public diary and, while it helps humanise your brand, it doesn't have to be about the private things in your life. Think of it as a way to differentiate your professional self, a means of adding a layer of relevance and relatability to your skills, expertise, and particular way of working. #personalbranding #creativelysquared #storytelling #creativegrammer #contentideas #creativecollective #marketingconsultant #personalbrand #contentcreator #marketingforcreatives #storiesmatter #creativeminds #contentideas #createcapture #marketingcommunity #brandinginspiration #contenttips
🔖 Gossip on the sidewalks and rumours in the alleyways; if you think about it, streets are the original social network. So far so good but, if we stop here, all we have is a short, mildly entertaining post. Here are a couple of different directions we could go from here, depending on our communication goals: 🖋️ Inform It's a pretty simple formula: catchy intro (like the one above) + informative body text + a wrap-up that loops back to the light intro. We can add facts and figures, and go into in-depth details. The contrast between the body text and the rest of the content is going to ensure it all comes together nicely; as long as we use the last paragraph to tie everything back to the intro. 🖋️ Delight We want the audience to feel like they're part of an experience and, more than in other types of content, this kind of story is about making people feel. We could talk about how the streets are now empty as everyone is online, making our audience feel nostalgic. We could focus on how big city streets are filled with people and noise but no connection at all, making our audience feel melancholic. Remember, when we want to delight, we need to pinpoint an emotion and build our content in a way that amplifies it. 🖋️ Take action Adding a call to action is nowhere near enough so we'd have to use the body text to persuade. One way to do that is to paint a picture of how things could be - say, if we stuck our noses outside at least half the time we stick them in our phones - and then invite people to your local meet-up to re-connect with their community. Catchy intros work when they're part of the story, rather than an extra bit we top it off with to get attention. Start with a goal and pick a few elements in your intro to carry throughout your content and you'll get a much, much better story. #distractionsandinspirations #marketingconsultant #cityscapes #inspirationiseverywhere #contentcreation #visualgrams #streetphotography #creativecollective #storytelling #searchwandercollect #posttheordinary #createcapture #visualstorytelling #urbanexplorer #streetsgrammer
I’m excited to reveal the new logo for @greybarnevents the winner of our ‘Create & Capture’ competition! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Inspired by the timeless elegance of Jo’s serene grey interiors, this design is a testament to simplicity and sophistication. The logo showcases a minimalist illustration of the barn, complemented by sleek flared and sans serif typography 💫 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #logoreveal #createcapturewinners #timeless #createcapture #logodesign #barnconversion #barnlogo #createandcapture #grey #simplicity #illustration #linedrawing
🔖 The Quadriga's been standing tall since 1791, going from a symbol of war to an ode to freedom and a message of "can we all just get along?" Standing, considerably shorter, next to it, I can see why Napoleon wanted to grab it for himself. Context is everything and there's not a lot of it in this one. It's a decent post with a fun and informative tone of voice, and plenty of hooks, but for a very particular audience. As-is, the story is effective if they already know that: 👉 the Quadriga is the statue on top of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin 👉 it was built as a symbol of triumph and that the lady in the chariot is the goddess of victory 👉 Napoleon nicked the lady, chariot, horses, and all when he occupied Berlin 👉 it was a symbol of division during the Cold War 👉 After the fall of the Berlin Wall, musicians came together to honour the occasion. The original text of "Ode to Joy" was tweaked and changed to "Ode to Freedom". It also relies on the audience being interested in historical facts and cultural content. Without all these prerequisites, at most, the story might peak people's curiosity but not much beyond that. As-is, the post can either be a teaser for a more in-depth story or it can be a short personal story that engages audiences who already have the right context, and find the way the story is being told to be interesting. #contenttips #posttheordinary #berlingram #wandergram #creativelysquared #postcardplaces #searchwandercollect #contentwriting #storytelling #wanderlust #creativecollective #travelphotography #createcapture #disconnecttoreconnect #inspirationiseverywhere #travelstories #creativeminds #visualgrams #berlin
Back when we didn't have internet, we used newspapers, magazines, flyers, and leaflets to advertise businesses. Sadly, we still use a lot of print advertising, which I have quite a few thought about, but that's a topic for another post. If we go back in time a little further, we'll find that people had pretty creative ways to advertise their businesses. In Amsterdam, people put the equivalent of oversized emojis on buildings to represent their craft and many of them are still there. So, you knew that behind the window with the oversized glasses you'd find the optometrist. The house with the huge stork on the balcony is where the midwife lived and, if you needed a carpenter, the one with the wood-paneled exterior is where you'd find him. The idea is so simple and what makes it that much more effective is that the symbols are a part of the buildings and their design. They don't stick out like a sore thumb which is also why so many of them have lasted. Not every ad has to scream "look at me" to work. Non-intrusive and seamless are actually much more effective, especially since we're becoming increasingly adept at tuning out ads that are eye-gouging. #wandergram #searchwandercollect #travelstories #marketingblog #creativeminds #amsterdam #distractionsandinspirations #makersandthinkers #creativelysquared #createcultivate #travelgram #wanderlust #marketingcommunity #urbanexplorer #exploretheworld #createcapture #postcardplaces #stillswithstories
உருகி உருகி போனதடி… என் உள்ளம் யான் நீயே… குறுகி குறுகி போனதடி… என் எண்ணம் யான் நீயே… Prabhakaran💞Vaishnavi PC : @iam_dhivakar #photooftheday #photography #photoshoot #outdoorphotography #createcapture #couplegoals
It's Valentine's Day tomorrow so I thought we'd do something a little different. Instead of soppy copy, pink hearts, and weapon-wielding incontinent toddlers, let's talk about some of the things we love. 🖋️ Trips around the world, back in time, among the stars, and everywhere with a solid food culture, plenty of museums, and a half-decent cup of coffee. These are the things I could do for a lifetime. Now, you can drop some of the things you love in the comments, which I hope you'll do, but you can also take that short formula, pair it with a CTA, and build content for any brand. Let's look at two more examples. 🖋️ Travel agency Music to slow-dance to, low-lit restaurants, and the best spots to take couple's photos you'd want to hang on your wall. Here are our top picks for destinations that tick those boxes. 🖋️ Retailer Help us show local creators some love today! Visit our stores to try our favourite sustainable, you'll-want-to-live-in classics, and let's talk about how you can build a capsule wardrobe with these staple pieces. The key to how the formula works isn't the characteristics but rather alternating the length of the items in the enumeration to create rhythm and bringing them together through a common theme. You can group them under one word, like in my first example or go broader like I did in the following two. It's pretty simple so why don't you give it a go? #contentideas #wandergram #momentslikethese #visualgrams #valentinesday2024 #creativecollective #contenttips #contentcoach #contentcreators #createcapture #searchwandercollect #marketingforcreatives #visualstorytelling #makersandthinkers #communityovercompetition #creativegrammer
Simple photos, videos, cinemagraphs, animations, photo carrousels, music, collages, you name it, they won't do a damn bit of difference if they're not paired with or don't amount to a good story. As-is, all I've got here is a shot of boat and bridge at low-tide. Admittedly, it's an interesting shot but that's about all there is to it. Now, let's look at 2 ways to add the right context that amounts to a goal-oriented story, using the same intro for both. ✍ I was hoping to get 3 things out of this afternoon. A quiet lunch break, a nice walk after, and a bit of content in between. 👉 Connection (give people something to empathise with) Turns out, if you don't plan ahead, all you end up with is a low tide, high expectations, and a boatful of bad puns. 👉 Conversion (offer a solution to an issue they have) So, I grabbed a salad, book, and cup of coffee and created a list of 15 lunch spots you can enjoy that tick all those boxes. It's not the feature, trend, or tech you use that makes our content successful. It's how we use either one of those things to tell a good story, but we've got to create a good story in the first place. #distractionsandinspirations #contentcreator #cityscapes #createcapture #visualgrams #urbanphotography #contentideas #creativecollective #searchwandercollect #contenttips #urbanexplorer #visualstorytelling #capturestreets #marketingforcreatives #createcultivate #bridgesofinstagram