Tuesday Tip! Flat Lay Photos for Instagram

Each time you create a piece of content and push it out to social media that content needs to "fit" the social media channel it is on. You cannot just replicate content and use the same imagery for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.

One type of imagery that works extremely well on Instagram is called the flat lay. Flat lay photography is the idea of placing objects flat on a surface (like a table or the floor), and then taking a photograph of your objects from above, as a bird's eye view.

For an attractive, quality flat lay:

focus object - Choose a focal object that you want to showcase. This could be a product if you are doing the flat lay to help promote a product or a blog post about a product.

complimentary objects - Choose other objects to compliment and place with the focus object. Many bloggers and photographers use similar products, accessories, flowers, cute objects, tchotchkes or trinkets.

simple background - Let the objects be the focus by avoiding busy backgrounds. Keep the background simple, bright and allow the objects to pop. A white background is ideal, but if you want to mix it up, keep the background texture simple and the colors light. (I like to use light colored, simply designed scrapbook paper.)

good lighting - Anytime you take photographs, lighting is key. Your ideal light is natural (filtered and not too bright) sunlight. Using lighting fixtures can get you the light you need, too. Play around with lighting to try to get your arrangement well lit without shadows. Avoid using the flash on your camera or your phone.

thoughtful arrangement - The composition may be the most challenging part of flat lay photography. Setting up the arrangement can be time consuming and nerve wracking. Take photos every time you change the position, because you may end up liking a composition and can't recreate it again. To get things to stick in place, use poster putty. Take advantage of the principles of good composition: position, orientation, balance and harmony. A thoughtful arrangement should look appealing and artistic to you. If it seems too cluttered, boring or unbalanced, it probably is. Rearrange!

common theme - Build thematic arrangements. Pick a color scheme (such as all blue, or blue and yellow), choose similar shapes (all round shapes, for example), or use all the same object type (like all lipsticks). For pop, make your focus object "off theme" but complimentary in another way. For example, have the focus object be black and all of your complimentary objects white.

Inspiration! Google Image Search for Flat Lay Photographs

Seeking: Blog Writers, Lifestyle Photographers, Product Testers, Influencers

Business has changed. Social media has been accelerating at breakneck speed, and it is literally everywhere now. Businesses have been using content marketing through social media networks, and over the past few years, social has risen to become THE primary marketing tool for companies that sell consumer products over the internet. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, and others, are all tools to promote and communicate socially. And this format of marketing is not going anywhere.

This is a HUGE opportunity. Many companies have a very specific marketing plan for television, print and radio. However, companies are struggling to move into the social space because it is such a different way to market.

Companies that sell through direct representatives have an opportunity to really excel in the social media space. Why? Because social media is about two things: individuals and relationships. Social works best when it is individual people connecting through relationships within the social media space. This is ideal for direct sales because the individual representatives can really showcase themselves and the companies products in conjunction.

The true opportunity comes because more content is needed. Content creation is still an enormous opportunity, and the more content that can be created around a product or a company, the more that company will excel within the social media space.

What does social media content look like? It looks personal, it looks unique and it looks valuable. It is authentic. And it looks different for every single platform, which is part of why more of it is needed. Facebook content looks different from Tweets, which look different from Instagram, which is definitely different from video social like Vine and YouTube. The mood is also something to consider. Is the content funny, inspirational, informative, promotional, educational? New, fresh, authentic, valuable content is very needed.

Content forms can include:

• blogs

• photography (all types, but flat lay photos, especially in Instagram, are on trend in social)

• tweets and retweets

• Pinterest images and infographics

• product reviews

• videos (short, highly engaging videos are really starting to define social media this year)

• interactive, such as quizzes, games, tools, and apps (a true need: there are nearly none for beauty, but people are clamoring for them!)

Would you like to blog?

Do you want to write informative blog posts about people, products and your love of beauty? Like to share everything that's going on? new products, news, promotions, and sales? As a blog writer, the name of the game is share, and often. Blogs should have editorial schedules: write about new products on Sundays, write about the upcoming week's promotions on Fridays, and so on.

Blogs should be an engaging blend of text and images. The content should be useful to the reader... people should be able to get something valuable from the blog post. If you like the idea of researching expert information, writing quality, fresh content, consistently, then start writing blogs!

Qualifications:

• Grammar and writing skills
• Able to create original and engaging blog content
• Passionate about sharing your love of beauty

Want to learn more about being the best blogger?

Are you creative with a camera?

When you are out, are you the type of person to pull out your smartphone and start shooting pictures? Do you love taking selfies, or photos of your makeup hauls? As a photographer, you really have a lot of fun, creative things you can do and then share on social media channels like Instagram.

Photographs about beauty come in a variety of formats: lifestyle photographs of people, well lit professional style photographs, even flat lay product photographs. (Which are really hot on Instagram right now, by the way). If you love the idea of using your smartphone, digital camera or even high end SLR camera to take gorgeous photographs, then start shooting!


Qualifications:

• Creative photography skills
• Enjoy shooting photographs of people 
• Able to setup a creative scene

Looking for some great lifestyle photography tips?

Do you love trying new beauty products?

Do you pick up the newest lipstick, eyeshadow palette or beauty gadget (BeautyBlender anyone?) just to see how it works? Would you love to try new fragrances or fit new clothing styles? As a product tester, you try out new products for quality, look, feel, and other consumer focused characteristics.

Product testers are usually the first to buy something that has just been released to market. Often, the new products are part of a product review - sometimes done using video and shared out to YouTube.

Qualifications:

• Connected with beauty news, new products and trends
• Like reading or watching new product reviews
• Love to try out new products when they are released

Check out some pretty intense tips for top product review writing.

Are you an influencer?

Image makers are at the top of their industry. They are the people that influence what others do, and they are very much trendsetters. Becoming an influencer takes expertise and patience in order to build a loyal and trusting following.

Influencers have the ability to create action, and are often the go to resource in their industry. To be a beauty influencer, you have to focus on developing ultra high quality content, network and build a strong presence over time. It can be done!

Top tips for becoming a social media influencer.

Qualifications:

• Want to be a leader in beauty
• Reliable image maker and able to share expert news with many people
• Connect with people... daily

If this business lifestyle sounds great to you, you can do it. Right now. Build your very own business online, write blogs, take photos, test new products and influence others through social! You have the power to create this rockstar social media presence, and you can do it in conjunction with a wonderful company that offers amazing beauty products.