Several years ago, I owned a wall hanging that was a picture frame and key hook combo. It was a pretty piece, and it proved very useful over the years. It hung by the door, and guests would comment on it as they left my home. Usually, their comments were about the pictures in it, such as, “Oh, who is this?” or “Are these your sister’s kids?” or even a family member who wanted to know why she wasn’t in any of the photos.
Sometimes, it was fun to make up stories about the people in the photos before I told my guests the truth. The truth was that the people in those photos had been in the frame when I purchased it, and I just hadn’t placed my own pictures in the frame. I hadn’t bothered to insert my own story, and someone else’s story was on display in my home instead.
I’ve noticed something very similar with social media marketing efforts from a few small businesses in my area. As I’m scrolling through Instagram, I see generic stock photos of happy people with cheesy captions and a few vague hashtags. This is a dead giveaway that the company has outsourced their social media management to a company or an individual who isn’t telling the story of the business with each post.
Now, I’m not here to call anyone out on this, but I know your businesses by name because I’ve likely done business with you at some point. Some of you are just trying out different approaches, and I applaud that. Some of you have been in business for awhile and are trying to stay at the forefront in a changing market, and I get it. Some of you are paying for this type of service and feeling cheated, and you absolutely should if you’re getting what I just described. If you’re paying for social media management, your posts should be relevant, relatable, and real.
Don’t get me wrong, stock photography has it’s place, but take a minute to really look at your social media posts. Are there people you don’t know looking back at you? Is there content that conflicts with your brand? Consider inserting your own story. Fill your picture frame with the people you care about and the ideas that inspire you.
-Lydia
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