“Pics or It Didn’t Happen”- The Added Value of Content Creation
Week 1: I had to type my first blog post and thought the world was coming to an end.
Week 4: Having to create 4 original content and then write a blog about it…..World is ending.
It’s very rare to be sitting at a table in a restaraunt and not see someone taking an ~*artsy*~ photo of their meal or fancy looking cocktail. Let’s be real…….we’re all guilty. These days it’s a normal occurence to be walking in your city or traveling in a foreign country and see people taking selfies (selfie sticks taking over the universe). It’s almost bizarre if you don’t see this happening…
As intimidating as it was to come up with original content pieces, it dawned on me how hard but important a simple task — creating creative content — can be for a brand. Creating creative and exciting social media content is no easy task but it is vital for a brand to have a strong presence on all social media platforms. It’s even more important to create creative content that gets fans and followers engaged.
I honestly never put two and two together to realize how much original content we post a week — Snapchats, Instagrams, Facebook posts, Tweets, etc. So why was I so terrified of this week’s assignment to create 4 pieces of original content? I decided to create 3 of my 4 content pieces around my luxury marketing campaign topic, Champagne. One of my content pieces was a 360 degree view on NC State’s campus which had nothing to do with champagne, but it was a cool picture. I used apps like Google Street View, Boomerang, and Photofy to create content and posted them on Facebook, Instagram, and Instagram Story(snapchat for Insta).
Google Street View:
I was messing around with Google Street View one day on campus and took a really neat photo of the Freedom Expression Tunnel. The tunnel is a well known spot on campus so it was cool to be able to take a 360 degree photo of it. I couldn’t upload the actual 360 degree image, so a massive pano will do. I posted the photo on Facebook, where it received 24 likes and 2 comments. Not a super large engagement, but it’ll do. Street View 360
Collage on Facebook and Instagram:
The second piece of original content that I created was an idea from a similar existing concept → food in the air and drinks in the air. The purpose of FITA and DITA is to capture the perfect lanscape backdrop with the perfect meal or drink.
I took this idea and ran with it, specifically for Dom Perignon, creating their own hashtag #domintheair. This allows engagement for their followers and loyal customers(who are active on social media) to post the perfect photo of a bottle/glass of Dom with an envious destination location → this creating a buzz and instant marketing gimmick. Using Dom Perignon’s Instagram page, I found photos that captured the essence and idea behind #domintheair. I posted my original content on both Facebook(23 likes) and Instagram (57 likes and 4 comments). I even tagged Creating Dom Pérignon on both social media platforms but had no luck getting a response. There’s always next year….
Instagram Story:
My third original content that was created was an Instagram story which is similar to a Snapchat. I was meeting for a group project at a local wine bar, The Wine Feed, and saw the opportunity to create a content piece. I had never used this feature on Instagram so I thought, “Why not?” It was fun to mess around and play with the different filters and drawing utensils. It had the highest engagement with over 120 views in a short span of a few hours. In general, Instagram is more personal than Facebook or Twitter so brands can deliver a personal element to their followers through Instagram posts or stories.
Boomerang:
Lastly, I created my fourth piece of content using Boomerang, an app that creates mini videos. Before I go any further, I’ve gotta say I’m a pretty tech savvy person and for the life of me, I could not figure out how to make a video. Mostly it was because I did not have iMovie on my Macbook and I had no idea how to work the video editing software I dowloaded……so I settled for creating a Boomerang. My Boomerang clip was fun to make but the Prosecco tasted even better. This was my second most engagning piece of content with 116(and growing) views. The wine bar where this was taken, The Wine Feed, even liked my mini video!
Overall, I realized the importance of creating valid and creative content that aligns with a brand’s vision. Creating content can be a fun (yet daunting) task for a brand → feeling the pressure to accomodate to their entire audience.
This assignment has made me realize some key factors of creating content for yourself or a brand:
- Content needs to be creative
- You should have fun with your posts and dare to be different
- Think outside of the box
- Be consistent
- Be confident
This post was created as part of the Global Luxury Management Program at the NC State Jenkins School of Management. All thoughts and opinions are my owns and reflect my personal point of view.
