Oh, the adventures we have!
One of the most exciting jobs I have is co-managing the @MargaretRiver social media with photographer Tim Campbell. We look after Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter for the Margaret River Busselton Tourism Association, and it’s such a privilege to showcase the region’s best adventures, food, wine, arts and natural attractions.
The best thing we negotiated as part of the contract? A monthly photoshoot – our choice of scene. We’ve abseiled the Wilyabrup Cliffs, kayaked the Blackwood, SUP’d the Margaret River itself, explored caves, sailed Geographe Bay and nibbled cheese and wine at sunset.
The secret to social? Great images
I found social media daunting until I started working with Tim’s photos and the bountiful user-generated content created by visitors and locals alike.
If you’re feeling unsure about social, I’d suggest hiring a photographer. Also, encourage clients to tag you, and regram their images (search for your business location too) with permission of course. Or invite a photographer to experience your product or service in exchange for sharing an image or Instagram Story, which you can share in turn.
Plan it out – tell a great story
Start with your brand pillars, or core business values. At @Margaret River it’s; art & wellbeing, wine, food and drink, active and adventure and nature and outdoors. Think creatively and think of a set of 4-5 pillars for your business. Use that framework to come up with topics and themes to share. Overlay that with events and seasons, and you’ll never be stuck for something to talk about. Share useful information, not just a sales pitch.
There’s an app for that
We use Facebook page manager, Iconosquare (amazing analytics), UNUM to plan out our Instagram grid and Repost to help share images. There’s all kinds of apps on the market to help with scheduling, aesthetic planning and getting insights so that you can keep improving. Use them to make life easier.
Thou shalt not…
There’s just a couple of things we try to avoid. Instagram filters – we want Margaret River to be authentic, so we pick photos that look real. No crazy colours or filters. Text overlays and watermarks – you might get away with text overlays in Facebook, but try to keep the photo beautiful and tell the story in the caption instead.
Always…
Credit the photographer
