You’re a business owner. You know your products and services. You know your customers. You know that you need a marketing strategy in order to keep up with the competition. What you don’t know…Is how to pick the right Instagram filter!

Photography may not be your business, but it is a big part of making a business successful. Luckily, cell phones, apps, and easy-to-use editing tools make the process a lot more simple that you may realize. Here are some of the most important things to keep in mind when sharing photos on social media.

Make Sharing photos a Snap

It’s All in the Filter

Filters are essentially collections of photo edits — lighting, focus, coloring, etc. Instead of altering all of these elements on your own, a filter allows you to choose sets of edits to enhance your photo. You may not know it, but some Instagram filters work better with certain subjects than others. For instance:

Lo-Fi enhances vibrant colors. Great for shooting bold and bright colors in your store.
Kelvin adds warmth to a photo that may have turned out a little bit cold.
Sierra adds a cloudy, light effect to photos, which makes it perfect for scenes you want to give a dreamy look to.
Rise does a great job of hiding blemishes and imperfections, so it’s great for snaps of staff members.

Mashable has a great guide on using filters, but as long as you keep a few things in mind, you’re sure to succeed:

Make sure viewers can easily see the photo subject.
Make sure the crop is right for the photograph. (Hint: Instagram now allows you to post photos of all shapes! Just pinch the photo and “zoom out” in order to use this feature.)
Don’t forget the caption! Once you’ve picked the right filter, hashtags can help users find your amazing photo!

Remember that pictures of products most likely won¹t have a filter because you want to showcase the colors of the product. However, the photo should have great lighting, be crisp/clear and, depending on the image, might need text on top of it and/or a blurred background to make the product pop.

Have the Right Tools

Tools can take a photo from bland to grand. Instagram has some great editing tools on its own, but if you ever need a little extra help amping up a particularly great photo (or adding text!), here are some great tool for “photographers” of all levels.

Basic:

Paint (Resize/add text; Desktop)
Instagram (App)

Intermediate:

Canva (Desktop)
PicMonkey (Desktop)
VSCO Cam (App)
Camera + (App)
Pic Collage (App)

Pro:

Photoshop (Desktop)

Consider These Creative Twists

Do a flat lay of new products in-store.
Consider a DIY light reflector.
Step back and put yourself in your customers’ shoes. Would you engage with this photo?
REALLY go behind the scenes. Consider a shot from your perspective, like looking down onto your cash register or tablet.
Don’t forget that you don’t HAVE to use an Instagram filter. Sometimes a photo speaks for itself.

Pictures are worth 1,000 words! It’s time to feel confident about sharing your photos with your customers.

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