What’s in your social media feed?
I’d like to challenge you today. Go through your social media feed on your favorite platform and tell me what is the FIRST thing you see that makes you stop and take a closer look?
Go ahead, I’ll wait for you. 🙂
Oh, and while I wait, I’ll do it too.
Okay, after several minutes of scrolling here’s what I saw a whole lot of:
1. Canva created graphics
2. Selfies
3. A fair amount of coffee mugs
4. Stock photos with quotes
Do you know what made me stop? There were only three posts after scrolling for several minutes that actually jumped out at me and they were:
- Woman on a ladder, reaching up on a wall with a tape measure and a pencil
- Woman on a bike leaning over the handlebars kissing her boyfriend – lots of color in the background
- Dog in the co-pilot seat of a helicopter flying over a river
These images grabbed my attention and made me stop to read more!
Why, you ask?
In the case of the woman on the ladder, I stopped because it was unexpected to see someone on a ladder and I wanted to know what she was doing there. Turns out, she was measuring to determine where a framed piece of art should hang (Instagram: @framemastermer, 📸 @dominique_fierro), AND she’s apparently afraid of heights (an interesting bit of info that makes me get to know her a little better).
The woman on the bike image made me stop because of the emotional moment captured. It was so cute and vibrant and playful. Almost felt like I wanted to give them both a hug (Instagram: @beaufortphotoco).
As for the dog in the co-pilot seat (not pictured)…well, it’s a dog…in a co-pilot seat. What could be more unexpected than that (@luxurylifestylemagazine)?
In a nutshell, what I’m saying here is that I’m seeing way too much sameness on Instagram these days. I crave seeing something new and different.
Something that stands out and stands FOR someone’s brand.
This is not to say you should never post a Canva graphic or a selfie but what I challenge you to do is think about what makes YOUR brand different? What is unique about you? How can you stand apart from all that sameness?
Scroll through your own social media feed
Here’s my challenge to you:
Next time you are on Instagram, for 2 minutes (time yourself) I want you to scroll through your own feed and note what images actually make you stop and look further. Then, try and figure out WHY. I guarantee that you’ll start seeing things a bit differently in terms of your own brand. Maybe you’ll get a wild hair to do something DIFFERENT. 😉
Cannot wait to scroll through my social media feed and have one of YOUR posts stop ME in my tracks!
About Melissa
Melissa Henry, CEO of Melissa Demple Photography, helps speakers, authors, and entrepreneurs become KNOWN. Walk away feeling like a rock star with powerful clarity on your personal brand, including unique images that wow your target audience and help you sell out your programs, books and win those coveted keynote spots!
Quoted in Forbes and Entrepreneur and featured in Thrive Global as well as on podcasts such as The Rita Made Me Do It Show, No Fat Cats, and Two Girls Talking, Melissa understands the challenges of standing out in the crowded marketplace and will make sure you & your business do too!
With extensive expertise in consulting and over a decade building her own brand, Melissa provides an extraordinary experience for purpose-driven entrepreneurs who want to become known as experts, thought leaders, and seven-figure business owners.
