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FEBRUARY 19, 2020

Lifestyle Photography for Social Drives Greater Engagement

TONY TREADWAY

There are several levels of sophistication in shared social posts. We’ve taken a client to a whole new level in that sophistication with lifestyle photographic imagery.

At the beginner level, someone internally at the company who is frequently tasked with other duties grabs a smartphone and shares something that they can reach and grab that they hope might be relevant to their social audience. BLAH, BLAH. Let’s take it to the next level.

A company assigns someone to the full-time role as a social media manager. Now there is a bit of strategy and hopefully a social media calendar that is shared with management and sales team. There’s an upgrade in engagement and even social paid posts to selected demographics. I would say that that is the norm for today. Let’s go to the next level.

Then there are visionary clients who support a newer level of imagery that is setting new records for engagement.

Tony Treadway
Creative Energy President

The VP of marketing reaches out to a smart and savvy agency that lives social media daily. Their strategies are even more sophisticated. Their metrics prove it. There is a team within the agency that is assigned to the social client and graphics are created to reflect the brand and connect with its customers. We’re blessed with clients of this level of commitment to social.

Then there are visionary clients who support a newer level of imagery that is setting new records for engagement. Rather than inserting a product image with a branded message in a post the product is embedded within a consumer’s lifestyle.

For client, Garner Foods, and their Green Mountain Gringo® and Texas Pete® Hot Sauce brands the idea was to embrace a persona of a vibrant lifestyle of sharing good times with great friends. It’s a form much like branded content where an emotional connection is the goal.

Here are some metrics on raising the standard in engagement by switching from a selling to an engagement strategy using lifestyle photography for social media. We were high-fiving back in 2018 to the extraordinary engagements with our product-centric approach. Then, we compared them to the increase in engagement using a lifestyle approach a year later. Wow!

Deploying lifestyle imagery requires a commitment to understanding the ideal persona of a brand loyalist. Whether aspirational or reality, we are helping consumers visualize how a brand can fit in their own lifestyle. Our entire Garner Foods Team has embraced the opportunity to get outside and have fun with two growing brands.

Creative Energy is lucky to have some visionaries on our team, including social strategist, creatives, photographers, producers, videographers and even a food stylist. If you are ready for the next level of sophistication for your social channels, we’re happy to hear your story.  

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