Maybe you’re an artist. Perhaps you’re a mommy blogger. Maybe you own a business, or you’re just really passionate about Scottish marmalade and you want to share that love with the world. Good on you. No matter who you are, I’m about to share some principles with you that can help you create content that resonates with and inspires people.
Who am I?
My name is Lumi and I am a digital artist. I share luminous dreamscapes with people all over the world coupled with thoughts about life, philosophy, science, and technology. If it’s cutting edge and exciting, I’m probably googling it right now.
Now let us dispense with the pleasantries, let’s get to those principles I promised you.
Be different.
In order for anything to elicit a powerful response in someone, it has to be different in some way than what someone has already seen. Think about a funny joke you’ve heard. Now imagine you’ve heard that joke 175 times. Is it still funny? Probably not. That’s what the social media landscape is like. I think the goal of creators when trying to make a big impact should be to show someone something they’ve never seen before. Striking a balance between familiarity and the unknown is something all great creators do. Creativity, is, after all, seeing things differently than most. Be the colour in an otherwise black and white world.
Make something good, and then make it great.
When I’m creating a piece, what’s going through my mind is that I want to create something that is solid. Once I reach the final stages, this is where the most important part comes in. Pushing it over the edge. This can be done in any number of ways, but the point is that you should always be looking for ways to add that x-factor, that extra something that is gonna make your content really stand out. What it is is different for every niche, but if you’re educated about it when you figure it out you’ll know.
Have personality.
Whether you’re an artist, business, influencer, or just someone who wants to make content, personality and tone are key. Everyone’s temperament is different and we all have different strengths, so what you want to do is find your own vibe, and then play to the best of that. I may be in my twenties but I’ve had my fair share of struggles and I have overcome them all. The wisdom I gained from my experiences are what help shape my content, and that is the voice I embody. People want to know there’s a person on the other end of your content. Whether you are silly, solemn, fun, tongue-in-cheek, sassy, whatever, maintain a sense of consistency and continuity to your feed.
Why you need to have a photography style (and how to find it) >
Frame things positively.
One thing I didn’t learn until a few years ago is that all you have to do to be inspiring is to speak passionately about something you love. This gets other people fired up and sets their souls on fire! Expressing yourself with vigour is a form of positivity, and that has the power to change people’s lives. When I write a caption, I try to acknowledge a common challenge, but then frame the challenge in a way that is not only accessible to people, but that allows them to frame their life situation in a positive light where they feel empowered to overcome it. People need reassurance and encouragement. There is rarely content that can be more powerful than someone who addresses your problems and then tells you how overcome your struggles.
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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;”> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style=”padding: 12.5% 0;”></div> <div style=”display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;”><div> <div style=”background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);”></div> <div style=”background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;”></div> <div style=”background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);”></div></div><div style=”margin-left: 8px;”> <div style=” background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;”></div> <div style=” width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)”></div></div><div style=”margin-left: auto;”> <div style=” width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);”></div> <div style=” background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);”></div> <div style=” width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);”></div></div></div></a> <p style=” margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;”> <a href=”https://www.instagram.com/p/BdnKm_Ah7wf/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading” style=” color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;” target=”_blank”>Hope is the thing with feathers, the thing that sends you above and the clouds. Hope is lightheartedness, and something no one can live without. As you trace the sky in hand, as you feel so lifted up; hope is there beside you dear, it knows you are enough. 🌲 ⛅️ #photoshop #photography #moodygrams #spacewheel #awesome_surreal #culturacolectiva #sunset #artfido @society6 #society6 #hope #intotheam #ps_dreams #ig_artistry #quietthechaos #huffpostarts #creativecloud #adobestock #md_community #thecreatorsclass #exploretocreate #proartists #theimaged #visualambassadors #alphahype #artofvisuals #ourmoodydays #sky #awesomepix #way2ill #createcommune</a></p> <p style=” color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;”>A post shared by <a href=”https://www.instagram.com/thinklumi/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading” style=” color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;” target=”_blank”> Lumi ✨ LA Artist</a> (@thinklumi) on <time style=” font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;” datetime=”2018-01-06T14:49:46+00:00″>Jan 6, 2018 at 6:49am PST</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async src=”//www.instagram.com/embed.js”></script>
Make people care.
This might be the most important thing to consider when you’re making content. Why should someone care? I often wondered about this in my earlier days, it’s something we all struggle with initially until you learn a little about psychology.
- Make it about them. There’s nothing more interesting to someone than themselves, and so if you can craft your content in such a way that it resonates with everyone, you’ve just hit the bullseye boi.
- Make content that when someone engages with it that action reinforces positive beliefs about themselves. People love sharing photos of dogs that are up for adoption because it not only makes them look good, but it makes the person sharing feel as if they’re doing something good.
- Make content about something people already care about. A lot of brands do this by insinuating themselves into current events. Want to relate with gamers? Make a reference to that new game that everyone in the gaming community has been waiting for for years. People like knowing you think about the same things as them.
- Comment about issues that everyone deals with, not just the people inside your niche. Wider exposure comes from wider appeal.
- Avoid taking a stance on politics and other polarising topics. Although this can win you a few points with a few people in the short run, taking a political stance can create an overwhelming amount of hostility towards your brand. Maybe in the future things won’t be so charged, but it’s wise to not drive people away before you’ve even gotten the chance to say something good.
Conclusion
Don’t do what everyone else is doing, and if you do, come at it from an angle that is fresh and evokes a positive emotional response in your audience. Remember that if you want to be remembered you not only have to be good, you’ve got to be different. When you think you’ve got a piece a content in a good place, take a step back, get a glass of water, and then after a few minutes come back and figure out how you’re take this piece from good to great. Remember we’re all humans here, and even though there are dogs on Instagram they’re not the ones viewing your content. Be human, and frame things positively whenever possible. And most of all, don’t forget to make people care.
https://vamp-brands.com/blog/on-finding-inspiration-an-influencers-guide-to-standing-out/
Lumi
Lumi is a digital artist who shares luminous dreamscapes with people all over the world coupled with his thoughts about life, philosophy, science and technology. You can follow @thinklumi on Instagram or enquire about his work via his website https://lumi.la/.
