Welcome back to our social media series with ideas from our Social Media Coordinator, Kayla Sherry!
In our last newsletters, we shared specific tips for presenting your brand on social media and creating compelling visuals on social media.
Here are some specific ways to put these ideas in action for your organization or community’s social media site!
1. Give Virtual Tours
Don’t just talk about how special your community is or how many valuable tools people can find at your organization’s central hub – give them an experience of it!
You can create a 360-degree image by taking a panoramic image on a smartphone and uploading it to Facebook! On this specific platform, it will automatically detect when you upload a panoramic shot and turn it into an interactive 360-degree image that users can scroll through. This type of content can make people feel like they’re immersed in an office space, event venue, or other community hotspot you want to showcase.
If you want more versatile content that can be used across platforms, you can develop a video tour, where you show everything you want your audience to see. Maybe you want to promote the remodeling of an old building, or you want to give a glimpse of a historic landmark that isn’t typically accessible to the general public. Video tours can tell a story that piques tourists’ interest in your community and can help promote local happenings.
View this video tour example from Visit Milwaukee on TikTok, where they offer an overview of a local art installation by using short clips from multiple angles of the outdoor piece. Your tour doesn’t have to be long or even have a voiceover; use visuals to tell the story.
2. Show Carousel Images of a Special Spot in Your Community
Do you have a hidden gem or a favorite spot in your community that visitors and locals alike flock to? Give it extra attention on your social media page by showcasing multiple creative shots of it in one post.
3. Spotlight Small Businesses
If you’re an organization that supports businesses in your community, find their great stories to tell. For example, a story about a single mother’s bootstrap success, or a family business that continues to grow and evolve with the times while maintaining their roots. Here are two posts that tell entrepreneurs’ stories:
These stories show the personality and magic of your community and show people what’s possible by living and working there. If these entrepreneurs are willing to speak on camera to tell their own stories (especially inside their place of business), that would be a greater win for both parties!
4. Share Notable Landmarks
You can give extra flair to images of your notable landmarks by sharing the experiences people have had at them, the history, its significance, or highlighting all that they’ve withstood. See an example of a historic Virginia landmark that has an intriguing background:
Perhaps you could show popular spots where events take place, modern installations that touch on notable history, or historic buildings that have stood the test of time and hold value to the area. Give even more depth and meaning to these spots by sharing their story.
5. Show Support for Local Causes
If there are causes that are very important to your community, you can tell those stories. For example, if you live in an area where people are passionate about helping the environment, you might want to highlight local recycling, waste reduction, gardening/composting, or clean energy initiatives. If you hear a collective want for more workforce development initiatives from town residents, increase your promotions of interviewing resources, career fairs, and nearby networking opportunities.
Your post can give a clear idea and understanding of the causes people believe in in your community and attract visitors and new residents who feel the same. Maybe you add a call to action that draws your audience to support or volunteer for similar programs, giving them a sense of belonging with participation opportunities.
Would you like strategic guidance & support to curate your brand’s compelling social media content? Set up a free 15-minute consultation with Sandy here.
Reimagining Places With You,
The PPR Strategies Team
