We live in a world where our phones have become broadcast devices, used to send out everything from our philosophical musings to detailed images of what we eat and where we go.
To grow audience and try and influence online, we need content that people want to see and engage with, even if it’s just a “like”.
Here are some top tips to get you off to a good start.
Subject matter
There are a few things that everybody wants to see: food, animals, interesting locations and you. That can mean revealing outfits, expensive travel, and goofy props…or it can just mean learning to take the best photos.
A phone with powerful AI can help here. Phones, like the Huawei P20 Pro, use machine learning to identify scenes and objects. Point it at a cat and the phone knows it’s a cat. Point it at a cute puppy and it will know the difference between that and a cat. The phone has optimal settings for each of these scenarios.
Food shots take a bit of artistry. Make sure the colours look right, and the food actually looks appealing. If it’s homemade, make sure you’ve arranged it perfectly. Definitely do not take a photo if you’ve already taken a bite, no one wants to see half eaten food.
Colour
Don’t underestimate the power of colour. A vivid image with striking colours will capture the attention of new followers. Don’t be afraid to play with colours in the editing functions of your phone as well.
Just as important can be the lack of colour. For example, the Huawei P20 Pro has a dedicated monochrome lens for taking native black and white shots that can show off details more clearly and create a dark, moody shot even in daylight.
Stream
Live streaming is growing in popularity and, if you can make it work, it can be lucrative too. You’ll need a powerful phone with a good camera and, preferably, a WiFi connection (to avoid a massive data bill). Streaming services like Twitch let you stream content directly online from your phone.
While mobile game streaming is taking off, with the release of Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds and Fortnite on mobile devices, Instagram stories, Facebook streaming and Snapchat can still net you huge audiences.
While you don’t need a script of the videos, you will need to be clear in what you’re saying. Cut out the “umms” as much as possible. Shot composition is just as important for video as it is for stills as well. Don’t make the background more interesting than you.
A big battery is going to help here. Again, good AI can extend a phone’s battery life by shutting down stuff you don’t need in the background.
Tags and words
Don’t forget to tag your work. The words you caption your images and videos with all add in to search results. Maximising these search results can let you go from 20 likes to 2000, especially if you use popular tags, mixed with unique ones for your content.
This article was created for Huawei to help showcase the awesome new P20 Pro.
