Creating Content for Bookstagram

In class this week, the discussion was centered around creating good content for social media platforms. While it is definitely important to create new and exciting content, sometimes it's tough enough as it is to create any kind of content at all. Guy Kawasaki and Peg Fitzpatrick have some constructive advice in their book, The Art of Social Media. Tips such as BE BOLD and BE INTERESTING sound inspiring, but it can be stressful trying to figure out how to be bold and interesting.

These are the steps/tips I took when I first started my bookstagram account and was trying figure out how to create content for it. Not all of these tips are content-focused, but I think that they definitely influence successful content creation.

1. Research the community.

I think this step is important no matter what market is being discussed. When I first discovered the bookstagram community, a good bit of my time was spent searching through the bookstagram hashtag to see what other users were posting and creating. I noticed that many of the photos being posted were of very popular, newly released books, rather than older titles. Doing this in-depth sleuthing of sorts, was good for me to do because it let me know what the community was interested in and producing at the time. 

2. Experiment with style and materials.

Using what I learned from the research I did, I then started posting similar content to what I had seen. This might have meant featuring the same novel, or using similar props, etc. As my follower count increased though, I also began to throw in some original content. For example, I began to feature a few novels from a small press in the UK. Those photos were different from the usually popular titles or photo styles that I had been using at the time, but since I had built up my profile, it was okay to experiment a little. 

3. Consistency is key.

Now I must admit, this step is pretty difficult sometimes. However, the way to attract and retain my audience is to make sure they see my content regularly. I may be able to post a super great photo, but if my posting schedule as become inconsistent, my followers may not see or appreciate the hard work I've done. This tip kind of hinges on what Kawasaki and Fitzpatrick say: BE ACTIVE. If I'm not creating and sharing content on a consistent basis, it won't matter if the content is the best ever, not many people will appreciate it.

4. Utilize monthly challenges.

Kawasaki and Fitzpatrick mention a tip about using holidays to promote popular content. This works for the bookstagram community too, only more so in the form of monthly hashtag challenges. Often hosted by popular users, each day is given a prompt to inspire the photo for the day, then other users post their photos using the hashtag. This pushes both classic and new content out to a broader audience. What is also super cool to see, is how even though everyone is using the same prompt, all of the photos are different and have their own style. Monthly challenges help create fun content while also discovering other users.

5. Listen to the audience.

While I may have some new, great idea that I think people will absolutely love, that may not wind up being true. Sometimes the audience is not really looking for new content. They like what is familiar. For me, I've found that my followers like photos that are similar to the ones I've posted previously on my profile. Photos where I've used my deck as a prop or a string of lights are some of my most liked photos. I go back to content like that every now and again, because I know my audience likes to see it. I think this tip is one of the most important, because it's easy to get concerned with creating new content when that may not necessarily be what the audience wants.  

Hopefully these tips are helpful in some way, even outside of the bookstagram realm.