Visual Communication
Strategic Social Media Content Creation & Management
Hi! I’m Ashlynn Ferguson.
I thrive on connection, creation, and organization. Luckily, these three core values are essential in creating quality content that connects with an intended audience. I found this to be true with this project as I created branded social media content across multiple social platforms for Daily Makes, a hub on social media for DIY projects and inspiration.
Before I could begin creating any content for Daily Makes, I had to ask myself one important question: What did the brand have to offer? The answer to this question became the basis for all content I would create. In other words, it established the brand message: “Making life beautiful through small and simple means.”
A bulk of my time was spent researching my target audience to understand what they were viewing, why they were viewing it, and what businesses or brands were succeeding in that same market. Answering these questions and understanding my audience is what enabled me to create content with a purpose.
Every detail such as font and color had to pass the test of being ideal for the intended audience as well as communicating the previously determined brand message. I used these decisions as my style guide for a cohesive and memorable brand feel across the different social platforms.
With new content needing to be published daily, it was important that I stayed ahead and stayed organized. I always plan content for the weeks ahead in as much detail as possible and make sure that while one week’s content is being published, the next is being created, and the “next next’s” is planned for. Hootsuite was one of the tools I used to stay on top of my posting schedule as well as keep up with trending topics within my audience’s interests.
What is most important to recognize is the effect these decisions had in connecting with the audience. This connection is everything. It’s the key to your organic audience. The likes, comments, and shares are so much more than measurements of success or failure, they are proof of content value. Within a few short weeks, I was able to create a community of individuals who were regularly interacting with my account.
My strategic social media content planning worked for daily makes, and I know that we can do the same for you. If you’re struggling to share your brand voice and build a strong social media presence, connect with me, and let me create content that speaks for you.
Photography
I created custom Lightroom presets to give my feed a branded aesthetic that communicated the brand light, comfortable, and warm brand “feel.” This not only created a beautiful, cohesive feed, but it also cut hours off of the editing process.
Stories
To encourage engagement, I created story templates which would be fun to share and would create conversation within the communities of my organic audience. I also created highlights to save story content that had lasting value for followers. For instance, recipe cards are readily available for users to refer to and screenshot to save by visiting the “#dailybakes” highlight on the Daily Makes profile page.
Reels
It is critical to keep up with the trends in social media, so in addition to my traditional posts and stories, I created Instagram Reels to boost account reach. This especially paid off when Instagram disabled its hashtag feature at the time of the presidential election. I was able to continue extending my reach without access to hashtag communities.
YouTube
To extend the value of the content offered on Daily Makes, I created and published additional tutorials to a YouTube channel for followers to access through a link in the Instagram Bio.