I had this insanely cool business idea once, many years ago. It was in the early days of Instagram and Social Media generally. Back then, people didn't yet have all the tools available today to create images and make them look awesome.
It was much harder to make your life seem much more fun than everyone else's. You'd have to pay good money for that - hire a photographer, go somewhere cool, spend money on awesome clothes, eat awesome food in fancy places, e.t.c.
The business idea was simple - you hire me, then spend an entire day with me while I document your life with my lens. Super casual stuff. I can suggest nice places to go and fancy Instagramable things to do :)
I would then produce a package of photos and videos for you to use on your social media account. Most people would probably post some kind of quote, or blog post with the media.
It might sound cheesy, but it turned out to be a great idea. At the time, many people used stock photography for this purpose. It turned out, however, that personal photos do a lot better on social media than photos of models that are so clearly not you. It makes sense.
The self-help and lifestyle improvement scene people were particularly interested in this idea. A friend of mine who is an aspiring healthy eating coach and another who makes her own cosmetics from natural and organic ingredients got their packages done.
Being friend of mine, and knowing they couldn't really afford the service, I didn't charge them for it - even though they offered to pay. Besides, I was still in experiment mode to see if the idea was viable or not. Also, I was suffering from a mild case of Impostor Syndrome :)
| This photo is from a serious we took for Siobhan to use on Instagram and on her blog. We were at a natural lake with a lot of wildlife and nature - trees and meadows. We picked this location because it fit perfectly with her "message" of harnessing nature for your general health and well being. She also covers issues of feminine health and body image. These photos were very popular with her audience because they were personal - not just of some stock model she found online. |
By the way, I am giving eSteem another go after months of not using it. The last time I used it, there were a few annoying things that made me hate it, including the lack of a spell checker. So far, I'm loving it! They seem to have resolved all the issues I had with it. Nice one!
The social media pack that I made for these two friends of mine turned out to be quite successful. They were very popular visual candy that drew people to their accounts. I was quite proud of it to be honest.
Having said that, for whatever reason, I gave up the idea and never actually charged for a product after that. I just let the idea die.
Fast forward to the present, and I've been thinking of bringing back the idea. I'd have to implement some tweaks to the product, but it is still quite viable I think.
Nowadays people are more tech savvy and apt in creating images and videos. This is mainly thanks to the popularity of smartphone apps that make the job a hundred times easier.
In this climate though, I feel the "influencers" have had to step their game up somewhat in order to stand out from the crowd. I think, suddenly, my business idea is viable again and I'm actually seriously considering bringing it back.
I know a couple of friends of mine that could use it in their businesses. I may reach out to them and see how it goes.
Videos are a little harder. A lot of the fancy stuff in a video is down to editing which isn't everyone's cup of tea.
Between when I originally dreamt up this idea and now, I must have created more than 5 thousand videos. From YouTube/DTube videos to personal videos for friends and family, I am constantly editing. This very moment, I must have at least five video projects on the go.
I got quite good at using Final Cut Pro, but I stopped using it last year since it got too tasking for my old computer. I now mainly use iMovie, and sometimes Davinci Resolve. If I get this business going, I may need to fianally update my 6 year old Macbook Pro. I guess it'd be a tax writeoff at that point anyway.
Yes, tax haha. I would of course declear all income to the government. I'm a straight shooter in that regard. Besides here in the UK you either pay now or you pay later. Our monarch doesn't mess around when it comes to collecting taxes.
So what do you think of my business idea? Of course I would accept Steem (or any crypto) for the service if the client has them. I'd have to sit down at some point to figure out how much people are willing to part with for this sort of thing.
Right, I better go do other things. Thanks for reading.
Adé
Peace and Love ✌🏿
Adé
All copy and photos are original content by me.
© adetorrent.com
