As many associations have realized, the desire for breathtaking visuals has taken off in recent years, thanks in part to photo-driven social apps like Instagram.

And plenty of organizations have recognized Instagram’s growing importance and jumped on the photo-sharing bandwagon in order to create a closer connection to their communities. But how can your association stand out in the increasingly vast Instagram universe?

Hootsuite’s senior enterprise copywriter James Mulvey recently learned about one way in an interview with freelance graphic designer and Instagramer Emanuel Smedbøl. In the Q&A, Smedbøl explains that success on Instagram isn’t just about taking a good photo—it’s about the emotion behind it.

“I think brands need to be more casual about it,” Smedbol explained. “There’s nothing wrong with featuring your products, but give them a nice little scene to live in.”

Expert Event of the Day

https://twitter.com/AssnMediaPub/status/626370428454481920

A high-quality video can work wonders for your association, but how do you create one without breaking the bank? Association Media & Publishing is hosting an event Tuesday, August 18, to show you how to make an engaging video on a budget.

Attendees will learn about best practices for affordable production from Patrick Mirza, an award-winning multimedia producer and magazine editor; Brandon Ross, the multimedia and social media manager for the Military Officers Association of America; and Joe Vallina, a publishing management expert and the treasurer of the AM&P Board of Directors. More details about the event are available here.

Other Good Reads

And in more video news, if you missed out on VidCon 2015, you can catch up on all of the hottest convention news with this show summary, via The Daily Dot.

Want fun, creative ways to show employees you appreciate them? BizBash senior editor Jenny Berg has you covered, with a slideshow of fun activities inspired by Groupon’s annual event.

How do you bounce back after an “unsuccessful” event? Event expert Bethany Smith wants to help you learn from failures and succeed the next time around. Check out her new post on Event Manager Blog.