How to take smart risks with lo-fi social content

In late 2009, Domino’s released a brutally honest commercial, publicizing customers’ overwhelmingly negative feelings about their pizza—and asking folks to give them a second chance. It was a massive risk, but one that paid off. The quarter following the campaign’s release, same-store sales were up 14%.

No matter how you slice it, risk-taking has always been a hallmark of strong brand marketing. In the world of social today—where generating organic reach feels like a moving target and production budgets are limited—pursuing smart risks can be the deciding factor in your content’s success.

Enter: lo-fi content. Publishing visuals and video that hasn’t been scrutinized in creative briefs and edited ad nauseum carries a degree of risk. But as we explain in this article, it’s what audiences crave.

Keep reading to learn how to build the business case for creating more lo-fi content, and ways to integrate it into your social strategy.

What is lo-fi social media content?

Lo-fi social media content is personality-driven social media content that has low production value. Social media consultant and Link in Bio newsletter creator Rachel Karten summed it up in a Sprout masterclass webinar, “You have to do something weird or wacky or fun or personality driven. People now expect brands to show up in that way across all platforms.”

Lo-fi content looks and feels more authentic and less glossy than traditional branded social content because it usually is. It’s often shot on an iPhone and involves little if any editing at all, making it more budget-friendly (with a better ROI than highly polished content).

Lo-fi social media content is still selling to your audience, but it doesn’t feel like it. Examples of lo-fi content include, but are not limited to:

The risks and rewards of lo-fi content

For emerging and established brands alike, lo-fi content can be a step outside of the marketing comfort zone. Unpolished posts run the risk of showing your product or service in a non-aspirational light (even if it’s highlighting a very real customer use case), or showcasing a sense of humor that your audience might not get.

Replying to @Lindsey 👁️👄👁️ #LaMer #LaMerSkincare #CremeDeLaMer #Succession #RomanRoy

♬ original sound ' Dustin Rauser