3 Easy ways to create lo-fi content

Online content has reached the pinnacle of production. Everything, from high-budget paid advertising campaigns to TikTok morning routines, is thoughtful, cinematic, and well-edited...

And it's all shot using high-quality equipment. The images are crisp, the audio is smooth, and the colour grading is soft.

So, in the spirit of wanting what we can't have, lo-fi content is on the rise.

So what is lo-fi?

Lo-fi is anything (seemingly) 'real', unedited, or gritty. It's untouched images, screenshots of text conversations, and behind-the-scenes content.

This type of content helps foster trust by making audiences feel connected. Because the experience of consuming lo-fi content from brands makes them feel close, like a friend.

So if you’d like to incorporate this trend into your content, here are 3 easy and practical ways to embrace this incredibly budget-friendly content style:

1. Film something random

I know it sounds bizarre and totally anti-strategy, but it's NOT. Think about something you might film to show your friend... Liiiike, (my recent example) filming yourself taking an olive out of a plastic tub using a tiny prong with a cermamic chilli on the end. Or film yourself opening the fridge and panning around looking for something to eat. Anything random.

Because that's what lo-fi is all about--having more character than curated content. And what's more characterful than something genuinely off-topic and unrelated to your product? This is the sort of stuff we send to our friends because it shows our personality and sense of humour. And that creates connection.

2. Embrace user-generated content (UGC)

Sent by a fan, customer, or hater? Use it. Sometimes our lovely users, or content consumers, aren't the best at generating imagery. You can't care about this. Remember, lo-fi is all about embracing the blurry, the shaky, and the background-noise-riddled content. Anything that's not highly produced.

So, in the name of lo-fi, repost it. If it's really bad, it's funny. But probably, it will just be appreciated by everyone involved—the original poster, followers, and you.

3. Use casual photos

This is the easiest way to create lo-fi content. Look at what you have, and use it. Only have a smartphone? Peeeerfect. Snap a pic, even jiggle your phone a bit as you take it so it's a little blurry (if you want). Selfies, mirror and regular, fall into this category, too.

These casual-type photos are a key part of lo-fi posting because they give a glimpse of what you, or your brand, are like. They show what a 'day in the life' looks like and help people relate to you. (By the way, if your day-to-day life includes some moments that aren't SUPER relatable, you may want to leave those bits out.)

Could this content creation strategy reflect poorly on your brand?

Yes, unfortunately. There's the potential to get carried away, to start posting all sorts of unrelated things, and to lose your way. This might come across as unprofessional, sloppy, or just plain weird.

So be careful, and don't completely get rid of your polished, intentional content. Just keep your feed varied, or contain your lo-fi, playful content on Instagram stories and TikTok feeds, rather than committing it to the grid.

Ultimately, though, lo-fi content is cheap, easy, and provides excellent results when it comes to user engagement. So have fun with it, get a lil silly, and pretend you're posting for a close friend.

Your followers will love you for it. <3

-Maggie, Copywriter