Creating Puzzle Content
Creating Engaging Puzzle Content for Social Media
Written by Jessa Douglas / May 5, 2024 / Main Photo: Jessa pausing in front of her puzzle shelf with SOONNESS puzzles!
In today’s digital world, social media provides an engaging outlet for people to connect over various common interests and hobbies.
The online puzzle community is no exception as avid puzzlers around the world use social media to share about their latest puzzle accomplishments, favorite brands, thrift finds, strategies, and more. It is quite the hub for puzzle enthusiasts!
A little over a year ago, I opened an Instagram account exclusively for documenting my completed puzzles. However, it quickly became more than that as I found joy in creating silly puzzle-related reels and content, and found that other puzzlers enjoyed them too!
When it comes to creating content, I don’t necessarily always have a plan. But I do have some go-to tools that have helped my feed stay consistent. I have created a simple guide to help you elevate your puzzle account with compelling photography and videos as well as some ideas to help create engaging content.
Capturing the Puzzle
1. Useful Equipment
You don’t need elaborate equipment to create decent content, but I do recommend a quality camera. Crisp and high-resolution photos/videos can make such a difference when it comes to showcasing a puzzle. I use my iPhone to take pictures and try to always shoot in 4k, which can be changed in your phone settings. Another tool that is worth looking into is some kind of tripod or phone mount. This is especially useful when you are creating time lapses or reels, or if you want your hands to pose with the puzzle in your pictures. Amazon has many options to choose from, ranging in prices and styles. I recently started using the Canvas phone mount and love how it can bend and move to get the angles I want: https://www.shopcanvas.co/ (I am not sponsored or affiliated with them).
2. Lighting is key
The most important part of taking clean and crisp photos is the lighting. When you are ready to take pictures of a puzzle, wait until you have proper natural light coming in from a window or door. Avoid direct sunlight, which will wash the puzzle out. Once you have soft natural lighting, turn off any indoor lights to avoid a glare. Don’t worry if it is overcast outside—warmth and brightness can be adjusted later in an app. When you take the pictures, stand on the opposite side of where the light is coming in, so you don’t block the light or create a large shadow. You can use a sheer curtain to help soften the light, if needed.
3. Composition Matters
Experiment with different angles, getting close to the pieces and then standing above to capture the puzzle in its entirety (I usually have to stand on a chair to do this). A solid background helps the puzzle stand out and keeps things simple. If you want a more aesthetic look, you can get various colored poster boards from your local craft store. If you are feeling like you want to dress up your pics with props, look for similar colors/objects that you might already have in your home. Keep the puzzle as the main focus, experiment with placing props around it, and adjust them as you take pics and see what looks pleasing. Plants and greenery are my go-to props.
4. Capturing the Process
Documenting the process, from opening the box to placing the last piece, offers valuable insights into the puzzle and brand. If you have extra time on your hands, creating a time-lapse video or stop motion animation is a great way to showcase the progression from scattered pieces to the finished product.
5. Experiment with Editing
My favorite FREE app for editing is Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. I use it to adjust the brightness, warmth, and sharpness of my photos. It is important to not over-edit your pics, but find ways to help the puzzle shine and stay as true to its natural colors as possible. You can also edit your photos directly through Instagram.
Creating Reels
1. Trending Audio
If you are like me, you may spend way too much time scrolling through your “for you” page trying to find a trending audio to use. I try to limit my time doing this by following a couple non-puzzling accounts that have a similar vibe and post plenty of reels. When I find an audio that I love, I usually just save it to my audio collection for later. You can do this by clicking on the audio title, which will take you to a separate page where you can save it. You can also browse through other reels that use that audio to get more inspiration. All your saved audio clips can be found at the top of your page (the 3 horizontal lines), and under “saved”.
2. Less is More
Sometimes the best kind of reels are short (just a few seconds) with trending music that loops. It’s okay to have longer, more chatty videos too! I recommend mixing it up and seeing what works best for you.
3. Editing Videos
I have been using the VN app for quite some time now, and it is hands-down my favorite app to use for all my videos! It has the ability to speed up your video for time lapses (100x) and slow it down at any point. You can split the video into sections, add music and voiceovers, text, and so much more. Bonus, it is free to use! Now that we have some tools to get started, let’s create some fun content!
Ideas for Creating Engaging Puzzle Content
1. Collaborative Projects
It’s always more fun creating content with a friend! Collaborating on a reel or project helps foster a sense of community and teamwork. You can choose a puzzle to do together and invite others to join you for a #puzzlealong. These puzzle-alongs can be a specific date or can last a whole month, depending on the type of challenge and/or theme you are going for. Other fun collaborative ideas are hosting a giveaway together, creating a new puzzle game for the community, or battling it out with a speed puzzle challenge.
2. Puzzle Reviews & Recommendations
The beauty of having a puzzle account is that you get to showcase puzzles that you enjoy and are interested in. It gives you a space to provide detailed reviews highlighting factors about each puzzle, such as difficulty, packaging, quality, and overall satisfaction. Your insights and recommendations offer a valuable resource to the puzzle community.
3. Behind-the-Scenes Content
Another way to bring engaging content to the puzzle world, is by offering behind-the-scenes stories about your puzzling life. Whether that’s your most recent run to the thrift store, or a sneak peek at the puzzle you are currently working on. Document your triumphs, challenges, and moments of excitement. Unboxing videos are always a big hit! When you show up as your authentic self, you allow your audience to connect and relate to you.
4. Interactive Quizzes and Polls
Bring your audience in to your world, by interacting with them via stories. You can ask them to help decide what puzzle you should do next, or have them guess what puzzle you are working on by showing just a few pieces of the puzzle. Polls can be used to gather feedback on potential ideas and preferences of your audience. You can also create fun quizzes and games that create conversation, like “This or That” or “Never Have I Ever”.
5. DIY Puzzle Crafts
Have a creative idea for those rogue/missing puzzle pieces that no longer have a home? We love to see it! How do you organize your puzzles? Do you have a unique way of displaying them? DIY tutorials and organizational tips add practical value to the community and inspire creativity.
6. Think Outside the Box
There are a few trends that make their way around in the puzzle world, like the #puzzlepickupchallenge! Some puzzlers have created variations of this trend, like the Puzzle Pass (started by @thepuzzlerepublic), where one person tosses a completed puzzle to the other and it continues until the puzzle falls apart. Other puzzlers like taking their puzzles on adventures outdoors, and capturing a puzzle photo or video in the wild. What is something you’ve never seen done with a puzzle before? Why not give something new a try? Who knows, you might start the next big puzzling trend!
Building a fun and engaging puzzle account requires a small combo of creativity and technical skills.
But most importantly, it requires a genuine passion and love for puzzling! And if it brings YOU joy, that is really all that matters. As you create content, let your personality shine through and don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things. Your unique perspective and passion can bring inspiring entertainment to puzzle enthusiasts around the world. We are ready for you!
Get to know the Author: Jessa Douglas
Jessa (aka Jigsaw Jessa) is a stay-at-home mom of three sweet kids, living in WA State. When not homeschooling her kids or working as a Birth Doula, you can find her playing volleyball, creating art, reading a book, and completing puzzles.