The before-and-after post

A before-and-after post shows two states of the same thing and lets the reader feel the gap. A cleaner posts the oven they walked into next to the oven they left. An agent posts a listing photo from move-in day beside the one taken after staging. Nobody needs the change explained, because the two pictures already did it.

It suits a feed because people decide in a second whether to stop. A contrast can be judged in that second. It also gives the comments something to do, since people like to guess how long the job took or what it cost.

Pick a change you really made. Shoot both photos from the same spot so the difference is the only thing that moved. Put the before first.

If you know how long it took or what it cost, say so. A plain figure makes the after easier to believe. After that, stop writing. This kind of post doesn't need a lesson tacked on the end.

Heavy editing ruins it. So does an after that has been styled until it no longer looks like the same room.

If the photos show a client's home or face, ask first. Be careful with health and money topics too, where a dramatic after can read like a promise you can't keep.