It is no secret that social media is widely used by a large majority of the population today. Almost everyone has a Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram account. Social media not only keeps us connected with family and friends, but it also keeps us “in the know” with local businesses.
Instagram Marketing Tips for Photographers
Photographers should really use this to their advantage. Social media marketing is a free and easy way to keep your work and name relevant in this competitive industry. Instagram has really grown in popularity and there are several ways you can use it to market yourself. Create a business account and use these tips to get the most out of it for you and your photography business.
Your Profile
Keep your profile content short and to the point. Include things that let people know who, what, and where you are and how you can be found.
You should include your business name, city and state, website, e-mail address, and a short description of what you do (wedding photographer, newborn photographer, etc.).
Show Your Best Work
As with any source of marketing platform, you should only show your best work. There is no reason to post every image you take from every session.
For starters, you don’t want to overwhelm your followers. Leave them wanting more, make them want to go to your profile to see more of your work.
Not only that, but you want your work that you share to represent your talent and skills. So only show them the best of the best. Also try to stick with images that show your style when it comes to shooting and editing.
Avoid Cropping
Instagram automatically does a little cropping and only allows you a certain amount of space for your photos. One easy way to avoid this is using the app called “No Crop”, which was designed as a sister app for Instagram.
You open your image up in this app first. It gives you the option of a color of frame to use for your image, then re-sizes your image to fit perfectly within the frame without cropping it. This means you don’t lose any parts of your image, such as your watermark in one of the corners.
I recommend using the white frame. The background for Instagram’s feed is already white, so this will help your images blend in and no one will even know there is a frame around it.
Hashtags
Hashtags aren’t just for teenage girls. They are great for Instagram marketing! When you add hashtags to your images, include things such as your location and business name, and obvious words such as #photographer. Think of things that will help you get found when others run a search on Instagram.
You don’t have to include a ton of hashtags in your photo description, in fact, it’s best not to. Keep the description hashtags short and to the point. Then use the first comment to add as many as you want.
Post Text Posts
Instagram doesn’t have to be just for sharing photos. You can share pretty much any info on it as you can on Facebook. So if you have any special offers or news you want to share, just add the text to any blank image (there is an app for that also) and share away!
If you posted something on Facebook, you can simply take a screenshot of your post and share on Instagram. This is also a great way for your followers to know how to find you on Facebook.
Stay Consistent And Relevant
In order to get the most out of Instagram marketing, you need to stay consistent and relevant.
You don’t want to annoy your followers by flooding their feeds with a lot of posts all day every day. But, you want to post enough to keep your name relevant and not forgot about.
Also, follow your clients and get them to follow you back. Tag them in your images to get your work on their profiles as well. Have them tag your business profile in their posts when they share as well.
Tag any vendors or venues that are relevant to your images. This may encourage them to share your work as well. Get your name and work on as many other profiles as you can.
Instagram is a wonderful social media marketing platform for your business. Stay relevant, show your best work, stay consistent, and take advantage of other apps that go along with Instagram. And don’t forget to link your profile on other social media accounts and your website.
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