.png)
It’s no secret that Instagram is a great way to connect photographers with potential clients. This visual-based social media platform is a perfect way for wedding and elopement photographers to showcase their work and wow brides-to-be! However, many struggle to grow on Instagram, despite there being 500 million daily active users on the site. What are the biggest challenges facing photographers and how can they be overcome? Here are my top five tips to growing successfully on Instagram.
Identify your target audience
Many photographers - many business owners in general - don’t know who their target audience is. Saying your target audience is “everyone” will get you nowhere. If you’re talking to everyone, chances are, you’re connecting with no one. You need to be more precise! Who is your ideal client?
Envision your ideal client. What are their key demographics - age, gender, family formation, income? Now, go a step further. What are their interests? What are their values? The more specific you can be, the better! This will help you create an engaging brand voice and help you choose images that will appeal to the right people.
Be consistent
Post consistently - at whatever pace you can actually be consistent. Don’t expect yourself to go from posting once a month to posting every day. Consistency breeds trust (with your followers and with the algorithm!). A great starting place is 2-3 posts per week.
Forget hashtags - use this instead!
Hashtags are no longer driving Instagram search results. Instead, the Instagram search algorithm operates in much the same way as the Google algorithm. It crawls your profile and your post to determine if your content will appeal to a user. Instead of using hashtags, use search-engine optimized keywords in your caption. Think about what your ideal client will be searching for, and include that phrase, such as “Tampa wedding photographer.”
Use the Rule of Thirds
There are 3 main types of Instagram posts you should be sharing: Education, Inspiration, and Sales. If you’re posting your offer in everything you post, you’ll sound more like a used-car salesman than a person people want to connect with. LIkewise, if you never post your offer, people might not think to book you! Try and post evenly between education (example: “3 outfit ideas for engagement photos”), inspiration (example: past shoots), and sales.
Engage, engage, engage!
Social media should be just that - social! Don’t talk AT people, talk to them. Write captions that ignite engagement - try including a question (“did you or would you do a first look?”) or a call to action (“double tap if you agree!”). Respond to comments and DMs. Use Stories strategically to give followers a behind-the-scenes, unfiltered look at you! Always be engaging, open, and, most of all, real.
Which tip will you use first? Follow me on Instagram for more tips for photographers! Happy posting!