Are you struggling to find new clients and expand your business? Look no further than Instagram, the photo-sharing app that has become a powerhouse for marketing. With over 1 billion active users, Instagram offers endless opportunities to showcase your work and connect with potential customers and like-minded creatives.
But it’s not enough to post photos and hope for the best. To succeed on Instagram, you need a strategy in place. In this article, I’ll share six tips for growing your business on Instagram, including how to use Instagram Stories to your advantage and why investing in the right tools can save you time and money.
Get ready to elevate your social media game and take your account to the next level.
You may think that being successful in photography without social media is impossible, but the truth is that it’s entirely possible if you focus on building your skills and networking with clients outside of Instagram.
While social media platforms like Instagram can provide a great platform to showcase your work and connect with users’, they’re not the only way to build a successful business.
To succeed without relying solely on Instagram, you must focus on building a strong brand on the platform while actively networking with potential clients outside of it.
Attend local events, reach out to businesses or individuals needing professional photography services, and build relationships with other photographers in your area.
By doing so, you’ll expand your network and improve your skills as a photographer – two critical factors for success in this industry.
Remember that while social platforms like TikTok and Instagram can be powerful tools for marketing your business, it’s ultimately up to you to build lasting relationships with clients and develop a unique style that sets you apart from the competition. Don’t be afraid; actionable planning and consistency is easier than you think but don’t rely on just one social platform. Share your content to whatever social network you’re on (hint, choose all of them), aim to get consistent, and find what content resonates with your audience.
If you want to grow your business on Instagram, there are several tips you should follow.
First, post with reels to engage non-followers and promote your account. Reels are the best way to grow your personal account. Using the right hashtag and encouraging others to comment can help to gain followers quickly. Be sure to write captions on your videos as many users don’t have the sound on when scrolling.
Additionally, it’s essential to interact with your followers by responding to comments and direct messages.
You should also be creative but stay consistent with your feed, using the four content types and utilizing stories for behind-the-scenes (BTS) content.
Incorporating creative and informative reels into your Instagram feed can take your photography marketing game to the next level.
Reels are short, engaging videos that allow you to showcase your skills, personality, and style in a fun and interactive way. By posting reels regularly on your Instagram page (think a minimum 2-4 per week), potential clients can quickly understand what it would be like to work with you. Like-minded people will also be drawn to this as they look for content ideas or gain new followers.
When creating reels for your Instagram page, ensure they are visually appealing and informative. You can use them to highlight your favourite shots or behind-the-scenes content from a photo shoot. Ask your audience questions and try to become a thought leader in your niche. When you align yourself with your audience on a more personal level, you’ll find you won’t need to build a following of a million, instead, you’ll have your audience’s attention and be able to build community leading to more engagement.
By consistently posting reels that align with your brand identity, you will attract more followers interested in your services. Don’t forget to add relevant hashtags when posting so that people searching for photography-related content on Instagram can find you! While they aren’t as important as they used to be, they can still help grow your photography Instagram, helping the algorithm understand your content.
Be sure not to post a reel about how to edit a photo in Lightroom and then use inconsistent hashtags like #trucks. This will ultimately have a negative impact and make it look amateur.
Engaging with your followers on Instagram can be a powerful tool in your marketing strategy. Interacting with your audience helps build a loyal following and allows you to gain valuable feedback and insight into what kind of content resonates with them.
Responding to comments and direct messages can show that you care about your followers and appreciate their support. It’s important to remember that social media is a two-way street, so make sure to take the time to engage with others by liking, commenting, and sharing their content.
One way to start gaining followers is to find ten similar accounts you like and ten related hashtags. My recommendation is every time you open the app to engage with 1 of each (or more) before you post your content. Try to find a way to attract people in these popular niches and accounts and stay true to who you are.
Another way to interact with your followers is by hosting Q&A sessions or Instagram Live videos where you can answer questions and give behind-the-scenes glimpses into your day-to-day life. This fosters a sense of connection between you and your audience and allows visitors to get to know you better before booking a shoot.
Additionally, incorporating user-generated content into your feed can help create a sense of community around your brand. Encourage followers to tag you in their photos using branded hashtags or by running giveaways for the best user-submitted photo related to your business on Instagram.
Overall, interacting with your followers on Instagram is essential to building a successful marketing strategy for any business looking to expand its reach on social media platforms like Instagram.
To keep your followers interested and loyal, you’ll need to get creative with your feed while maintaining a consistent aesthetic. As someone looking to grow their business on Instagram, you need to stand out from the crowd.
To do this, think about how you can showcase your unique style and perspective through your Instagram feed. Here are three ways to create an engaging feed:
It’s also important to establish a posting schedule and stick with it. This will help you maintain consistency in both content and timing, which is crucial for building trust with your audience.
By being creative yet consistent in your Instagram feed, you’ll be able to attract new followers and keep them coming back for more.
You can easily captivate your audience by utilizing the four content types available on Instagram. These include photos, videos, carousels, and stories.
Photos are the most traditional type of content and are great for showcasing your portfolio and style. Videos add an extra layer of engagement to your posts as they allow you to show off behind-the-scenes footage or give a glimpse into what it’s like working with you.
Carousels are perfect for displaying multiple images in one post, ideal for showing before-and-after shots or even a series of client images.
Stories have become increasingly popular over the years due to their transient nature and interactive features such as polls, quizzes, and swipe-up links. They’re perfect for capturing real-time moments from shoots or sharing sneak peeks of upcoming projects.
As mentioned posting videos is critical to growth and reach. Aim to post at least 2-4 reels per week and 1-9 stories per day.
By strategically using these four content types, you can grow your Instagram account and attract many followers in no time!
Immerse yourself and others in your world by allowing them to check out the behind-the-scenes (BTS) content on stories. This is a great way to get inspired by what goes into creating stunning images and also to promote your business.
Use your Instagram account to post stories showcasing your creative process, from scouting locations to setting up lighting, and share tips on achieving certain shots.
Stories allow an opportunity to get personal with friends and followers by sharing new content that isn’t for your feed. Things like your hobbies, favourite things or the area you live in can help broaden your online presence and build bigger connections with your followers.
So start sharing those behind-the-scenes moments today!
Using relevant hashtags is a surefire way to promote your photography on Instagram. Hashtags allow you to categorize your content and make it easier for users to find your posts when they search for specific topics or keywords. Using popular hashtags relevant to your niche can increase the chances of reaching a wider audience and encouraging users to follow your account.
To use them effectively, research the most popular ones used by photographers on Instagram in your niche and incorporate them into your posts. However, use hashtags appropriately and please don’t overdo it; using too many may be spammy. Instead, choose a few relevant ones that best describe your content and stick with those.
Using relevant hashtags is an easy yet powerful way to grow on Instagram and get more exposure for your work.
If you want to keep your followers engaged and attract new ones, post regularly on stories. Aim for at least one story daily, ideally in that 1-9 range, so your audience stays connected with you.
To increase engagement, ask questions in your stories and encourage feedback from your followers. Additionally, offering tips and previews of your work can effectively keep your audience interested in what you have to offer as a photographer.
You need to post on Instagram every day. Stories is the best and easiest way to do that. Try to post at least once per day, with a target of 1-9. Add in your four content types and reels and try to plan out your week on Sundays so you can set, forget and move on to the next week.
If your struggling to create stories consistently, try to re- share a story from some of your clients or some of your feed work. Anything is better than nothing.
Get your followers engaged by asking questions in your stories! Spark conversations and connect with your audience by posing thought-provoking queries that encourage them to interact with you.
Asking questions is one of the most effective ways to promote engagement on Instagram. It shows that you’re interested in what your followers say, and it creates a sense of community around your brand.
When creating content for your stories, make sure you ask open-ended questions that allow for more than just a simple “yes” or “no” answer. For example, instead of asking “Do you like my new photo?” try asking “What do you think about the colors in this photo?”
This way, you allow your followers to share their opinions and ideas, which can lead to more engagement on your account.
Share tips and sneak peeks with your audience to keep them engaged and interested in what you have to offer. You want to provide valuable content that resonates with your niche, so think about the type of content they’re looking for.
Giving behind-the-scenes glimpses into your photography process or sharing exclusive access to upcoming projects can help build excitement and anticipation among your followers. Additionally, providing helpful advice related to photography or even general life skills can create a sense of connection with your audience.
At its core, social media is all about engagement – so make sure you’re actively responding to comments on posts and creating opportunities for two-way conversations between yourself and those following along.
Instagram is incredibly effective because it allows you to showcase your work visually and connect with people personally and authentically. As a photographer on Instagram, you have the power to build a community of followers who are genuinely interested in your work. The platform allows you to find their niche and cater to your target audience’s interests.
One of the reasons why Instagram marketing is so effective is its visual nature. A picture speaks a thousand words, and this couldn’t be truer when it comes to photography. By sharing high-quality images of your work, you can capture the attention of users scrolling through their feeds.
You can streamline your workflow and cut costs by utilizing appropriate tools, allowing you to focus on your craft and provide top-notch services to your clients. For example, as a wedding photographer looking to promote your photography on Instagram, it’s essential to use Instagram to grow your photography business while keeping an eye on the bottom line.
You don’t need the best of everything. You need to be the best at something. I pulled back on all my expenses and focused on one solution for my marketing software. This helps save hundreds of dollars a month, and I got incredibly consistent and effective with it.
Here are three tools that can help you achieve this goal:
As a photographer, you know that social media is essential for growing your business and reaching new clients. With over 1 billion active users, Instagram is one of the most popular platforms for photographers to showcase their work and connect with many users.
You can effectively market your photography business on Instagram by implementing the six tips outlined in this article and utilizing Instagram Stories.
Remember that consistency, engagement, and using the right tools are crucial to success. So go ahead and start building your brand on Instagram today – you never know where it might take you!