Out of all the social media platforms available right now, Instagram is one of the best for photographers. For one thing, Instagram is heavily photo-based, and for another, it ranks fourth in the list of apps with the most users. In fact, as of right now, Instagram has over one billion monthly active users.
With all of that said, it’s safe to say that if a photographer wants their work to be seen by millions of people and eventually grow their brand and earn money, Instagram is the right place to be.
But how, exactly, does that work? What do you have to do to use Instagram — and other social media platforms — to your advantage and monetize your photography skills?
Take Photos That You Know Your Audience Will Adore
This first piece of advice can be a bit tricky to follow because you don’t know what your followers like until you’ve posted enough photos on your account.
So, before you’re making grand plans on taking over Instagram, you should first start by posting the pictures that you already have. Then, as you get more followers and more interactions, study your account’s data and analytics and see which photos have performed the best.
These photos are the kind that your followers like to see, so you should make sure to capture more images like that and post them to your account. Your audience will feel like you’re listening to them, and you can get to show off your unique skills — it’s the best-of-both-worlds situation.
Schedule Your Posts to Have a Consistent Content Rollout
Even if you’re the best photographer in all the land, if you don’t keep your Instagram account active, then you won’t amass any followers, and your brand won’t grow — source: Sked Social.
Because of this, you have to post consistently to ensure that your followers are still engaged with your content. The best way to achieve a consistent content rollout is by having a content calendar and scheduling your posts.
A content calendar lets you see when a picture will go live. Meanwhile, scheduling your posts ahead of time allows you to not worry about manually putting in the details like photo descriptions and hashtags before posting them.
There are a lot of apps out there that help you schedule your posts, so take advantage of them.
Work With Influencers
The more you pump out content, the more people will notice you and your skills. When that happens, you might get contacted by an influencer to work with them, and you should take that opportunity as soon as possible.
This is because influencers have a wide reach, so if they hire you to take photos for them, their followers will also see your work, thus boosting your brand awareness. A piece of even better news is the fact that other influencers will hear about you, and they might want to work with you as well.
Long story short, working with influencers not only helps you earn money, but it also increases your audience reach, which can lead to even more fantastic opportunities in the future.
Use Other Social Media Platforms As Well
Instagram may be the perfect platform for photographers, but if you want to branch out even further, then it’s a wise move to distribute your photos across other social media platforms.
This is because there are likely users in other social media apps, like Twitter or Pinterest, that don’t have Instagram, so they don’t have the chance to come across your photos. But if you post your images on a diverse array of platforms, you’ll get new followers, and you might also receive new opportunities.
Using several social media platforms can be demanding and overwhelming, but it is effective for brand growth. So, you should consider taking the time and effort to learn about how to use other platforms for your photography.
Watermark Your Pictures to Protect Your Content
A watermark is essentially your logo, stamp, or signature that is overlaid onto your pictures. Photographers aren’t the only ones who use watermarks on their works; artists and video creators do it as well.
Watermarking your photos is vital for two reasons. Firstly, it protects your content from theft. And secondly, it also helps advertise your brand.
Basically, when you have your name watermarked on your photos, people who like your work and want to work with you can easily look you up and connect with you.
Conclusion
All photographers want in the world is to get paid for their passion for taking photos. Using social media, especially Instagram, can help them achieve their dreams, and the words of advice mentioned above will aid you in navigating social media for your photography brand.
I initially was having a few challenges scheduling, but now have started using buffer which makes this much easier and manageable. They have a free version which can support up to 10 posts..