7 Tips to Promote Your Photography on Instagram Like a Pro
By Elizabeth Hines
There is no denying that we live in the Instagram era. From its humble beginnings in the 2010’s to the social media behemoth it’s become by 2021, it’s clear that business, outreach, networking, and socializing take place almost exclusively in this photo app.
Whether you’re just getting your foot in the door or you’re a well-established photographer, Instagram is an incredibly powerful tool to promote your work, find potential clients, and get published. Take a look at the 7 best tips to help you advance and promote your photography like a true social media influencer!
Define your niche
This is key and the first step to creating a dreamy Instagram feed. Identify your brand, who are you catering to? What do you want to show and why? When you know this, you’ll be able to fine-tune your theme to a specific aesthetic and keep it consistent and cohesive. You’ll build a following that will keep coming back for more! It’s also very important to keep your posts representative of who you are as a photographer, new followers will make the decision to follow you based on your most recent posts, so consistency and branding are essential!
Post your very best work
This may sound really obvious, but it is worth mentioning. They say people’s Instagram is a reel of their life’s highlights and it’s no different when using Instagram to promote work. Post consistently and to the very best of your ability, give it a personal touch, and make sure every post has a wow! factor that also matches the collective aesthetic of your feed! Remember that if you can’t choose between more than one image, you can always rely on the multiple picture option!
Don’t only rely on your smartphone, invest in a camera!
With a DSLR, you have greater control taking photos by being able to manipulate focus, depth, and field, they’re excellent in low light conditions and to zoom in. DSLR cameras are a great choice to get high-quality professional photos.
Edit like a professional
As tempting as it may be to use Instagram’s editing features, they simply aren’t as sophisticated to fine-tune light or depth. Ditch the cheesy filters and use photo editing software like Adobe Lightroom.
Be strategic when you post
As marketing manager from Lia Help and State of writing Emily Molina tells us – “Half the work is taking an amazing photo, the other is knowing when to post it- finding a balance between quality over quantity and developing a posting pattern is the key to a successful Instagram account”
Remember that the morning time is usually the best time to post as more people are likely to be scrolling, similarly, Sundays are when you’ll get the most interaction.
All about the caption and hashtags
Don’t dismiss the caption as just a title, people enjoy engaging captions with questions, anything that is mentally engaging will prompt interaction! Using hashtags will boost your feed by attracting new followers. Remember to use relevant hashtags like location, subject, brand, or even create a hashtag unique to your photography.
Nathan Davis, a business writer from Paper Fellows and Boom Essays reminds us – “powerful and well-written words will create a long-lasting impression on your viewers, creating emotional responses and investing your followers in your work is the best way to keep them coming back”.
Create a community
It’s not all about follower counts and numbers. Replying to comments, following other photographers in similar niches and collaborating will create a community where others are likely to reciprocate and promote your work and engage with your posts. This is a great way to build a portfolio, network and even find potential clients!
If you want to win at the game of Instagram, remember to keep it simple and consistent, be unique in your approach and keep engaging others with high-quality content. Follow these tips to become an Instagram wizz and get the most out of promoting your photography!
Digital marketer and content writer Elizabeth Hines writes articles about latest tech and marketing trends, innovations, and strategies. She writes for Coursework help and Academized as well as online magazines and blogs such as OX Essays and others.
