Twitch, Facebook, Instagram – photographers have started building their personal brands on all social media platforms. These professionals are practically everywhere!
But, before you too jump onto the bandwagon, know that a successful presence requires thought, effort, and a bit of patience. You cannot just get free Twitch viewers. Your goal is not to satisfy yourself, but to create a real brand with real people who acknowledge and appreciate your skillset. This is exactly why we’ve compiled this article. Read on to unlock 5-best tips for photographers to increase their social media following!
Find the Right Platform
While it’s good to have a strong profile on different platforms, it’s not always the best strategy when you’re starting out. The first thing you want to do is decide on the right platform. And, by right, we mean a platform that makes you feel comfortable in content creation.
For example, Instagram and Pinterest’s primary content mode is images. TikTok includes only videos and reels. Meanwhile, Twitch demands many hours-long live-streaming sessions.
Not everyone is an expert in all content types. As a beginner, you may want to go with Instagram or a similar image-based platform because images are the easiest to generate and edit. Once you get the hang of things, you can explore other platforms.
Build an Effective Strategy
Good promotion needs a good strategic plan. Do not free fire and hope that you’ll hit the target!
To build an effective social media strategy, you need to first decide on goals and objectives. They will help set the direction and take steps accordingly. Typically, a photographer may want to:
- Increase social media following
- Get more likes and comments
- Attract attention from press and publication agencies
Since we’re already aiming for more followers, let’s discuss how to achieve that.
There are two types of photography profiles; niche-specific and diversified. If you want to increase the following, decide which one you want to be.
Niche-specific profiles post content about a particular photography technique or style. While it takes time to attract followers, there’s little competition. So, you can establish yourself as an authority in the niche real quickly.
In the long run, this means more credibility and easier trust-gaining. People who’ll follow you are also likely to stay loyal.
Comparatively, diversified profiles post things about everything in photography. It’s faster to create content and increase followers. However, you will have to face great competition because many big names are already doing it.
It’ll take time to develop trust between you and the community. People will follow and unfollow you continuously until you become an authority. Some may also jump in to criticize your work if you’re not careful.
Once you’ve decided the type, focus on the next part of the strategy; content creation.
Create Targeted Content
People claim content to be the king for a reason. It determines the kind of audience you’re attracting to the social media page.
If you post educational content like tips and tricks, photography students and budding artists will form the bulk of your followers. And, if you post your best works, potential clients and companies will become your followers.
Most photographers adopt a mixed content creation approach. They post both types of content to increase their reach. This also opens more business opportunities like conducting workshops.
All that said, make sure whatever you’re posting on social media is not only targeted but high-quality too. Being a photographer, you might already know the importance of visuals. People love aesthetics and will follow accounts accordingly.
Use the Latest, Trending Hashtags
Hashtags are mandatory for all public social media accounts. These specific keywords with the # symbol allow your post to show up to a larger audience. Everyone who follows the hashtag or related tags will eventually come across your post.
It means more exposure to your personal brand. So, choose the latest, trendy hashtags and use them wherever possible in your content.
You can begin by looking up competitors’ profiles. Find out what hashtags they are using and try to incorporate them into your post. Monitor the results and change the hashtags accordingly.
Engage with Your Community
Last but not least, engage with the photographer community. Social media is for socializing and networking. If you interact with others, more people will come across your profile and may even follow you.
So, try to stay active and like or comment on other photographers’ content. Do not forget your followers either!
Maintaining a good relationship with the existing audience goes a long way. Update your Instagram/Facebook Stories, ask questions, and humanize the account. It’ll help make them feel involved and a part of your community.