As a professional photographer, you’ve got two advantages over almost everyone else on social media—you already have killer content and lots of stories to tell.
But if you haven’t seen those advantages translating into success on social, we’re here to help. We’ve put together a series of social media tips designed just for photographers. Find out the best ways to promote your business on Facebook, Instagram, and more with tips from pro photographers and insights from the Animoto team.
1. Know your target audience
Animoto’s Senior Marketing Manager, Sally Sargood, advises, “Think about who you’re trying to target and what platforms they’re on and focus on those platforms.” Here are a few questions to help you decide which audience you should target:
- What generation do you want to book?
- Are your booking mostly men or women?
- Does your target audience have children, are they in a relationship, or are they single?
- Do you want to talk to new clients or existing ones?
- What else do you already know about your target audience?
2. Choose the right platform
Knowing who you want to see your images can tell you a lot about where to post your content. For instance, wedding photographer Vanessa Joy mostly posts on Instagram, since her brides often go there looking for inspiration. Portrait photographer Gerson Lopes spends a lot of time on Instagram, too, but focuses more on Stories since it lets him post frequently and stay on the minds of potential clients.
Here’s a quick snapshot of which platform to use when:
- Instagram Feed: Post your best photos and video sneak peeks. Your audience will skew younger—look for Millennials and Gen Z here.
- Facebook News Feed: Shoot for longer-form video content, which Facebook prefers over shorter posts. Your audience here is more likely to be Baby Boomers, Gen X, and Millenials.
- Instagram Stories: Share less polished, behind-the-scenes content here. Videos work better, since they can stay on screen for up to 15 seconds or more, whereas a still is gone in 5 seconds. Try the Sneak Peak template in our app for some ideas.
- Facebook Stories: Like Instagram Stories, Facebook Stories is good place to share less polished content about your process.
- YouTube: Everyone uses YouTube, but it’s men’s social media of choice. Make sure you feature a good channel trailer here, like the one featured below.
- Pinterest: A good place to go for brides looking for inspiration. Try a video with a watermark to make sure you get credit for your gorgeous images.
3. Be ready to spend a little money
Sally shared, “If you want to hit a new audience or find new people, you’ve got to put some ad spend behind it.” In other words, if you want new clients, you’re probably looking to create ads, like the one below, in addition to organic posts.
Paid ads may seem daunting, but you can see results spending just $25 or so to reach the friends of followers.
So if paid matters so much, why do you need organic posts? According to Sally, “Organic posts help you keep a strong presence online and keep your brand out there.”
If you want to learn more about organic and paid posts, here’s a breakdown, courtesy of Sally:
4. Post consistently...
Just like when you first started photography, practice and consistency is the key to seeing improvement. Gerson shared, “Even if you don't post every day on your Feed, post several times a day on your Stories. It keeps people seeing your name and face—or your business logo—and you can create ways to interact with your audience. Ultimately they will feel like they know you and potentially buy or do business with you because of that.”
5. ...But be ready for change
Social media’s a constantly changing landscape, so you’ve got to be flexible and willing to test out new ways of doing things. Wedding photographer Vanessa Joy says, “It's all about experimentation! Some things work, and some things don't. Some things work all the time, and others only work once. It's a constant game.”
If you need a little extra help figuring out the latest trends in the social media game, or if you just want some video ideas, join us in The Animoto Social Video Marketing Community on Facebook. There you’ll find other business owners like you, along with plenty of advice and inspiration.
