Instagram is one of the most important marketing tools for photographers in 2023. Being able to optimize your images for the platform so that they perform best is a great way to attract new customers and build a following. In this article, I will explain some of the things that work well for photographers on Instagram.
I use Instagram daily and try to post daily or at least every other day. For me, it is one of the most important marketing tools. The reason is quite simple: whenever a client takes a break from email, or goes to the bathroom, they open Instagram. I want my picture to be the first thing they see when they start scrolling. In a way, Instagram is a way of reminding your clients that you exist and that you are around. This is again why you need a strong Instagram account.
Before going further, I want to address some important things such as follower and like counts. I would rather have 10 followers who are all clients than have an audience of 10M and not have a single client contact me. I can’t give you advice on how to get lots of followers and likes. I will only say that you should not buy followers, that will get you banned. Care about who follows you, not about how many people follow you. The same goes for likes. If my post gets a lot of likes, those usually come from random people on Instagram. However, there are certain people who like my work consistently; coincidentally, they happen to be the ones I work with. Therefore, as long as the clients are liking what I do, I can put bread on the table, and life is good.
To everyone who refuses to be on Instagram, come on. It's not 2015, it's 2023; everyone is on Instagram. The platform is a one-stop solution for everything from dating to networking and making money. It’s never too late to make an account and start crushing it.
Cohesive Visual Aesthetic
This goes hand in hand with having a visual style in your work. At first, you might not be able to post images that look cohesive. Heck, I also struggle with this. If you take a look at my feed, it goes from one visual to another just because I work with different clients who each require different visuals for their needs. At the same time, the core elements of my style are there. The visual aesthetic is also your brand image. You need to curate the work you post.
Curating
Treat it like a portfolio and post your best work. Within that, be sure to post a variety of different compositions. For example, in my line of work, I try not to post too many images of the same kind and rarely post beauty images one after the other. Full-body, half, and closeups, all in a curated mix. This keeps the feed interesting, and the viewer more engaged with you. If you are a portrait photographer, and the only thing you do is face images, that can work as well, but be sure to vary the subject, lighting, and other components. One mistake I see people make is posting 10 images with the same composition and 1 with a different one. Then it loses that consistency. It is important to curate your work in a way that either looks consistent with everything you do, or has a variety of compositions while still keeping visual cohesion.
Grid Layout
Hand in hand with curating, grid layout is super important. Here there are some things that you absolutely should not do. For example, post 3 posts from one shoot, then 3 from a second one, and so on. This 3-posts layout makes the whole grid feel old and outdated. Such Instagram pages immediately tell me that the user is thinking about being organic and showcasing their work in an organized manner, but are using the laziest method from 2017.
Another mistake people make with grid layout is posting one image in 6 posts. While it has an appeal when someone looks at your feed, that appeal is not worth everyone else seeing cropped images in their feed. It’s just too much of a nuisance, but also it affects your engagement rates. 6 weirdly cropped individual posts will not be seen by as many people as a single well-done image, which is why you should stay away from this method.
A tactic that worked well for me in the past and that I use now is the carousel. This allows posting several different images from the same "look" or even photoshoot, while also keeping the viewer's eye on the post. Don’t take my word for it, but I’m pretty sure that the longer the viewer looks at a post, the better.
Tags
Whenever I post an image, I repost it to my stories and make sure to tag the whole crew, both in the post and the story. This way, they are bound to reshare my work, and it gets seen by more and more people. It is also wise to credit your crew, even if it is huge, be sure to mention the third assistant.
Stories
Stories are the place where you should show yourself. I made mine into a place where I would post anything that looks visually interesting. A lot of my mobile photography ends up on the stories, as well as important achievements, travel diaries, and anything that might be of interest to an audience of clients. The main thing is to constantly remind your audience that you exist and that you are working. To be frank, I am not the most open person when it comes to stories, so I keep my personal life on a different account altogether. I rarely post selfies or any pictures of myself altogether.
At the same time, I want to get back to posting behind-the-scenes and all that juicy content showing setups. Perhaps later.
Closing Thoughts
So, there you have it. Here are some of my tips on how to crush your Instagram game. Remember it is not about the numbers, it is about who likes it. Never blame the algorithm; anytime you think that your images are not shown to people because of the algorithm, replace the latter with people. People don’t like your images. However, as long as the right people like them, you are good.
How do you do your Instagram? What do you pay attention to? Share some of your tips in the comments below!
Honestly no one gives a flying f. If you are any sort of cute girl you will get millions of everything. A talented photographer..meh..10 a penny.
I get precious few likes on my photographs but I only really use Instagram as a place to show people my photography portfolio, not for likes or obsessing over the number of subscribers. The best way to guarantee to‘win’ at Instagram is to be an attractive woman, as long as you don’t mind most of the subscribers being pervy men leaving distasteful comments.
So much time and effort for a questionable quality mini -photo which shows so little of the photographer's skill, ability or artistic value turned over to an algorithm (never blame the al...?) ... no thanks
If you think the algorithm has nothing to do with it, get in touch with some of the (trustworthy) followers who you don't see much of lately. Ask them what they think of your recent work. Odds on, it's not getting to their screens. Then take a look at the Instas of some people you follow who seem not to be posting so much these days. Odds on, they are posting just as much but it's not getting to your screen.
Try it. You'll be surprised at the result.
I left Insta last year on July 22 for a three month trial of "life without"... within a week, I wasn't missing it. Within two, I was enjoying my photography again and doing new things. I wanted to end then, but I stuck it out. Sept 22 I said goodbye. I still have a profile there and photos, but I have removed the app (easier than cancelling your profile) and have never once be tempted to return. People send me their links to look at their pages and I simply reply that I don't visit Insta at all.