We all have cameras in our pockets these days… but some people are true, professional photographers! Well, more than “some”… The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that there are 148,900 working U.S. photographers.
If you’re working as a photographer, you already know that you have to get creative when marketing yourself, especially in highly populated areas or tourist destinations.
Building your unique brand is key to being a successful photographer. But you don’t have to spend a ton of money – start making a name for yourself by creating a cohesive social media presence! Once you pair your social media marketing with an ongoing email marketing strategy, you’ll have people booking your services for years to come.
Let’s dig into some tried-and-true social media marketing ideas for professional photographers.
Social Media Best Practices for Photographers
If the idea of using social media makes you nervous, here are some tips I always give to my photographer clients who want to create more buzz in their space through digital marketing.
Create a Consistent Posting Schedule on Key Platforms
Like anything else, you need to remain consistent if you want to see success. I generally recommend posting 3-5 times per week on Facebook and Instagram for photographers. Both platforms are a must because they’re great at reaching local audiences and are visual-driven.
I also see a lot of photographers active on TikTok – so is that a worthwhile platform? Keep in mind that for photographers, it’s important to find an audience that is local to you. Unless you’re a travel photographer who can work anywhere, you are providing an in-person service in your local region/state. That’s why you’re better off spending time on social media platforms that help you find local clients, like Facebook and Instagram.
If you are a branding photographer or if you do a lot of corporate-type work, you should also post consistently on LinkedIn. Use your personal profile to post 2-3 times per week to drum up more corporate and branding work.
Quality Over Quantity
Resist the urge to post simply for the sake of posting. While you want to post consistently, you should always make sure that your posts benefit your audience. We’ll get to some specific ideas in a moment!
Tag Other Businesses
Did you work with another business or vendor on a photoshoot? Don’t be afraid to tag them in your social media posts! This is especially a great idea for wedding photographers who often shoot images of a variety of other vendors’ work. You can also tag locations and hair/makeup professionals.
Not only does this provide great exposure for both of you, but it also goes a long way toward building camaraderie in your industry. You never know where that next referral could come from!
Rely on Content Buckets
I’ve talked about content buckets in the past and am going to recommend them again, for photographers. There are nine different buckets that I build my strategies on, and with a few tweaks, you can make them work for you, too!
Following these guidelines will help you in two ways:
- It will ensure that your content always provides something of value to your audience.
- It will give you ideas to rotate through your calendar so that you aren’t stuck posting the same stale content, over and over again.
For photographers, I recommend using the following content buckets to build your social media following:
- Sharing: Share your work! After all, this is what people are here for. I recommend doing this at least once a week, but feel free to do it more often, particularly if you have a really good shoot. But resist the urge to post the entire gallery – instead, choose your top shots or even just one great photo. You could also post a slideshow or Reel. Take this to the next level and stand out from other photographers by writing a clever caption to go with your photo/video. Add some personality, ask a question, or include a CTA to invite engagement – e.g. “Which shot is your favorite?”, “Have you ever been to (shoot location)?”, “Give this post some love!”
- Branding: These posts are great for introducing yourself and your brand to your audience. You can lightly encourage them to use your services, but the main point of these posts is to show why you’re different. Make yourself stand out. Do you enjoy photographing families because you came from a big one? Or maybe you love to photograph sports because you’re good at capturing action shots? Whatever it is, this is your chance to shine!
- Behind the Scenes: People love behind-the-scenes content, especially when it’s something as glamorous and fun as photography. Use these posts to show your process. Film video content that shows you prepping for a shoot, shooting images, or editing them. You can also do behind-the-scenes posts that explain how you deliver galleries to your clients.
- Success Stories: Social proof is everything, especially for photographers! Share testimonials from happy clients or publications where your work has been published to show that other people love your work, too.
- Educational: This is your chance to educate people on how to best work with your business. Give tips or resources related to your industry, such as how to dress or pose. You can also use this space to answer frequently asked questions and prepare your clients for their upcoming shoots.
A lot of social media engagement is based on eye-catching images, which photographers create for a living! So don’t be afraid to showcase your work and brag about yourself a bit!
Social Media Post Ideas for Photographers
Ready to revamp your social feed? Here are some great ideas for social media posts for photographers.
Idea 1: Tag Other Businesses
Idea 2: Share Your Work with a Thoughtful Caption
Idea 3: Branding / Introduce Yourself
Idea 4: Behind-the-Scenes Moments
Idea 5: Share Success Stories
Idea 6: Educate Your Audience
Don’t Forget Your Email List, Too!
As I mentioned above, you should always pair your social media strategy with an email marketing strategy. Doing this will keep you in contact with past clients and potential new ones so that your name is at the top of their list the next time they need photos.
Keep your emails short and sweet. You can include links to your most recent work, upcoming promotions, or tips on how to make the most of your photo session.
The best part about email marketing? It’s the perfect task to hand off to a freelance writer or member of your marketing team!
Enlist Help to Keep Up
Social media can take your photography business to new heights, but there’s no denying that it can feel extremely overwhelming, especially for booked and busy photographers!
If you need help maintaining your photography business’s digital presence, my team can help! We help a lot of photographers share their beautiful work with the masses and would love to do the same for you. Just reach out to schedule a commitment-free consultation today.