Social media is an excellent way for photographers to generate leads and connect with potential clients. People buy from people they like and trust. There are millions of people on various social media platforms, and deciding where and how to share your work can be difficult.
This article will look at the top social media platforms for professional photographers in order to ensure that their content reaches as many people as possible and to assist you in connecting with the best audience for your work.
What Is the Best Social Media Platform for Photographers?
Instagram is the most popular social media platform for photographers as a marketing tool. Because Instagram is full of people looking for beautiful photography and connections, it is the best social network for photographers.
Think quality over quantity when it comes to Instagram. The platform has become the social network’s holy grail, and the competition is fierce!
However, this does not preclude you from making it work for you. Don’t be concerned about having a million followers; instead, focus on connecting with your followers in a meaningful way by sharing information about yourself and your work. Instagram can be a valuable marketing tool if you stop treating it like a popularity contest and instead post high-quality content that keeps your followers returning for more.
When it comes to social media for photographers, Instagram is one of the most effective platforms. It highlights your photos and is the simplest way to target and engage potential customers.
However, keep in mind that Instagram isn’t designed to drive potential customers directly to your photography blogs or websites. It keeps customers mostly on the platform, so make your posts look like a blog and share and write just like you would for posts on your website.
Instagram’s Best Time to Post
People check Instagram in the morning and before bed, just like they do on Facebook. Many people, however, tend to scroll through Instagram during their lunch breaks or while taking breaks from work during the day. As a result, it’s critical to distribute your posts throughout the day, particularly in the morning, midday, and early evening.
Pinterest, unlike other social media platforms, isn’t about likes or followers. Pinterest is designed to drive traffic to your website by attracting people who are ready to buy. Pinterest is great for photographers because it not only allows you to showcase your images with beautiful pins, but it is also the best social media platform for purchasing.
When you share on Pinterest, you direct people to your website. Users are looking for wedding and event photographers, and it’s also a great way to keep up with the latest industry trends in photography and general content.
Pinterest is also a great social network for photographers because you never know which of your images will go viral and attract more users to your other media. We like that it doesn’t take long to share and get in front of people with a single post.
Note: If you want to make some adjustments to the photo just let me know. I can do it for you at a very low cost. You can hire me to edit your photo.
Twitter is an excellent social media platform for photographers because, unlike Instagram, posts are ordered chronologically rather than by the number of likes received by users. This means that if you tweet frequently, you are more likely to get work from your content.
We also consider Twitter to be one of the best social media platforms for photographers because it is a simple form of communication that forces you to be direct and to the point with users. Users’ posts are limited to 140 characters.
Furthermore, the news is discovered to be breaking on Twitter first, before any other social media platform. Users can quickly search for results using hashtags and keywords, giving them more control over finding a photographer and your content.
Best time to Post on Twitter
Twitter is great because posts appear in the order in which they are posted, which is why you want to catch your audience’s attention at the exact right time of day. The best times to post are between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. in your audience’s time zone. According to studies, the worst time to post on Twitter is before 5 a.m. or after 9 p.m.
Facebook is one of our top social media recommendations for your photography business. Photographers typically combine Instagram and Facebook to cross-promote their social media marketing efforts. Furthermore, Facebook is an excellent tool for getting people to share your posts and find you through mutual friends.
In addition, when people search for you on Google, Google ranks your Facebook page very high. We also like how Facebook has mini social networks for photographers in the form of private groups organized by genre of photography, such as wedding photographers.
Furthermore, it is simple to find everyone and their mother on the platform, as well as social media connections you may not have known existed. It doesn’t take long to share your work on Facebook, and people love seeing beautiful images on their newsfeed that they can repost and share.
Best time to Post on Facebook
People spend a lot of time on Facebook, and it can be quite addictive. However, the general rule of thumb is that it is the first thing people check when they wake up in the morning and the last thing they check before going to bed in the evening. So, when posting, keep in mind your ideal client’s time zone, whether it’s EST, PST, or somewhere else in the world, and take their morning and bedtime routines into account. Examine your insight page for your business account on Facebook to get a better idea of who is viewing your posts and when.
Behance
Consider Behance to be the LinkedIn of the creative world. Adobe created this social media platform, which is one of the best photography networking sites available online. Share your portfolio and favorite images on Behance. Behance, like other social media sites, allows users to like and comment on your photos, but it is more focused on graphics and photography.
Photographers enjoy receiving free feedback and professional critiques on the platform in order to improve their work. Learning from other professionals is an excellent way to expand your photography business.
Flickr
This platform, like Instagram and Pinterest, is dominated by photography images. Because Flickr was founded in 2004, you may believe it is out of date. However, it is one of our top recommendations for storing all of your photos online. Instagram is entertaining, but it is not useful for storing your high-quality photography. Flickr’s content has been updated frequently over the years, and it now offers a free version with a photo limit of 1,000. Use this platform to store images with extremely high resolution, even up to 5k! It’s a great way to keep all of your images safe in one place.
Visura
This social media platform was created to connect visual creatives, including photographers. We believe it is a fantastic platform because, unlike Instagram, it provides tools for your content to be seen by all of the right people in the photography industry. Visura allows you to manage your portfolio, update, write, and participate in competitions that will allow you to connect with other photographers all over the world. Take the time to network with other photojournalists and conceptual photographers, as well as to look at new work in order to be inspired and market yourself.
Fstoppers
This website is a community for photographers who want to see what’s new in photography gear and share their opinions. A large portion of the website is also dedicated to sharing work and receiving feedback from your photographer peers. Before investing in new gear, many photographers use Fstoppers to see what others are saying about it. If you want to compare and contrast feedback, go to this website.
500px
500px is a popular social network for photographers. 500px, unlike Behance, focuses solely on photography and does not categorize design by creative type. This is a fantastic website for getting your photography in front of a global audience. They have a variety of membership options, starting with a free plan and progressing up to $3.99 per month. They even allow you to promote your own photography workshops. You can also use 500px to control the licensing of your images. You will receive up to 60% of the licensing fees.
Vero
Vero is not only for photographers, but it also provides you with a larger audience to gain exposure for your work. Vero is also popular for sharing books, links, photos, and other media. Photographers appreciate the fact that this social media platform shares their images in high resolution. You can also organize your photos geographically. Finally, you can share links on the platform to direct potential customers and new followers to your website and other social media accounts.
YouPic
“Find your home among the world’s best photographers,” says the platform’s tagline. YouPic is a great place to rub shoulders with some of the world’s best photographers. You could be sitting next to Joel Meyerowitz and Steve McCurry, both of whom use the site!
It’s similar to Instagram in that you can share photos that people can interact with, but it’s more geared toward professionals. It is a meeting place for professional photographers to exchange ideas and find clients. However, keep in mind that the platform is not free. The most affordable plan is $4.99 per month. Finally, you can earn this money back by selling your photos and services on the platform, so we think it’s worth a shot.
Exposure.co
This photography-specific social media platform allows you to share stories about your photographs. This is the most popular social network for combining photos and text. When you read stories on Exposure, it feels more like you’re flipping through a magazine or reading a book than looking at a platform. Photographers appreciate the clean, easy-to-read layout of large format photography. The free version of Exposure allows you to share three stories per month; if you want to share more, you must pay for a monthly or yearly subscription.
Steller Stories
This platform has a similar feel to Exposure. co, but the main difference is that it is designed for mobile users. It regularly features new work that you can easily view on your smartphone. Steller Stories allows you to post an image album and create a story around it. After you’ve finished writing your story, you can share it with other users to get feedback and ideas. If the platform likes your stories, it may feature them, giving you even more exposure.
Tumblr
Tumblr was among the first social media platforms to allow users to share photographs. People used Tumblr to share their favorite photos and stories long before Instagram and Pinterest. Photographers appreciate the platform’s simplicity and how simple it is to reshare with the click of a button. Tumblr has been around for 11 years and is still popular among millennials and amateur enthusiasts. It’s still a great way to share your work, and it’s completely free!
TikTok
TikTok began as a lipsyncing app for tweens, but it has quickly evolved into a platform relevant for photographers and people of all ages. The TikTok algorithm is still a mystery, which gives viewers more opportunities to discover you. Many photographers use the platform to share posing techniques, creative ideas, and locations to shoot. Viewers appreciate information that is simple and free. Finally, using video and music keeps potential clients engaged and learning about your work, directing them to your website. Using hashtags and locations, you can control who sees your work.
How do Photographers Advertise on Social Media?
As we’ve seen, social media platforms are an excellent way for photographers to share their work and attract new visitors to their websites. But how should photographers promote their work on social media? Let’s look at some photography marketing strategies for sharing your best images.
Decide on the type of Account you Want to Build
There are two types of social media users. Accounts both professional and personal. This is true for all social media platforms. That’s why it’s critical to decide which one you want to use social media for and stick to it.
We recommend beginning with a professional photographer account centered on your company’s story. Every time you create a new post, ask yourself, “Does this pertain to the voice and look of my business?” Users dislike seeing a mix of high-quality portraits and cell phone photos of you and your friends in a bar. Remember to keep your personal and professional lives separate on social media.
Timing is Everything
Photographers who want to use social media to attract new customers must post at specific times of the day, or else their posts will get lost in time zones and work life. Photographers should aim to share their photos in the morning when people are first glancing at their phones upon waking up, or in the evening, when they are scrolling after work. Sharing at the appropriate time of day will yield the best results on any social media platform. So keep this in mind as you go about your photography business.
Only Post Your Best Work
When it comes to social media photography, you must be critical of your work. Only share your best photos on social media. This means you should spend more time studying your photos and deciding whether they could be improved with a little more post-processing.
If the answer is yes, take the time to edit it before posting it on social media. To put it another way, be picky! If you’re having trouble deciding whether or not to post a photo on social media, you probably shouldn’t. Instagram has a particularly high level of competition, so spend more time controlling what you share on that platform. Remember that your work will be evolving and changing all the time, and you want your social media to reflect that.
Run a Contest
Followers adore freebies! Running a contest is an excellent method of social media marketing. Give away a complimentary photo session or a travel print. Make it a requirement that your audience like your photo and tag a friend in the comments. The larger the giveaway, the more people who will share it and, as a result, find your photography.
Connect with Followers
Always keep in mind that social media was created to connect people and share their work, lives, and food photos! Look for relevant hashtags that your ideal photo clients would use, such as #parisweddingphotographer or #engagementphotographer.
Find the most popular photos in each category and interact with users who like and comment on them. Contact them first to assist them in locating your account. Inquire about their wedding preparations. Alternatively, if they require assistance in locating a hair and makeup artist. Furthermore, by genuinely assisting them, they are more likely to trust and return to you as their photographer.
Join Facebook Groups
Look for Facebook groups based on the type of photography genre you’re interested in. For example, if you live in Paris, you could look up “Paris Photographers.” The idea is to share work, ideas, and stay up to date on what’s going on in your area. When photographers are overbooked, they may offer jobs to the group. Furthermore, there is often construction or work going on near a famous monument that you may want to photograph. These groups are an excellent way to share work and ideas that are more relevant to where you are and what you are shooting.
Don’t Overpost
Posting 10 times per day is the quickest way to get unfollowed. People in any network dislike being inundated with photos or oversharing. A good general rule of thumb is to post once or twice per day. As a photographer, use your preferred platform and avoid being greedy with images and sharing. Finally, consider social media to be a marathon rather than a sprint.
Share Tips and Tricks in Your Captions
It is extremely beneficial to share your knowledge if you want your Instagram or other social media platforms to grow. For example, if you are a wedding photographer, you can share a great wedding photo and list your top picks for hair and makeup artists in the area in the caption.
Alternatively, if you photograph children, you could share your best tips for preparing families for a successful portrait session. Share content that demonstrates to your potential photography clients that you are an expert in your field. Make use of your knowledge to impress clients before they book you.
Use Locations
By tagging relevant locations related to the shoot, you can control who sees your photography. Many people look for photographers based on their location, so take advantage of this, especially on Instagram.
When you tag locations, you also give viewers an idea of how their photos might look in that location, which makes them want to book you. You can make their dreams come true if they find you on social media. Don’t forget to tag your collaborators and request that they tag you in return. This could be anything in the photograph, including the models, flowers, hair and makeup, and the hotel or event group.
Use Hashtags
Instagram may be the most important platform for using hashtags. Determine what you want to achieve with your image. The golden rule is to include at least 11 hashtags in your post. We recommend that you first look into your competitors’ hashtags to see what they are using. Check to see if they use the same hashtags for each post or if they vary. Remember to include your company’s hashtag as well as words that are trending in your genre, such as #parisweddingphotographer, so that potential clients can easily find you.
The use of hashtags on Pinterest has been hotly debated in recent years. They had them, then took them away, and now they’ve returned! So, yes, you can use them, but keep in mind that their effectiveness is fleeting. When you first post a pin, they only provide a little extra exposure for a short period of time. As with most hashtags, make sure to use ones that are relevant to the pin; don’t waste people’s time with a hashtag that has nothing to do with what you’re sharing.
Hashtags are searchable on Facebook and an excellent tool for directing viewers to content that piques their interest, such as your photography. On Facebook, use hashtags to encourage people to interact with your post and engage in conversations with you. Unlike Instagram, studies show that you should use them sparingly on Facebook. Also, create a branded tag for yourself and use it strategically, as using hashtags for the sake of using hashtags can be detrimental to your marketing.
Size Requirements for Images
Thankfully, Instagram’s square-only posting sizes are no longer available. You now have a plethora of image-sizing options. They advise downloading the most recent version of the app and uploading a photo with a width of at least 1080 pixels and an aspect ratio of 1.91.1 and 4:5.
The ideal Pinterest image size is 1000 x 1500px, with a 2:3 aspect ratio. Pinterest recommends these dimensions for standard Pins to ensure the best Pin image quality possible! Photos should be at least 600 x 900 pixels in size.
To save space on the platform, most sites will reduce the size of your images. That is why it is critical to check each site individually. For your photos to look their best on Facebook, Facebook recommends resizing them to the following sizes. If you want to avoid Facebook compression, keep your images under 100KB. Photos should be saved as a JPEG with an sRGB color profile before uploading. Regular photos should have a width of 720px, 920px, or 2048px, while cover photos should be 851px by 315px.
When it comes to saving high-resolution photos, 500px appears to be the most popular. Many forums claim that the higher the resolution of your image upload, the more likely it will be shared and viewed. Consider this platform to be the place to post your highest quality images in terms of resolution.
Social Media Tools
When it comes to posting across all of these platforms, investing in third-party software is a good idea. These websites will not only save you time, but they will also make you money because they know the best things to say, post, and when to say them. You can use a variety of websites to create all of your posts in one day and have them posted throughout the month. Here are our top recommendations for social media tools, and you can sign up for a free trial to see how they work!
Iconosquare
Social Pilot
Tailwind
Crowdfire
Finally, you may be wondering why you are bothering with all of this work! The truth is that social media is an unavoidable evil for your business. You can use it to meet new photographer friends and do a variety of other things. You can also make money by connecting with your ideal clients. Finally, use it to find inspiration when you don’t feel like taking photos or need to remix your work.
Note: If you want to make some adjustments to the photo just let me know. I can do it for you at a very low cost. You can hire me to edit your photo.
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