As a photographer, social media must be a key component of your online marketing strategy. With the growing scope of social media platforms and influence across the web, you simply have to be present.
Your clients expect to find you on various social media channels. By building your presence on social media, you will:
Be able to communicate with them more easily
Become more visible in search engine results
Generate more business leads and sales
Develop a voice and reputation that will give people confidence in your brand
Get real-time information on critical news on the photography industry
To help you achieve your top social game, we have compiled this guide on how to use the social media channels that are most important to building a photography business: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, and Youtube.
Facebook Page Why Facebook Matters
Facebook is the world’s largest social network. WIth more users than any other social network, it’s critical that your business is there. Here are some fascinating statistics on Facebook, as of 2014, from marketing expert Jeff Bullas. These make the case for why you need to be on Facebook:
829 million people use Facebook on a daily basis; and you want to capture their attention.
30 million businesses now have a Facebook Fan Page; you should too.
Tips for Optimizing your Facebook Business Page
Create a Facebook Fan Page for Your Business Facebook has a great portal just for Business users; use it as a guideline when building your page.
Use the “About” section wisely The “About” section of your page is your opportunity to really tell people who you are and what you do. Make yourself stand out from your competition by letting people know why they should work with you. There is no limit to characters, so it’s really important that you craft a meaningful message that will make others want to work with you. Make sure to add keywords to optimize your search potential.
Design the right-sized profile picture & cover photo Make sure your photos look great by sizing them correctly: profile photo, 180p x 180 pixels, cover photo 851 x 315 pixels.
Follow and “like” influential Facebook pages Start “liking” other business pages relevant to your photography business. Share information and engage with them. This will help you become a part of the photography community and help bring in new Facebook fans of your own. (Make sure to also read 10 Must Follow Facebook Pages for Photographers.)
Twitter is a social network powerhouse with a huge, growing user base. Here are some fascinating statistics about Twitter as of 2014 from marketing expert Jeff Bullas. This is why you need to be on Twitter:
34.7 million American adults use Twitter.
27.9% of all social network users in the U.S. are on Twitter, 19.2% of Internet users are on Twitter, and 15.2% of the total U.S. population is on Twitter.
Tips for Optimizing your Twitter
Make the Most of your Bio You don’t have a lot of room for your Twitter bio-- but make sure to include one to two keywords or hashtags (#hashtags) to increase your visibility.
Add your location By adding your location, you can be found via geographic search tools.
Design the right-sized profile picture & cover photo Profile photo should be 400 x 400 pixels. Cover photo 1500 x 500 pixels.
Follow Influencers Follow the people who are most relevant to your photography business - for example, photographers whose work you admire or well-known photographers that hand out great tools, tips and insight into the industry.
LinkedIn Profile Why LinkedIn Matters
LinkedIn is the ultimate social network powerhouse for professionals. Its network of millions of users can help you grow your business contacts and leads. Here are some fascinating statistics on LinkedIn, as of 2014, from marketing expert Jeff Bullas. These numbers make the case for why you need to be on LinkedIn:
300 million users are on LinkedIn.
2.1 million LinkedIn professional groups exist. This is where people network, connect, and share valuable ideas and dialogues.
Tips for Optimizing your LinkedIn Profile Page
Use the “Summary” section wisely This is your opportunity to grab people’s attention. There is no limit to characters. Make sure to add keywords to optimize your search potential.
Upload a cover photo Make sure you use the proper dimension: 1400 x 425 pixels. Because you’re a photographer, it’s extra important that your cover photo is a good one.
Grow your network LinkedIn allows you to invite people to connect via your email contacts. This is a great tool for building your network.
Follow influencers and join groups Stay up-to-date on the most relevant news in the photography industry by following thought leaders and joining professional groups.
Instagram is a social network for online mobile photo-sharing and video-sharing. It’s different than all the other social networks mentioned above, in that you sign up and are active via the iPhone or Android app that you download to your phone.
People love sharing photos of all kinds, and the proof is in Instagram’s popularity. Here are the impressive stats on Instagram from leading digital and social media marketing blog Digital Insights:
200 million active monthly users
50 million users joined Instagram in the first half of 2014
20 billion photos have been taken on Instagram to date
Instagram checklist:
Add your name
Upload a profile photo
Write a description
Include a link in the description
Upload a profile photo (110 x 110 pixels)
Include your company specialties
Using Instagram:
Instagram is a great way to reach and interact with your target audience. Share your best photos, those that will help viewers take notice of your style, as well as fun and interesting behind-the-scene shots.
Pinterest is a hugely popular visual discovery tool you can use to reach new audiences. Here are the facts on Pinterest from Digital Insights:
70 million users are on Pinterest.
40 million users visit Pinterest per month.
23% of Pinterest users use the site at least once per day.
Optimizing Your Pinterest Page
Use the “About” section wisely Make sure to add keywords so you are optimizing your search potential.
Create a custom username and Pinterest URL Pinterest allows you to create a custom URL, which is great for SEO purposes. If available, use your name or your business name, or a combination that is SEO-friendly.
Design the right-sized profile photo: 165 x 165 pixels
Follow influential Pinterest pages Start “following” other Pinterest pages relevant to photographers and engage with them. This will help you enter their community and bring Pinterest fans of your own.
Add your Location – this will help you get discovered in location-based search queries.
Connect to your social media accounts - connect your Twitter account, Facebook profile and Google Plus account to your about section (Settings > social networks) to get more views and followers.
Creating boards - create boards and share pictures that will inspire and meet the needs of your clients. You can create a board with best photo shoot props, clothes to wear or avoid at a photo shoot, or perhaps theme boards and photo shoot tips.
Youtube is the leading video content platform and the 2nd largest search engine after Google.
6 billion - the hours of YouTube videos watched per month
1 billion - is the average of YouTube mobile videos watched per day
Optimizing Your Youtube Channel
Use the “About” section wisely Make sure to add keywords so you are optimizing your search potential.
Get a custom YouTube channel URL Once you are eligible, make sure to claim your custom channel URL
Optimize your Video Channel and each Video Make sure to tag and title your videos with SEO in mind. Include clear and relevant keywords that will help your content appear on YouTube search queries
Learn from the experts follow influential Youtube Channels Start “following” popular YouTube channels to learn their best practices on how to produce content and engage with viewers.
Sharing Videos Use your YouTube videos for lead generation (see Growing Exposure to Your Photography Business for more ideas on lead generation). Share video tutorials to establish yourself as an expert. Get likes, comments and subscribers and become an integral part of the the online photography community.
Liat is a content wordsmith at WiseStamp and copywriter at Ink of Imagination. She delights in creating and sharing valuable tips and helping businesses craft effective content.
When she’s not writing content, she can be found in the world of fiction, embarking on adventures with her characters.
