Instagram is essential for any photographer marketing their business! There is no denying the popularity of the platform as well as the high level of engagement from users from around the globe.

Here are 7 tips to help you gain more followers and take your IG marketing to the next level:

1. Make Your Bio Relevant

The first thing a user sees when visiting your Instagram profile is your bio. Due to limited amount of characters allowed, you have to keep this short and sweet. Include your business name and location (city and state), short description of the type of work you do, and a link to your website. This way, if a user is looking for a photographer in your area, they will be able to find you easier.

 

2. Don’t Post Everything All At Once

You want your Instagram feed to look polished and coherent. Cultivate your collection of photos, and then plan at least one post a day. If you want to gain followers faster, post in the morning, the afternoon, and late evening to prevent spamming your the news feeds. You want your followers to see what you have to offer without annoying them, as people can be quick to unfollow when annoyed.
 

3. Add A Short Story

Keep your caption short and to the point, but try to give your followers something they can relate to or may be interested in. For example: “As the sun was beginning to set, love was in the air with this couple.” You may also want to include the location, gear used, and other details depending on your targeted audience. These things help to give a personal touch to your images.

4. Make The Most Of #Hashtags

Hashtags aren’t just for teenagers. They can make a world of difference when it comes to exposure on Instagram. Use hashtags to tell the type of work you do (#boudoirphotography, #weddingphotographer, #seniorphoto, etc).

You can also hashtag anyone involved in the photo, such as hair/make-up artists, hotels or rented studios for the the shoot, location, and gear (Canon, Nikon). When creating your hashtags, think of things local potential clients may be searching for, or possible businesses and vendors that may share your work. I usually just put a couple in the caption and then use the first comment to add as many as possible.

This will keep your post looking clean and uncluttered in the feed, as the first comment will not show in preview after a few comments have been added. It’s all about #exposure!

5. Tag Clients

If your client isn’t already following you, encourage them to do so at the time of the session. This way you can tag them in the caption and in the photo. First of all, this ensures your client will see it when they log into Instagram and get a notification. Which means they are more likely to share it, or tag friends and family they want to make sure sees it also.

It will also show on their “tagged photos” from their profile. The more places you can get it to appear, the more love it will receive. Not to mention, this sets you up for more potential clients and followers, which is what Instagram marketing is really about. 
 

6. Post Screenshots Of Text Posts From Other Social Media Platforms

With Instagram being a photo sharing app only, there is one simple way you can post those important (text only) posts that you feel are important for your followers to see. Maybe you posted on Twitter or Facebook about upcoming scheduled mini sessions, links to your blog, special offers, etc.

Simply take a screenshot of the post, and in the caption add a link to the original post, and share away. This is a super easy way to get your message across, while at the same time, directing them to your other social media sites. 
 

7. Avoid Automatic Image Cropping

You can’t get around parts of your image being chopped off when posting to Instagram. When I found the “No Crop” app, it made me absolutely giddy! As photographers, we put a lot of work into framing our images, and every detail matters to us.

The No Crop app &ndash or any of the “no crop / square” apps out there for iOS or Android, like InSquarer or No Crop & Square – basically allows you to add a “frame” to your images that fits perfectly on Instagram. This means, you don’t lose part of your sky, watermark, or any other part of the image when posting. Those apps allows you to do many other things as well, but I use it strictly for this purpose. I always use a white frame, considering the Instagram news feed background is white.

It makes the photo blend right in and you don’t have to deal with cheesy background frames distracting from your image. You simply open the image up in the app, add a white frame, then share to Instagram. For photographers, this app should go hand in hand with Instagram.

Social media marketing can do wonders for your photography business. Take advantage of every chance you get to use “zero cost” opportunities to help boost your exposure.