As a wedding photography business owner, using social media photography platforms is an essential part of sharing your images with ideal clients. The larger your reach on social media platforms, the more likely it is for your target market to see your work and take the steps to learn more about you.
Since there are several ways to do this and platforms to use, we reached out to Vanessa Joy to discover her take on social marketing and the 3 things you need to know. Keep reading to learn more about The Three C’s Vanessa put together for social media. Plus, learn how to approach them for your photography business.
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Social Media Photography
One of my favorite quotes comes from Gary Vaynerchuk’s book Jab, Jab, Jab Right Hook. It is nestled in the first part of the addendum to the book at the end. The addendum is there because after he finished writing an entire book on social media and how to use it wisely, Instagram released video posting capabilities. This release pretty much made his book instantly obsolete before it was even published.
Now, he could have complained about it. He may have even thrown his newly finished manuscript on the floor. But what he ultimately decided to do about it is write the addendum, giving more advice and tips on Instagram’s video function. He started it with this attitude:
“I have bad news: Marketing is hard, and it keeps getting harder. But there’s no time to mourn the past or to feel sorry for ourselves, and there’s no point in self-pity anyway. It is our job as modern-day storytellers to adjust to the realities of the marketplace, because it sure as hell isn’t going to slow down for us.”
Even one of the great social media experts of our time gets slapped in the face by a social media change. I’m sure the latest Facebook change isn’t making any of us happy, but it is up to us to decide to get up and work through it anyway. Here’s how you can do it.
Understand the Company
Anytime a social media platform changes something, I remember that the platform is really just a company. By changing their algorithms, they are actually doing their job adapting their product to the changes of the marketplace. After all, what is their goal? A main goal of any social platform is to get users onto their platform, repeatedly, and for longer periods of time.
Realizing the root of social media outlets will help you navigate around their changes like a pro. If they change something that was once working, it is probably because their users have become desensitized to it, or even irritated by it. Accept that the rest of the world discovered that little social media secret to the point of beating it to death, and move on to finding something new.
Related: Do you know the best times to post on your Facebook business page? We’ve got answers for you!
Understand the Culture
I have only been around about 3 or 4 generations, but it is easy to notice the pattern of older generations being annoyed by the younger ones and the younger generations being misunderstood by the older ones. Older generations may complain about Millennials but the truth is they are just a generation that has grown up seeing and hearing things that have shaped them into who they are today. Their self-absorbed social feeds are frowned upon by the generation before them in the same way that generation was frowned upon for guys having long hair and girls wearing pants.
Ultimately, the acceptance of selfies, long hair, or girl pants is irrelevant to us as business owners. What actually matters is being able to understand the target culture that we are trying to reach and engage them in a way that not only they understand, but makes them feel understood.[ninja-inline id=19663]
Related: Facebook Business Page Tips: Times To Post For Photographers
Understand the Cost
I didn’t mean to make this article about The Three C’s to Social Media, but hey, sometimes I just get lucky.
In the fast-paced world we live in, I know I am guilty of expecting everything right now, or at least today via Amazon Prime same day shipping. I don’t mind paying money to get what I want when I want it. But the cost I am talking about isn’t money. It is time.
Sure, you will have to spend time learning about social media tactics, like the time you are spending reading this article. That is the easy part. The harder part and higher cost is the amount of time you will need to spend implementing those strategies and analyzing the results. If you are trying something new online, one post isn’t enough to see if it is working for you. It can take 10 or 20 posts to start to see the social snowball grow. It will take even more if you don’t see any growth and have to go back to the drawing board.
Be okay with the time you need to play around with social media. Marketing and advertising have always been very much about trial and error. Facebook and Instagram are no exception. Test out some tips you have learned lately and see if they work. If they do, replicate it. If they don’t, try and try again my friend.
Learn More
I know this article had a lot of overall insight instead of actionable steps to better your social media presence. Don’t worry, I have got more for you right here. It’s free; you can watch it now and apply it today. You’re welcome.
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As a company that provides digital photo editing services for pro wedding photographers, our mission is to empower you to succeed. That is why we partner with industry leaders, like Vanessa, to cover topics that are relevant (like photography social media tips) and can lead you down the road to success.
Vanessa’s 3 social media photography tips are ones to keep in mind when you build out your strategy to attract your target market. There are several platforms designed to help you achieve your social media marketing goals, including Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and more.