Instagram is a natural hub for photographers to showcase their work, as well as connect with both potential customers and fellow photographers.
Here are 6 tips for Instagram photographers to help build their profile and increase engagement…
1. Create A Unique Style
Perhaps one of the most important tips on our list is to create your own style. Get creative and be unique in your style of photography.
With the sheer volume of photographers on Instagram, your aim should be to stand out from the crowd. Some of the biggest photographers on Instagram gained their popularity due to their individual creative flair. Take @muradosman for example, his unique “follow me” style of photography catapulted him into Insta fame, and his unique style soon became a trend that is cemented among many budding photographers today:
2. Post Production
Editing your photographs to perfection will take you a very long way. A simple image can be dramatically transformed into a stunning piece of photography using basic editing tools, Lightroom presets, and Photoshop.
Having a consistent post-production style on Instagram will give your feed a cohesive aesthetic (more on this in the next section), and your audience will become accustomed to your style of photography.
Many Instagram photographers have started selling their presets to their audience as an additional income source, with large accounts even setting up separate profiles for their presets:
3. Build An Aesthetic
An Instagram aesthetic is the overall look and feel of your Instagram profile. Creating an aesthetic requires thinking about how your Instagram posts look when placed next to one another in the grid feed, rather than only as individual posts.
Generally speaking, feeds with an aesthetic tend to get better engagement. The style is recognisable, and new users are likely to stay on the profile for longer and click follow. There are a number of Instagram themes you can create to give your feed an edge, but photographers predominantly go for a consistent style of editing and/or composition.
Whether its presets, or flat-lay photography, or borders that create a collage effect, the creative possibilities with Instagram aesthetics are endless. Check out these Instagram themes for some inspiration!
In order to create an Instagram aesthetic like this, you need to plan in advance so you know what your feed will look like once your posts are published. Using Hopper HQ’s Instagram grid planner, you can perfect your feed aesthetic and make sure no posts clash.
4. Hashtag, Hashtag, Hashtag
Hashtags are fundamental in increasing the reach of your Instagram posts, and when it comes to photography there is an entire micro network of hashtags you can use, to give your photography the exposure it truly deserves.
Hashtags also give you the chance to be featured on huge photography accounts on Instagram, some of which have millions of followers. This will no doubt help you get noticed and increase the reach of your work.
#️⃣ Check out the top photography hashtags to use on Instagram to grow your account #️⃣
5. Connect & Collaborate
The photography community on Instagram is massive, and a great way to connect with the community is to collaborate with other photographers in your locality.
Collaborating with other photographers will not only support you on your creative journey, but also help you get your name/brand out there.
If you search around on Instagram you will often times find photography accounts that host Insta-meets, a opportunity for you to meet other photographers in your city and get creating.
> Video, gallery & image posts
> Calendar, feed & grid preview
> Instagram, Facebook & Twitter
6. Be Consistent
As with most things in life, consistency is key. Hone your skills, perfect your craft and stick at it.
The photography sphere is a limitless playground for creatives. Try new set ups, new locations and different compositions to keep your photography fresh.
If you’re new on your photography journey, it may be disheartening to not see immediate results in the form of Instagram likes or followers. The best advice is to stay consistent and post regularly.
Use an Instagram scheduler like Hopper HQ to plan ahead and post accordingly, not to bombard your followers with images from your shoot all at once.
Visually plan your social content. Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn + Pinterest
That wraps up our six top tips for Instagram photography, we hope this helps! If you enjoyed this and our other articles be sure to subscribe to our mailing list below, to receive insights, news and tips direct to your inbox.
