MARYLAND WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER | WORKFLOW WEDNESDAY | INSTAGRAM TIPS | ASHTON KELLEY PHOTOGRAPHY

Instagram is probably my favorite social media platform. I love that it’s photo forward, easy to use, and allows me to stay visually connected with my friends, family, and fans! It enables me to share my favorite behind-the-scenes happenings, my work, and document the big moments of my life all in one place.

If you aren’t currently utilizing Instagram for your business, it’s also a great way to connect with potential clients! You can:

• Fold your work into your personal account. Make sure you are using a name that makes you easy to be found, and that you develop a good balance between posting work vs. life.
• Create two accounts, one for work and one for play. Instagram now gives you an option to bounce between accounts within the application, so it’s super easy if you want to separate the two.

Now that you’ve created an account for one, both, or just added a separate one for business-here are some start-up tips!

• Write a great “about” blurb. You are limited on characters so you want to be sure you are able to tell your audience who you are, where you’re from, and what you’re about. Don’t forget to fill out the link tab to direct people to your website.
• Avoid the private account. Followers are often deterred if they have to request someone, and you want your work to be as accessible as possible.
• Start strong by showing your best images. Show the type of imagery you would want to book.
• Develop original hashtags. I recommend having one for your business, life happenings, and for your clients. You can ensure your intended hashtags haven’t been used by utilizing the search tab and narrowing it to “tags.”

You’ve got the feel of it! Or, maybe you’ve been doing this for awhile. Here are some “advanced” tips.

• Instagram activity is strongly based on your interaction. If you’re looking to gain authentic followers, be sure you are interacting with people in your newsfeed as well as with similar interests. Challenge yourself to leave 5-10 comments for every post you make.
• Consistency is key! From posting on a schedule to the aesthetic of your feed, potential followers need to be intrigued to interact. Be intentional with your posts, make sure they are stylistically edited the same, and relevant to the current season.
• Spread your posts out! Don’t “put all your eggs in one basket.” If you’re struggling to find time to post throughout the day, consider using an application like latergram. You can take back control of your schedule and post your Insta’s in advance!

The other reality of Instagram is that it’s also a major time suck. Because we love browsing through images so quickly with the swipe of our thumb, we can easily lose 10 minutes, a half hour, or more by just browsing through hashtags and getting lost in other people’s perspectives. That interaction is also, sort of, our job and we so easily justify it as “marketing.” The truth is, we’re probably wasting time we need to invest elsewhere. My final tips are for rocking Instagram, but without being a slave to it!

• Turn off your notification alerts. If you don’t see it, it can’t distract you! Don’t worry, they will all be there when you get back. Bonus-it will also save the life on your battery! It’s made such a huge difference in the longevity of mine. It’s unreal!
• Share your Instagram posts on other platforms. I love to link Instagram to Facebook and Twitter! This helps me to stay active on all media when I get really busy and don’t have the time to bounce around.
• Stop feed comparing. Focus on being authentic and true to your work, and showing things your passionate about. This, above all, will ensure that your followers are attracted to what you have to offer and will be genuine. Remember, quality over quantity!

Have more questions about Instagram? Leave them below!

-Ash