Here’s one for you! Sometimes I wonder how much personal work I should share on Instagram. I feel it occasionally adds a pop of color or style to my feed, mixed in with my client work. But I don’t want to overdo it. Hmmm.
A:
Your apprehensive response is correct. At the moment, your Instagram feed may feel like a daily update, but you have to approach this as your long-term business referral selling point. You don’t want to overdo the personal work in your feed, as the timely or obscure twist could work against the quick, powerful read of what you will bring to a project.
A promo type that will work for one client may not work for another; that is why I use all four of these methods to get my promos out.
Four Promo Types:
Mass email promo showing an individual project or a specific theme with one or more images.
Mass newsletter email promos are a summary update sharing news with a collection of images.
One-Sheet promo is an attachment on a short email not needing to be scrolled, creating a warmer, more personable email.
Printed mailers or leave-behinds with the hopes of being easily saved by clients come in many shapes and sizes designed to show off your work’s branded vibe.
As you may notice, I did not include a pdf attachment on my promo list as they can often be mistaken for dangerous spam materials when sent by strangers.
Every photographer can have that REP MENTALITY mindset, no matter your situation. Your job is to continuously keep your REP (Mentality) excited by actively feeding your marketing supply chain.
Photographers come from the training to be a photographer. I get it, but we must treat it as a business for this training to pay off. 24/7, you are now a business owner with a Marketing Mentality, always by your side and ready to go. What company can exist without marketing and self-promotion? We have to open up our sights, taking this where we want to go.
Immediate follow-up is one way to secure your position in a client’s memory.
Use the open door at the moment to open the doors of your future through LinkedIn, IG, a handwritten card, send a plant, an email or any type of old-fashioned follow-up whether you get the job or not. Go with what works by using the moment to your advantage.
When done right, Instagram is a free marketing platform that can consistently get your work in front of the right clients and help you grow your business. This Webinar will not be about turning you into an Influencer. We highlight practical strategies that every commercial photographer can deploy to shape their creative presence and optimize Instagram to build an audience that can help create a sustainable business. Originally aired as part of APA Chicago’s workshop, “Industry Experts Talk Photography Growth Strategies for 2022”.
Co-host: Photographer + SternRep/AskSternRep/ASRsocial Creative Director Ranee Vespi https://www.raneevespi.com
We are currently accepting applications for photographers who could use a revamp on their Instagram + will be taking on a limited number of clients. Price options will vary depending on individual needs.
ASRsocial is an out-of-the-ordinary social media management service working exclusively with commercial advertising photographers’ looking for new ways to jumpstart their Instagram account.
Photographer agent Andrea Stern is behind-the-scenes, with creative director Ranee Vespi of @sternrep and @asksternrep being the lead contact as we give to you what we have discovered together.
Andrea Stern of @asksternrep/@sternrep: “Have your IG work for you instead of against you. We all know that Instagram is the way to be seen and discovered right now. It’s the new portfolio show and the new email promo. We have to stick to the times and lead the way if we want to be getting the jobs.”
ASRsocial offers:
Critique of Instagram + Website by SternRep/AskSternRep’s Social Media team, including rep Andrea Stern
1-on-1 Coaching with Ranee Vespi, SternRep/AskSternRep’s Creative Director
Individualized Instagram Strategy
Personalized Packages
Branding You as a PERSON, not just as a Photographer // Show your authentic self on Instagram
Updated portfolio to show off the tightly branded type of work you want to get vs. a resume of work you have done over the years.
Modified marketing direction plan keeping up with the times and even one step ahead.
Buttoned up admin downtime work to avoid last-minute scrambles with equipment, crew, treatment and estimate templates, insurance, payroll, taxes, finances, etc.
What don’t you know? Outsourcing is key.
Practice that “CAN-DO” attitude in sync with our industry’s fast and furious evolving climate.
Hello! I’m a well established Swedish commercial lifestyle and outdoor photographer. I also shoot film and direct. My wife is American, and we are planning to move to Minneapolis soon. The transition from Sweden to the US is a pretty big step. I’ve been thinking of creating a second website that I can promote in the US for SEO and content. I want to meet with reps and, of course, brands and agencies. But as I’m not familiar with the market over there, I don’t know where to begin. What would be a good place to start?
A:
Welcome to the USA! One of the best parts of being a photographer is the barometer for good work is pretty much the same across the board. Moving from one location to another does not preclude you from getting jobs unless you want to work in one type of industry but show images from another sector. A wedding photographer has a more challenging time doing commercial advertising because that shows a different visual perception and aptitude scenario. Moving places won’t hold you back; it can even be a catchy conversation tool that will interest people. Rework your website to include the new location content/SEO/vibe based on the type of work you want to be getting, as that is the true focus.
