Struggling to determine which photos will perform the best on your Instagram account? To give us insight on some of the best Instagram tips for photographers, we asked four different artists for helpful advice due to their success on the app:

Below you’ll find the answer to what content does best on Instagram. We’ve provided an action step for each question to help you implement these posting procedures. If you missed Part 1 of this article, you can read it here.

What Type of images Will Draw In People’s Attention?

 

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A lot of what you see on Instagram from professional photographers is trial and error. Some have been in the game long enough to truly understand their audience while others are just throwing up images hoping something will stick. To set yourself apart, tie in a concept or story with each post:

“Start writing notes in your phone. Start with a story, then look for images that back up your stories. Look for images that will get people’s attention – images that won’t be a slow read and that are more likely to grab people’s attention quickly.”  – James Day

Action Step: Find a series of images that tell a story, ideally three so that you can post them in a row. Write out captions that supplement the storytelling of the photo or asks a thought-provoking question. You’ll find that more people will engage with your content and it will increase the likelihood of them commenting.

[REWIND: Increase Instagram Followers With These 10 Tips For Photographers]

Can I Post A Mixture Of Personal & Professional?

 

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This is a common question we get asked in our community. There is no right or wrong answer; however, if you run your personal account as your business account, you are bound to aggravate one audience group – either your friends/family or your consumer base. Always keep in mind that if you post something personal, it should still be related to your overall brand persona.

“I try to select photos that stay within my style. I always want to represent my brand clearly and realistically. Remember to always post with intent! Don’t just post pictures because they’re pretty. I outline five major post types here.
Vanessa Joy

Action Step: For every 10-15 business-related posts, sprinkle in one personal post. Make sure that it still has something to do with your brand and that it falls in line with the personality you’ve created. See Vanessa’s example above where she discusses how meaningful it was to teach at a photography conference for Canon USA.

[REWIND: How I Make $200K A Year From Instagram]

How Do I Stand Out?

Authenticity and consistency are the two most important things to remember when curating content. If your style is light and airy and all of a sudden you post a dark and moody portrait, you are confusing your followers, as well as your brand image. 

“It pays to be different as long as you are consistent with those differences. People want to know what they can expect if they follow you.” – Jason Vinson

Action Step: Figure out what your specialty is and start posting images that fall into that category or style.

Should I Post Multiple From The Same Shoot?

 

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On Instagram, there is such a thing as too much. Use IG Insights to determine when your followers are engaging with your content. After selecting the best days and times, curate your content accordingly so as not to overflow your feed. You don’t want to give away all of your high-performing content too soon.

“I pretty much treat my profile as an evolving portfolio. If I wouldn’t put the image on my website then I won’t post it on my account. I know that my followers like and engage with “epic portraits” more than real moments, so I make sure and spread out the real moments between a few portraits.” – Jason Vinson

Action Step: After you’ve finished editing a shoot, select a group of images that you think will do well on Instagram. Experiment by posting them at your most popular times and compare and contrast to analyze why some did better than others. Perhaps one image performed poorly compared to the others, or maybe one was a completely different style and struck a chord with your audience.

How Do I Get More Visibility On My Posts? 

 

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A great way to bring more attention to your new posts is to utilize Instagram Stories. This is also a great tool to share your brand persona and the person behind the lens.

“I’d recommend utilizing Insta stories to share more behind the scenes as that is a great way to share more about the production as well as connect the audience to you as a person.” – Bella Kotak

Action Step: For every post, think of a unique and creative way to draw your followers to see it. You can use features like the question box or the poll to engage them.


Quick Recap – Instagram Tips for Photographers:

  • Post images that tell a story and use the caption to supplement your message.
  • Post a mixture of personal and professional images but make sure you have a majority of business-related content that is on-brand.
  • Figure out what your specialty is and start posting images that fall into that category or style.
  • Experiment with posting multiple images from one shoot, but make sure to spread them out on your feed.
  • Utilize IG Stories to help bring eyes to your new posts.

What other questions do you have about which photos will perform the best on Instagram?