How To Use Instagram as a Fashion Photographer in 2021

Let's talk about Instagram - the platform that we all love, but also love to hate! The way we use Instagram has changed dramatically over the last few years. A lot of the old advice that I used to give is no longer relevant. The platform has grown, it's got new features, and the way people interact with it isn't what it used to be.

 Well, you'll surely have noticed that I now have two accounts. For years, I resisted creating a seperate account for the education work that I do. However, it got to a point this year where I really did need to split my businesses in two. I speak so much about how important it is to create content that talks directly to your ideal client - yet I wasn't following my own advice. 

So the same goes for you. If you shoot more than one “genre” of photography (ie, you shoot weddings as well as fashion/beauty content) I would highly encourage you to have more than one account. Both audiences will need to see and hear totally different things in order to want to book you, so don't dampen your chances of success by trying to appeal to too many people on one account!

With that being said, how do I actually use my portfolio account (I'll be referring to my @oliviabossert account in this newsletter). 

Keeping It Curated

The biggest, most important thing in my mind is to keep my account curated. My instagram account essentially acts as a secondary portfolio, so I want it to reflect nothing but my best work. I've had discussions with art directors who say that they would much rather see less work, but a beautifully curated feed. I also once heard that if an art director was to scroll down and see something that wasn't quite right, it might make them question hiring a photographer. That's why I archived pretty much 90% of my imagery a few months ago! It took a long time, but it was worth it to showcase only my best imagery.

I now go through my feed every few weeks and archive anything that isn't feeling quite right.

Following and Engaging Strategically 

Oh, how easy it is to waste so much time on Instagram! It's far too easy to accidentally find myself scrolling mindlessly for hours. (Don't even get me started on Reels). So I try very hard to keep who I'm following very curated. These days, I follow primarily other people who work in the fashion industry. Think stylists, make up artists, art directors, heads of brands, etc. That means that whenever they're posting, I'm more likely to see it, and be able to engage with it. Gone are the days where my feed is full of other photographers' work. Now I'm seeing who's working and hiring people for those very shoots! This shift in mindset and use of the app has benefitted me enormously! If you're going to scroll through Instagram, make it worth your while. Follow people who could actually hire you! 

Use Stories To Share Extras

I've never really posted personal stuff to Instagram much, but I do still want people to know that I have a personality! People buy from those they know, like and trust - even fashion creatives. So I want to continue to show up on Stories as myself, sharing snippets of my daily life, and whatever is relevant. 

What I definitely make a point of doing is regularly sharing behind the scenes videos and images from shoots - people LOVE to see what goes on behind a shoot! Keep your stories interesting, and relevant to what people who would want to hire you might want to see, and you'll be fine. You can definitely be a bit more free, and test things out on Stories, which is what I love! 

Sharing Behind The Scenes on Reels

Reels is what Instagram is pushing heavily right now. It's is the newsest feature, therefore it's what Instagram wants people using! With that in mind, I do try to regularly create new reels using content from behind the scenes of my shoots. I'm not doing these as regularly, because I need to wait for content to be released, but so far they've performed well, and people really like them.

Location Specific Hashtags

I'm still doing what I've always done, and using location specific hashtags like #londonfashionphotographer or #cornwallphotographer, and will probably always do this. It's always been very successful for me, and I've been told on numerous occasions that clients have discovered me this way! 

Don't Rely On Instagram

It feels a bit weird to end on this note - but I simply don't rely on Instagram to get me work. It plays a role, don't get me wrong, but it's a very small part of a much larger marketing strategy. I put a lot more effort into pitching, LinkedIn, and networking with others in the industry than I do on growing my Instagram account. I think it's so easy to get caught up in thinking that without a huge Instagram following, you can't be successful… but you really can. The numbers arent important (trust me, not much changes between having 8000 and 12,000 followers). 

Use your Instagram in a clever way, make it work for you, but use the other tools available to you just as much as you use the gram! 

Follow my Portfolio Instagram account here: