Is Instagram Dead for Photographers?
Instagram seems to have been on everyone’s minds this week - mine included.
It started for me when my feed automatically updated itself to the new “immersive” layout late last week… and I really didn't enjoy it. Then it seemed like everyone else was getting fed up with suggested posts, and videos being shown to them faaar more than stills.
Instagram has since backtracked and is publicly saying that they're going to pull back on a few of the changes.
But this really showed me once more than YOU CANNOT PULL ALL OF YOUR EGGS IN ONE BASKET. For too long, it's been assumed that photographers can just have an Instagram profile and not bother updating their website. It's felt for years like Instagram was the be all and end all of marketing strategies. Instagram came first.
But truly, it shouldn't.
With that in mind, here are some ideas on ways that you can market yourself as a fashion photographer, without having to rely 100% on Instagram.
LinkedIn. I've spoken a lot about LinkedIn this week because LinkedIn is really where I'm enjoying spending most of my time, and where I think I'm getting the most professional traction. I can post a still image, and it's shown really big, it gets seen, and people actually like and comment. LinkedIn is one of the most heavily used tools in the fashion industry for finding freelancers. Trust me, if you want to get started in fashion photography, I see studio managers looking for more e-comm photographers on LinkedIn almost daily. If you're not on LinkedIn, posting, engaging, and connecting, you're missing out on SO many opportunities.
TikTok. Ok I know, TikTok is video first, so why am I recommending you get on there? Because it's where SO many people are going right now, and if you're clever about how you post, your still images can still get seen there. Experiment. Try things. You've literally got nothing to lose, but could have a lot to gain!
Email. I know you've heard me say this so many times, but my favourite marketing strategy of them all is still just a good old email introduction. If you've not tried it yet, do it! Start sending emails.
I hope that that has given you some encouragement to try something new. I think Instagram is having a teenage moment. It doesn't know where it fits in right now, and it's trying things out, getting them VERY wrong, and having to re-evaluate. We've all been there ourselves, so I think if we're patient, things will get better. Keep using Instagram, and keep posting still images. Still images are going nowhere, and neither is Instagram (yet).
