By now you’ve hopefully booked your branded photo session with me (and if not, get on that). We’ll spend our session thoughtfully capturing photos of the best features of your business—the people and products that make your business unique. We’ve already discussed what your business goals are and how your branded photo collection can help you achieve them. You’re ready to boost your social media presence, but now what?

Thought about using them to create a social media presence? If you’ve received your collection and are ready to use your photos, here are some tools and tips for sharing your photos on social media and boosting your presence. For the most part, we’ll focus on Instagram, one of the most widely used photography apps.

  1. Send your followers somewhere worthwhile.

Plan on sharing some good news? Maybe your business won an award or was featured in a big publication—congrats! Now’s your chance to get your followers to check out the feature using one of your very own branded photos. Be sure to direct people to the link in your bio. If you have several important links that you’d like to remain in your bio, use tools like Linktree (just the links) and Feedlink (a more visual link tree). They both have free and paid options.  My preferred app (and the one that I use) is Lnk.bio, which has a one time fee and a photo layout.

2. Post photos that show a part of a person (rather than their full face or body, for example).

Weird, but it works, and you’ll have a variety of photos in your collection that fit the bill. According to recent content marketing research, brand images are most viewed and interacted with when they only show part of a person. Like people holding hands or a hand holding a drink. The theory is that people can better picture themselves performing actions in the photo if there isn’t already a face or body associated with it. Humans are strange.

Redlands Commercial Photographer

3.  Make the most of your captions.

Oftentimes, people look to social media to escape their present realities. Keep those captions short and sweet, and add humor where you can. It’s possible to remain lighthearted while still adhering to your brand voice—even if your brand voice is snarky. Need ideas? Make light of reviews or feedback people have given your business, a behind-the-scenes moment that reminds you of a product, or even an interactive question that gets your followers engaging with the post by using emojis. My preferred method? Get wine drunk and pre-plan those captions while you’re feeling your best!

4. Plan your posts ahead of time.

If you’re a small business, it’s likely that you don’t have a social media manager yet, but it’s still something you’ll want to take seriously. Having a cohesive and consistent social media presence is a necessary evil, even if it’s not your thing. Blocking out time on your schedule to create batches of planned social media posts is a way to save you time and headaches. Plus, it can be a fun outlet when you’re feeling the creative juices flowing. I recommend using Planoly (there is a free option, but the paid version is worth the expense), Later (free and great for novices), and Hootsuite ($49/mo, the more advanced catch-all).

Happy posting!

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If you want to boost your social media presence and haven’t booked your custom branded photo session with me yet, reach out. We’ll chat about your business goals and create a custom package that works for you and your business.