SUPERCHARGE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA
If anything has been proved over the past year or so, it’s that our ability to connect to people via the internet is more important than ever. Social media has shown itself to be a fundamental aspect of communication during the lockdowns – not only enabling us to connect with our friends and family, but also giving photographers the opportunity to reach brand new audiences.
After all, why wouldn’t a potential client want the dreamy escapism of scrolling through your Instagram account? Plus, the more they interact with you and your content, the more likely they are to book a session with you when lockdown is over.
Of course, there’s no magic formula for social media success. However, posting fun, innovative and engaging content to social media as often as possible has brought many photographers thousands of followers – and a veritable tidal wave of new clients. Essentially, investing the time and energy into your social media now could lead to some fantastic payoffs in the long run.
01 START A DAILY PROJECT
It’s perfectly understandable if you need a little extra motivation to dust off your camera and capture some photos at the moment. This is why a daily project can be so useful. Why not set yourself a 30-day challenge to shoot every single day? The specific framework of the challenge doesn’t matter – it’s all about having the intention and following it through. When those 30 days are up, you’ll have a bunch of beautiful new photos for your portfolio.
02 FOCUS ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA
Real life might have slowed down, but social media is still racing at 100mph. One of the best things you can do for your business during this difficult time is to connect with new audiences and potential clients on social media. Whether you prefer Facebook, Instagram or TikTok, these platforms are driven by visual content – which just so happens to be your speciality! Look back through past shoots, and plan out a social media strategy for the next few weeks – then sit back and watch your follower count climb.
03 SHOOT FOR FUN
If you’ve been a professional photographer for a while, then it can be easy to feel the love and passion that drew you to this career slide away under the stresses of the day-to-day job. While you may not have chosen to take a break from your business, make the most of it, and experiment with photography that’s for nobody else except you. Whether that means taking snaps of your loved ones, or photographing some macro close-ups in your garden, shooting for fun is a great way to reinvigorate your passion.
04 EXPERIMENT WITH VIDEO
In a similar vein, while images are a powerful tool on social media, video is even more potent. The explosive rise of TikTok shows that anyone is one viral video away from thousands of followers. If you want to experiment with video, then why not hop onto TikTok or Instagram Reels and see what the latest trends are? Figure out how you can adapt your content to help bring some fresh eyeballs to your social pages.
05 CATCH UP ON ADMIN
When you’re caught between long shoots and even longer days spent editing in front of the computer, admin is one of those things that can easily slip between your fingers. However, if you’re finding yourself twiddling your thumbs at the moment, then getting on top of any boring yet necessary tasks might be one of the best ways to spend your time. Whether it’s overdue emails, backing up past shoots or sorting out your finances, a little bit of admin can go a long way – and your busy future self will thank you!
06 Upskill yourself
As the old adage goes: the more we learn, the more we realise we don’t know. Use this spare time as an opportunity to learn a brand new skill. Learning a little graphic design, animation or video editing could be the perfect way to spice up your branding. Alternatively, you could read business books or listen to podcasts focused on entrepreneurship, to help supercharge your business tactics when life returns to a little more ‘normality’.
07 Take an online course
Alternatively, if you’re passionate about learning, go a step further and enrol yourself onto an online course. From Skillshare videos to Masterclass courses (check out Annie Leibovitz’s classes), there is plenty of educational content out there for you to explore. Now’s the time to finally learn how to properly use studio flashes, master time lapses, or familiarise yourself with your video settings. Even if you don’t think the knowledge you learn will be immediately applicable to your everyday work, there’s nothing wrong with a little education.
08 Go on a photo walk
There might not be much we can do at the moment, but a beautiful walk in nature is a great way to exercise and relax, and is a wonderful photo opportunity. Why not take your camera and a macro lens on a walk through some local fields or woodland, and capture beautiful close-ups? Live in a city without many green spaces? Try taking a wide-angle lens to capture some poignant street photography or striking architecture instead. However, always make sure that you are following the latest COVID guidance in your area if you want to do this.
09 Connect with your clients
As amazing as it is to discover new potential clients, don’t forget about the ones who have already used and loved your services. Why not drop your old clients a message to see how they’re faring in these difficult times? Not only will they feel appreciated and valued in the moment, but they’ll remember that feeling the next time they want to organise a shoot. Just make sure not to come across as too salesy – authenticity is always best.
10 Take time for yourself
And finally, if you feel too overwhelmed to try any of these tips, that’s perfectly fine! This is a difficult time for everyone, so if you’re already doing everything you can to keep yourself and your business going, then the best thing you can do is try to carve out some time for yourself. Whether that’s settling down with the latest copy of DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHER and a cup of tea, taking the dog for a walk, or rewatching your favourite film, there’s nothing wrong with a bit of downtime.