In the age of social media, everyone with an Instagram account seems to be getting notoriety from their images. This is making it harder for actual photographers to stick out from the rest. Creating beautiful content is the easy part but getting it seen by users is an even harder task on social media.

 

The Age of Hashtags

If you are not hashtagging your content on social media, you are not doing yourself or your profiles any favors. Hashtags are how users connect to one another through similar interests and niches. Your wonderful photos may not be discoverable to others if you are not adding keywords or hashtags to your posts.

Also, finding similar users who are posting similar content is a great way to find people who are within your community. Your audience is the most important factor of gaining a following on social media. Engaging with similar user’s content also can grab the attention of people who already have a strong following of users. Do not be afraid to comment, like and share content from these similar users or artists. It shows respect and appreciation for others in your same position and they may reciprocate the kindness to your profile.

 

The Right Hashtag

The most important knowledge to have when utilizing hashtags is knowing your brand and the appropriate hashtags for your visual brand. Some tags are inevitably more popular than others due to how broad their definition is. A site that gives you insight about which correct hashtag to use for Instagram would be WEBSTA.

A mistake that many photographers seem to make is relying on their content to promote itself. You have to see yourself as not only as a photographer but also your own promoter. Navigating social media is now half the job of the creative person who is trying to get their art to get recognized by a larger audience.

 

The Right Filter

Instagram definitely has its own style with the different photo manipulation options it offers within the app. The choice to utilize filters is completely up to the user but knowing how to use these tools to your advantage will definitely aid in your visual brand. Filters may be unnecessary if your work is strong enough but it is possible to over filter your own images. Many of the Instagram find certain filters and effects to be outdated. It would be hurting your brand to be using filters that are hindering your own photography.

In the age of social media and iPhoneography, it is easy for a talented artist to fall through the cracks. Users now have to push their content repeatedly to be seen on the phone screen. You have to constantly be promoting your brand online to grow a larger social media audience.