Can I admit something to you? The introvert in me [Kim] has a love/hate relationship with social media. The media part I love…I can scroll posts and reels for days. The social part, I loathe…getting vulnerable, commenting, liking, etc…it’s more than I can handle. Luckily, I have a partner who is a total extrovert, and he does a great job of pushing me out of my comfort zone. But, when it comes to social media, the social part is big. And if you’re making the mistake of just scrolling and posting without interacting, you’re doing it all wrong. Branding yourself on social media is half social (the interactions) and half media (the images and videos). The common thread in making the most impact in being social and having great media is YOU!
What we noticed with our own Instagram
As photographers, we made the mistake of only posting photos of our work for far too long. Then, we’d randomly post a photo of ourselves or our family and the likes and comments went through the roof. We noticed, but ignored this for a long time. Honestly, we prefer to be behind the camera. Within the last few months, we’ve made a point of showing our faces in our feed at least once or twice week, whether with an image or reel. Apparently, there are some people on social media who actually like us and want to know more. And we see the difference in our Instagram interactions, analytics, and our business leads/bookings. We also realize that we still have a long way to go too!
Why You Have to Show Up
Most people don’t want to scroll your feed and only see your work, your resume…they want to see YOU! What’s your reputation? They want to know you. They want to like you. And if they are interested in doing business with you, they want to trust you too! The know, like, and trust factor can’t be cultivated with a feed of just quotes, stock photos, images of your work, and reposts. (Want to know how I feel about that type of feed? Check out this reel.) Attracting clients on social media, and not just followers, relies on YOU being present. Your stories, your personal anecdotes, and your face are important factors of building your personal or business brand.
I was recently listening to The Jasmine Star Show and heard her say, “When people are excited about a business, they buy when they want to. When people are excited about a person, they buy to support…and support is endless.” Who is the person behind the brand? Branding yourself on social media comes down to showing up as you and doing that consistently. And showing up consistently doesn’t just mean posting you, but also giving the type of engagement you want to receive. If you want people to follow, like, and comment, then you have to follow, like, and comment on other accounts. Get social!
Need Help Branding Yourself on Social Media?
Only you can take care of the social part, but if you need some ideas for what to post next on Instagram, check out our 5 Instagram Post Ideas for Entrepreneurs. If you need help with the media, we got you covered. Let us help you with branding yourself on social media by creating authentic, marketable imagery that will attract your ideal clients. Contact us to book your brand photography session.
