How To Grow A Photography Account On Instagram?

Instagram, known for its photo and video-based content, is a popular choice for photographers on Instagram to share their creativity and eye for details. 

However, due to content saturation, it's getting harder and harder to grow your Instagram photogram account due to increased competition and repeated content everywhere. 

So, is there any solution? Luckily, yes!

The solution is being innovative, not only with the content but also with the strategies. 

In this blog, we are going to share the best tips and strategies for growing an Instagram audience for a photography account with ease. Moreover, learn how to properly set up your account to stand out and be successful in this domain. 

If you want to grow as a photographer through Instagram, setting up your account comes first. 

How To Set Up A Photography Instagram Account?

Setting up your photography Instagram account is very different from a normal Instagram account, as it needs the right strategies and customizations to stand out. 

Based on our research, we present you five important factors with examples to set up your Instagram for photographer account for maximum growth. 

1. Username: Keep your username relevant in the photography industry so that your audience can find you easily. For example: @yourname_photography

2. Bio: Add your specialty, niche keywords, and relevant CTA link to your portfolio to show your experience in the bio. 

3. Profile Picture: Whether it's a logo or your own photo, make sure it is clear and reflects your style. 

4. Instagram Highlight: Make different categories based on your projects, like niche, behind-the-scenes, portraits, etc., to show your best work. 

5. Instagram Feed: Keep consistent color schemes and composition style throughout the feed to create visual appeal and successful Instagram feed posts. 

Giving proper attention to these five areas shows your expertise and creativity, making your account stand out in the competitive landscape. After that, it’s time to apply strategies. 

10 Tips To Grow Your Photography Business On Instagram

Once you have a visually appealing profile, applying the right strategies is the next important step to maximize your growth. The tips below are proven to increase the visibility and engagement of your content, resulting in more client inquiries. Let's dive into how to apply them.

1. Define Your Photography Niche

When an Instagram user sees a photography profile, they check the last 6–9 photographers posts on Instagram to see what their photography is all about. 

Choosing the correct photography niche helps you stand out from the generic content to show your expertise and experience in the area. 

Think of it as branding for the type of work you upload. This way, you can target the correct audience and establish yourself as an expert in the field. 

The most demanding photography niche on Instagram:

• Event Photography

• Family Photography

• Fashion Photography

• Food Photography

• Lifestyle Photography

• Nature and Wildlife Photography

• Portrait Photography

• Product Photography

• Real Estate Photography

• Travel Photography

• Wedding Photography

2. Upload Your Best Work

Treat Instagram as your portfolio, where you don't upload everything but only the best, which actually matters. If you can't get over a picture because of its visual appeal, it’s probably worth uploading on Instagram. 

But if your photo is just like others, it might not stand out because of the saturation of similar content. 

For example, if you're an intern designer, think like a high-profile interior design business and what they will upload to stand out. Searching for successful Instagram content ideas for interior designers also might help to know it.

It's all about only uploading unique content that is innovative in this digital landscape. 

3. Create A Consistent Aesthetic

You don't want your Instagram photography profile to be messy and all over the place. Decide your style, color theme, what special effect you want to add to your content to stand out, etc. 

Don't forget your stories, as your stories also play a major role in aesthetics. Focus on stories, highlight covers, Instagram posts, and reels, and follow one aesthetic theme for all to look polished. 

For style, you can choose from:

• Minimalistic: Clean compositions

• Vibrant: Bold colors and high contrast

• Classic: Neutral tones

• Retro: Vintage filters

For color theme, you can choose from:

• Warm tones

• Cool tones

• Monochrome

• Pastel colors

• High contrasting colors

4. Capture And Share High-Quality Pictures

Invest in a good-quality camera or a DSLR instead of smartphones to generate better-quality pictures that grab attention. Shoot your photos and videos at the highest resolution to retail the quality and detail.

Also, while downloading, choose the right file format for high-quality photos. You can also invest in high-quality lenses for a focused and detailed shot. Just make sure to maintain your camera properly to avoid dust and smudges. 

5. Share Relevant And Useful Content Regularly

Choose the content that is relevant to your niche and target audience. Below are the types of content to choose from.

• Community Content: The aim of community content is to build a connection with the target audience through personal stories, fun facts, or engaging content. 

Create a series of Instagram stories about how you became a photographer, including challenges, journeys, etc. You can also save it as a highlight for better impact. 

• Actionable Content: In actionable content, you encourage your audience to take a specific action, like buying your services, booking a session, etc. Announce a special offer with a clear call to action in your post. 

• Growth Content: Growth content is one of the best ways to grow your photography business on Instagram due to its usefulness, infights, and entertainment. It encourages the audience to leave a like, comment, or share it with their followers. 

Share an affordable photography hack that anyone can do without spending a lot on expensive tools. 

• Expertise Content: Through expert content, you show your direct experience in the field of photography by sharing your knowledge. Share your best three tips, time of the day, or locations to take attractive photos. 

6. Write Intriguing Captions To Capture Attention

Use your caption as a conversation-building tool with your audience. Think of it like a journal where you tell the story behind the photo or any memorable thing that happened. You should end your caption by asking a question from your audience for added engagement. 

For example, don't write "delicious food." Instead, you can write, "Tried this amazing new dish at a local restaurant. The flavors were incredible! What's the best dish you've had recently?"

7. Use Hashtags And Location Tags Strategically

Using relevant niche hashtags in your posts helps you appear in other's results whenever any user searches for that particular hashtag. With hashtags, also pay attention to location tags by adding the location where the photo was taken to increase the post's visibility.

Add only 3-5 best hashtags per post that directly align with your content for better clarity. This lets the Instagram algorithm know what your content is all about. 

The best hashtags for your photography Instagram account that you can utilize are:

• #Photography

• #PhotoOfTheDay

• #InstaPhoto

• #PhotographyLovers

• #PhotoGram

• #VibrantPhotography

• #MinimalistPhotography

• #ClassicPhotography

• #RetroPhotography

• #PortraitPhotography

• #LandscapePhotography

• #TravelPhotography

• #NaturePhotography

• #FoodPhotography

• #ExplorePage

8. Engage With Every Comment

The more comments and likes you have on your Instagram profile, the more Instagram algorithms will push it to new audiences. Therefore, reply to each and every comment on your post. 

For example,

• If the user is appreciating your skills, reply to them by saying, "Thank you so much! I'm glad that you liked it."

• If the user is asking a question, reply to them by answering their question. 

• If the user is giving feedback, reply to them by saying, "Thanks for the feedback! I'm always looking to improve, and I appreciate your insights on (topic)."

• If the user is sharing the experience, reply to them by asking, "Sounds amazing. (Ask a question about their experience)."

9. Get Featured In Instagram Hubs 

Instagram  Hubs are accounts on Instagram with huge followers that share other users' posts on their profiles, which match their theme for better exposure. 

Search for these hubs and engage with them to get a chance to get featured on their profile. You can also use their custom hashtags to bring more visibility to your post. 

Some of the best photography Instagram accounts are:

• @instaphotographerhub

• @world_photography.hub

• @justgoshoot

• @bestvacations

• @passionpassport

10. Post When Your Audience Is Most Active

Your content's recency plays an important part in its visibility and engagement. The more recent your content is, the more Instagram pushes it to your followers. Therefore, post your content when your audience is most active.

You should take advantage of Instagram insights to determine the timings. For example, if the peak timings are between 7 and 9 am, post at 8 am for maximum visibility. 

Final Thoughts

Using Instagram to promote your photography skills and turning it into a visibility magnet and a source of income is a great idea. However, it all depends on what kind of strategies you're applying and if you have set up your Instagram account properly. 

Keeping a check on Instagram insights for engagement and timings, uploading only the best content, and sticking to a niche matter a lot in growing your account. Remember, consistency and refining your content at intervals is important to stand out. 

Happy posting!