How do I plan my grid? I use Planoly to plan my Instagram account and use their Auto Post feature which is amazing. It's such a time saver! There are other applications to use such as Later and Iconosquare which are different software options. I encourage you to do a trial of each software and pick the one that best for you.
Quick Tip: Every few months I will go back into my old wedding, engagement and style shoot galleries and pull content from my archives. There is absolutely no rule about what you can post and how old or new it is. If it's relevant to your business and you can write good copy, I say use what you've already have.
No.3 - Advertise - I hate to break it to you but the days of instant success and gazillion followers on Instagram are O V E R! So, instead of complaining about it, you can use Instagram to your advantage play the game. I'm NOT recommending paying likes or followers (honestly, it's so bad if you decide to do that and everyone can tell when your account isn't genuine) but investing some of your marketing budget in Instagram Ad's is going to give you a very good ROI. First off, you have to remember that Instagram is F R E E. You do not have to pay to join, use their application, interact with people and potential book couples from Instagram. Instagram is a very big way that my clients find me and I happy to advertise on Instagram.
As I mentioned above, Instagram is owned by Facebook which means that Instagram has access to your clients Facebook status (engaged, single, married, ...it's complicated) and where they live (ie. their zip code). With this information, you can create incredibly targeted ad's aimed for your ideal client. You can create ad's that will just show up in a specific zip code, for engaged couples who are interested in weddings. Get it?! It's unreal the power of Instagram Ad's and the best part is that they are very inexpensive. But, if you think that advertising isn't for you, or you don't "do advertising", I'm here to ask you why? Why do you feel that way? Let's be honest, how many purchases have you made because you saw an Ad and thought "hey, I LOVE that and I need it immediately!". I have too many to count! Don't believe me? I would highly suggest you follow Gary Vaynerchuk and listen to his wise words of wisdom. Seriously, he's amazing! Ok, back to Instagram Ad's...
Advertising on the biggest platform that couples are spending the most time and paying amazing low advertising rates, is an incredible way for you to get your name out there directly to your potential couples. Also, you have to keep at it. You simply cannot create one ad and then give up. You have to see what works and what doesn't. You'll be able to see the analytics from each advertisement so moving forward you can make an even bigger impact or adjustments. For myself, if I see that one of my photos is really doing well with a lot of likes and comments, I will promote it because I know it's connecting with my followers.
Most recently, I booked a fantastic couple who saw my Instagram Ad. They saw my ad, liked the photo and visited my profile, checked out my work, contacted me and ultimately hired me to capture their wedding day. I think I spent around $30 dollars on that ad to run for a few days and it was worth every penny because my couple is amazing and the exact client I am hoping to book. I can't recommend Instagram Ad's enough!
So what about you? What do you love about Instagram? Do you have any features or applications you'd like to share? Please leave us a comment below and I hope this article was helpful!
