How is your Instagram following? As photographers and preset designers, we fully value its role in building - and reaching - our clientele.

With more than 500 million active daily users, Instagram's global influence shouldn't be underestimated, especially for small business creatives dependent on clients. If used correctly, it's a terrific way to reach people around the globe.

More importantly, Instagram is an excellent way to attract potential clients in your geographical area! While social media, Instagram included, is not an end-all-be-all marketing solution for attracting clients, it can be a handy tool well worth your time.

And it's free! To help you, we've put together these easy-to-follow tips to help you build an Instagram following. 

1. Business Instagram

If you're not already using the Instagram business account version, you will probably want to switch. It allows you to track your account's performance using real-time data, including how your audience interacts with your account.

The unique "Insights" feature means you can track certain data that is valuable to a business. For example, you can see when you're getting your most traffic (times) and a breakdown of your followers and those interacting with your account by geography, ages, and even gender. 

2. Ask for Help

To build your Insta following, start with your current followers, especially if you're new to the platform. People like to help. So ask your current followers to help you add followers by sharing your posts or your Instagram account with others. Some photographers do a free gift or a giveaway to encourage others to help them garner more followers. While this is a great way to add followers, use it sparingly! However, if you're already well established on Instagram with thousands of followers, think twice before asking followers to help you add more followers. 

3. High-Quality Content Only

Keep in mind that Instagram is a visual site, more than written content. People see an image before they can read your caption. If you don't capture them visually, you're not likely to get them to read the text.

High-quality content attracts attention. Poor images will not! You will want to post only your best work - the best of what you can offer clients. However, because people want to understand what they're looking at or the story behind it, add engaging short captions or explanations. Ideally, any text should encourage interactions that are relevant to your target audience (potential clients).

One way you can do this is by asking questions. For example, ask them how they like an image or select a favorite among several. If you're looking for venue ideas, why not ask for suggestions from your followers? People love to feel valued, and asking for their ideas does just that. 

4. Be Consistent

Your Instagram account should consistently reflect your photography style. Someone who scans your account should see your creative style through beautiful images and engaging captions. If you're a versatile photographer shooting a wide range of genres, that should be obvious as well, but curate the images you load to Instagram very carefully.

Your profile page should be cohesive rather than clash. Some photographers achieve that "Instagram look" by posting photos that, while different, share harmonious or consistent colors, themes, or subjects. Look at your account as an organic whole, not just individual images.

5. Use Hashtags, Locations, & Tagging

This is an essential part of using Instagram, but one that's often undervalued. If you want to increase your number of followers, use these simple tricks:

• Hashtags: Using popular hashtags that are relevant to your content can increase your exposure. Carefully consider which hashtags are used in your industry and by competitors and target audience. Ideally, you should put the hashtags as the first comment under a post, but putting them under an image works as well.

• Locations: Adding location to a post can get the image seen by anyone searching that location.

• Tagging: Don't forget to tag any vendors in the image and your clients if they're okay with being tagged publically. (Always be respectful of a client's expressed privacy!)

6. Interact with Audience

Interact with your current followers and other accounts followed by your target audience. You can do this by commenting on others' posts, following others, and liking others' posts. But be somewhat discriminating in how you interact with others.

You want to make yourself more visible to your target audience, not just random Instagrammers. There's a caveat, of course, to this. It's always possible that someone you consider "random" turns out to be a potential client!  

7. Schedule Posts

Use an online scheduler like Buffer or Later to save tons of time by scheduling posts in batches. Most schedulers have a free level you can start with and graduate to fee-based for more options. The advantage of a scheduler is that when you have some free time, you can schedule a batch of images in advance to run days or even weeks later. 

8. Facebook

We suggesting linking your social media accounts to Instagram. Because Facebook now owns Instagram, it's easy to connect the two accounts. (If you're using an online scheduler, you can also link to other platforms like Pinterest & Twitter.)

Linking your account to other social media platforms will save you an enormous amount of time. There's no need to post to each platform manually.

9. Consider Numbers Broadly

Lastly, but importantly, while it's helpful to grow your number of followers, because it means increasing your exposure, don't become utterly beholden to the numbers. This includes insight data. Use numbers to help guide some of your decisions, such as the best time to post.

But that doesn't mean you shouldn't post outside those hours if you want to share something. Keep in mind that it's not always easy to translate numbers into what people truly like. Sometimes views are just random.

Use your best judgment as you get to know and understand your audience and target audience and become more proficient using Instagram.

Conclusion

As a small business that's become proficient with social media and blogging, our last piece of advice is that you should always be authentic. Use our tips above to guide your Instagram business journey.

Always keep in mind, however, who you'd like to attract as a follower and why. Be sure to have fun as you curate a profile and account that authentically represents your style and photography business.