Week 10: Post 1

 If I were to create a newsletter for my business I would have it sent out quarterly. I would want to send something out just enough times during the year to offer promotions, sales, and photo exhibits where people could take a look at my photography up close. I would want to promote my photography and show during those quarterly times I would want to show the new photographs I have taken and offer them to those who are interested.

Some of the information my business could use for a newsletter would be to offer seasonal discounts on some of my photography or doing some sort of promotion that encourages people who were interested before but may have not been able to purchase a print at the time. I would like to extend invites to have people come and view my photography, meet with me, and get a print sized and framed of their choice. I would love to see my photography in people's homes and would love to meet my potential customers and see what photos they show interest in versus those that may not have gravitated as much of an audience. 

I believe it is really about putting my stuff out there, locally to get my name more known. I think having photo exhibits twice a year or even more at the right locations can really be beneficial for my business. I can also give people my business card that will offer them direct access to my social media platforms and my website, I can introduce an entirely different audience just by hosting these events.

I would not want to send out a ton of emails and be annoying, I would like to send a few to be on people's radar and introduce new photos I have taken that can be available for purchase. I want to engage but not be someone who is pushy where it turns my audience away. 

Week 9 Post 2

In order to stay organized on my blog I would divide my photography into specific categories to gain the right interest. I take both film and digital photography and I like to specify that when I am captioning my photos. Some of my audience may be specifically interested in film photography and what film cameras I am using. Others may be interested in a digital photography and could be potentially interested in purchasing prints of those photos because they are a lot better for blowing up and framing. I also like to keep things organized by the place I am in at the time. I lived in Australia for two years so a lot my photos come from there and I like to differentiate that. I may categorize by California, New York, Sydney, etc. I want my audience to see places they are interested in going to and they can simply choose the city they want to see and learn about potential new travel locations.

I posted a photo of New York City on my social media this week, which is my favorite city to travel to. I could spend hours photographing the Manhattan skyline and Central Park.

Laguna Beach is like a second home for me, and I have been spending time at the beaches there since I was born. I find them to be the most beautiful beaches in California so you will see a lot of photos from there. This was another post from this week.

Accounts I commented on:

@juliasdessertscsit2020

@jemd1sweets

@theartjive_

@travel_guardian_

Week 9 Post 1

 When people are searching for something on Instagram, or any social media platform for that matter, they are typically looking for something that will be visually pleasing and that will be attractive to them. Some people may be looking for inspiration or a "wow" factor when they are scrolling. Posts can give off emotions that can be nostalgic for a viewer, something that takes them back to a great memory of a trip they went on, or somewhere they spent time with a loved one. Adding human interest of some kind will help bring viewers to that page because they want to see more of what made them feel good or inspired. 

You should add a personal touch when you are trying to sell a product, or point of view to the target audience of your choice. This can be as much as selling products for animals and having the animals pose with the product with a big smile on their face, which will entice customers and make them smile. This may be a page they go to when they are wanting to see photos that will cheer them up because they love their animals and want the best product for them. 

You do not need to add a personal touch if you are not necessarily trying to gain that type of attention from your audience. There can be filler posts here and there to create a balance on your social media page if that is a type of theme you are going for. It would be wise not to post content that would turn your audience off in anyway, or bring up negative feelings or emotions. It is important to stick with feel-good type of content when running a business on a social media platform.

Week 8 Post 2: Hashtags

I like to use hashtags that are specific to the photo, this includes where the photo is taken down to some of the colors that are in the photo. I typically use the following when posting one of my photos of nature:

#california (or wherever the photo is located) #outdoors #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #views #scenery #scenic #35mm #canonae1 #film #filmphotography (for film) 

When I edit my photos I will incorporate a hashtag such as #lightroom or #vsco and when I do absolutely nothing to the photo I'll add #nofilter

Depending on the photo and where it is will depend on the other hashtags I end up using. I like to share the location and add hashtags that correlate with the specific photo. 

I have found the hashtags I have used through a bit of research and also by searching what the top hashtags are. Some of my friends have also shared with me which ones seem to work best for them.

I always use hashtags that are specific to my business, and I like to be specific so I am gaining the right audience. I never use random ones that do not have anything to do with my photos.

I like to post in the evening because I feel people are off work and looking at their phones more often. Also, I lived in Australia and have followers from there plus I post a lot of photos from Australia so the later in the day over here is better because then people in Australia can see my photos as well.

I learned about a whole new variety of hashtags that correlate to what I am posting. I am looking forward to experimenting with them and seeing how they do with my photos. The new hashtags I want to try seemed to work very well for the photographers using them. There are a limit of hashtags you can use, so I want to try and figure out which ones will gain the most attention.

Week 8 Post 1: Visual Support

    Courtney Cooper Photography (@courtcoopphoto) is all about visual representation. My business is my photography and Instagram is the perfect way to promote it. In my opinion, it is the best possible way to reach my audience. I have spent quite a bit of time looking at other photographers with similar styles to mine and what hashtags they use to get the largest audience possible. I have also conducted research on my own to find out what the top hashtags are, so I make sure I incorporate some of those. After doing some research and practicing on my photos, I have realized that the best hashtags are the ones that describe the photo. For example, if the photo is of a beach you would want to hashtag the following #beach #ocean #outdoors #nature and so on. 

    Even if you have a smaller following than other profiles, hashtags will generate many likes and help you gain a wider audience. @kaseymantiply is a photographer with 3,966 followers currently. She uses a wide variety of hashtags on her photos and because she photographs nature like I do. She does not post as often but receives about 300-500 likes on her pictures. I have looked at some of her posts to see which ones seem to work best. She uses hashtags such as #california #followmytravel #tourtheplanet #earthfocus etc. I usually use California when I post anything involving the state, but the other three hashtags are ones I have not used and want to try for my next post. 

    Another photographer is @withluke who has 311k followers. His photographs generate thousands of likes, and he has a great theme going on throughout his Instagram which is also important. He uses hashtags such as #welivetoexplore #folknature #letsgosomewhere #theoutbound etc. The hashtags he uses are more unique and I have never used them personally. These are other ones I would like to experiment with. 

    A photography page called @roamtheplanet has the most beautiful nature photos taken all over the world. They have 1.4 million followers and have their own personal hashtag #roamtheplanet so you can share your photos and they can possibly feature you on their page. Some of their other hashtags include #moodygrams #exploreourearth #mountainworld #earthoutdoors. They receive 10's of thousands of likes on their page, and I feel the hashtags they use are generating more interest in their photos. Their last post was four hours ago and already has 12,357 likes!

    Lastly, another great nature photographer is @charlysavely. She takes wildlife photos and has created a business by creating a wildlife photography workshop that people can take. She is based in Alaska and has 324k followers. Her last post was one hour ago and has already generated 6,429 likes. The post is about how to get involved in her photo workshop and explains how she will teach you technique and editing skills to better your photography. Her hashtags include #girlswhotravel #wildlifewomen #travelgirl and #outdoorwomen. 

All in all, these four profiles have gained a lot of attention by posting their photography on Instagram and using the right hashtags, I feel that this is probably the best way for each of them to put themselves out there and be as successful as possible. Using the right hashtags is definitely key, and I have learned an array of new ones just by searching pages with similar posts to mine. I think Instagram is the best social media outlet for photographers.

Week 7

 Hi Everyone!

I wanted to start off by saying I love the Instagram profiles my group has created, they are all unique and each bring something different to the table.

I looked at/commented on the following Instagram accounts:

@theartjive_

@travel_guardian_

@juliasdessertscsit2020

@heatherwilliamshome.life.style

Instagram is a great way to promote business through photography and creating a theme/purpose of what you are trying to accomplish. The Art Jive does a fantastic job of being creative and working on different projects. She shows you through videos and photo shoots, which I feel is a great way to get your creativity out there. Travel Guardian is starting their page off with a theme that I can tell is going to be consistent throughout, this is a great way to keep your audience engaged. Julia's desserts shared a great video showing off her delicious baked goods which will attract customers by showing what she is selling. Heather Williams home life style shows ways to make your home more organised and structured without the stress and hassle, she has a beautiful color theme going on that is super attractive!

All these profiles were using different techniques to bring their customers in and get them excited for their brands, I feel they are all off to a great start!

Week 6 Post B

Hi Everyone!

I am so excited for you all to see the three photo exhibits I created. I decided to upload them all tomorrow October 6th at 10 am, 11 am, and 12 pm.

As a photography page, I wanted to show you all some of my photos taken on film and also taken off my iPhone. I purchased a digital camera right before the pandemic, so I have not been able to get out there and use it yet. I do feel the iPhone can capture some beautiful moments, so I tried to pick the best ones I had.

I feel these photos will help me engage with my audience because I am trying to put my nature and travel photography out there, and all three of these photo exhibits are covering nature and areas of travel that I absolutely love. I am hoping that you all like what I have posted and I can't wait to hear your thoughts!