Photography TikTok Tips
Photography TikTok is a crowded space and it’s easy to create a plethora of short form videos for social media like TikTok or YouTube, Instagram or even LinkedIn; and the majority of the content is damaging to their longevity.
What could be a display of your abilities to their ideal client avatar has become a race for popularity amongst other photographers. Photographers are aiming for LIKES and FOLLOWS over quality paid clients. Yes, there is good behind the scenes video and then there is bad behind the scenes video. This blog post will go into detail about that and how you can make the right decision to build your business.
What Is Bad BTS?
Scroll through TikTok or Instagram Reels, and you will see video after video without originality showing creative edits. In these Reels, you will notice the photographer show the RAW photograph and then the post-processed photograph without going into the process. It’s a dramatic flash between both versions but it skips the work and effort that it took. Yes it’s exciting to look at, but it lacks total substance.
This trains your potential customers that it does not take time to create an image. What takes a little bit of time is often undervalued. What we undervalue, we are reluctant to pay for. Yes, these Reels, TikTok, and Shorts are damaging their business. This is bad BTS! This serves very little purpose in the interest of the photographer.
What About The Likes And Follows?
The content that I mentioned will get an increased number of likes on all platforms and a surge and followers which falsely gives the impression that the photographer is doing well. When in reality, they are not, and here is why.
- The majority of those followers and likes are from other photographers, or videographers. They are wanting to learn your skills and style, and if your business model isn’t about education this doesn’t serve you. It’s great to teach the community but build your brand first. Photographers are following your account because they want to mimic your style, learn your tricks, and they have no intention of purchasing from you. It’s a one-way transaction and a good transaction means that both sides benefit.
- Your potential clients, the ones who want to pay you and need your services, aren’t as impressed by these short form videos. Of course, there are the random ones who are, but the majority are not interested. They want to know why they should invest their hard earned money on your services? And the short form videos you create don’t really answer the question for them.
- Many of these short form videos make the work seem easy, effortless. What do you think that does to your market value? Would you believe that it it’s punishing you for being good and fast?
- An abundance of followers on social media paint a false picture, suggesting the photographer is attracting clients when in fact they are attracting copycats. It is kind to share skills, but your first priority should be profitability. You must take care of yourself first and then it is kind to look out for the community. And if your business model isn’t about teaching, what is the point of collecting thousands of other photographers? What gain does that give your business?
What Is a Good Way To BTS?
You may still continue creating short-form videos for your social media but understand who your ideal client avatar is. Who is going to purchase from you? Who would you like to serve? It is likely not other photographers, it’s probably the exact opposite of that.
So in the future, consider making short videos that show how hard you work. Maybe you can take them on a location scout and they get to see how much work you put into every photo shoot. Perhaps you can show the behind-the-scenes of your crew setting up. Clients would love to see where the money goes and how hard you are working. Perhaps you can show your process of backing up their photographs, and how much work it is to go through the lightroom steps? That would impress your paying clients because they can imagine their work in front of you.
Your behind-the-scenes videos should highlight your work ethic and what makes you different than everybody else. This is what I consider a good behind the scenes, it’s productive and will attract the right clients for you.
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