Instagram Video For Wedding Photographers: Tips And Ideas

How To Use Instagram Video For Wedding Photographers

Author: ShootDotEdit

/ Categories: Social Media Tips

Instagram has proven to be a game-changer for wedding photographers worldwide. Since the platform’s conception, they’ve constantly kept innovating and introducing new elements to the social media app, such as IGTV, Instagram Stories, Reels, and even Instagram Video. And in this blog, we are going to discuss Instagram Video for wedding photographers, aka your newest tool for social media marketing. As a wedding photographer, you have to show the world what you can create, and with Instagram Video, you get the opportunity to do it in a different format – diversifying your approach and increasing brand awareness in the process.

Instagram Videos: A Brief History

Instagram has improved and enhanced its features over time with changing consumer demands. So in the last few years, as video content became popular among users, we saw Instagram change its direction to focus more on video content with updated features like Instagram Live, IG Reels and, of course, IGTV!

In October 2021, Instagram replaced its IGTV feature with the Instagram Video – a combination of feed videos and IGTV. These videos come with several features like filters and trimming tools, video captions, and you can also tag people and locations. Essentially, Instagram Video is an upgraded version that basically gives creators the freedom to create their content differently. Additionally, Instagram video for wedding photographers also allows you to create 60-second long videos that your followers can view on their feeds. However, with a longer video duration also comes the challenge of keeping your users engaged, so that’s something that requires some strategizing from your end.

Using Instagram Video For Wedding Photography

Instagram has several other video options, and as a wedding photographer, when you’re looking for ways to increase brand awareness, the sky’s the limit!

1. Learn About The Technicalities

infographic stating instagram video allows users to upload 60 minute videos with an aspect ratio of 4:5 and a max file size of 30 MB

Instagram Video feature is the feed video that you can post directly with clips from your Photo Library or using your phone’s in-built camera. So the Instagram Video upload process is pretty straightforward. You can edit these videos using filters, add user and location tags, video captions, etc. and post them on your feed. And the best part – these can be up to 60 minutes long! Search Instagram videos by hashtag – we’d suggest that you learn how to use hashtags and which ones are more popular and benefit from using those. The feed video can support video file type .MP4 or .MOV. The Instagram video dimensions can be 1080px by 1350px. Other Instagram video requirements include Instagram Video aspect ratio of 4:5 and a maximum Instagram Video size limit, file size of 30 MB.

2. Create A Content Strategy

As a wedding photographer, you probably already have a lot of content, so we’d suggest refurbishing and recycling – at least at the beginning. The whole point of creating a content strategy is that you never run out of content. Once you know the kind of content you want to create/share and how often you want to share it, using Instagram Video for wedding photographers won’t just be another daunting task adding to your TDL.

3. Analyze What Your Competitors Are Doing

infographic stating do your research to stay ahead of your competitors

Research and Instagram Video for wedding photographers go hand in hand. How? Well, doing your market research will help you stay ahead of the curve and your competitors. Now, reading the word ‘research’ might instantly make you want to close this window but hear us out. You don’t have to do hours of reading; just go check what people are doing on this platform. See what’s trending, what kind of content are people engaging with, and what your competitors are up to. In order for this marketing tool to succeed for your business, you must learn how to use it right, and this research is a part of that.

4. Stay Consistent

You probably already know this by now, but the key to a successful social media strategy is consistency. Whether you are planning to post everyday or just the weekdays or every alternate day – decide on one thing and follow it strictly if you can. Find out the best time to schedule your Instagram post and plan your strategy accordingly. This way, your followers also get to keep up with you because they will know exactly when they can expect something from your Instagram account. Use relevant and uniform hashtags for all your posts so that anyone exploring content or using your hashtag also gets a glimpse of your entire portfolio.

5. Interact With Your Followers

infographic stating engage with your followers by replying to comments, asking questions, replying to DMs, etc.

While your list of followers may include your current clients and fellow vendors, friends, and family members, it might also have some prospective clients that you can turn into confirmed bookings with the right strategies. When it comes to using Instagram Video for wedding photographers or just Instagram in general, of course, the aesthetics are a priority. But another thing that plays a key role in the success of your IG account is whether you are able to engage your followers. An aesthetically pleasing Instagram grid won’t necessarily have an impact on your business unless that content prompts people to book you. Add interesting and engaging captions, tag people, locations, vendors, and even your wedding couple – reply to their comments, acknowledge the posts where you’ve been tagged, and reshare the same through IG stories. The more you interact with your followers, chances are the more your brand thrives.

Instagram Video Ideas For Wedding Photographers

There’s so much you can do as a wedding photographer to make your feed more engaging and fitting to your business brand. The Instagram Video size limit gives you the creative space to plan different ideas for your strategy. So here are a few Instagram Video ideas that you could use to scale up your content production.

1. Showcase Your Wedding Photography Brand

infographic stating use Instagram videos to give users a brief introduction to your brand

As video content gets better engagement on Instagram, the idea is to get more profile visits (especially by potential clients) using various Instagram Video ideas for wedding photographers. One simple and easy-to-create Instagram Video idea is to showcase your wedding photography brand to your followers.

Tell your followers about your beginnings and how you established your brand, what are the services you offer, and what a couple can expect from you. You could choose to do a voiceover for this video, adding clips from some of the best weddings and engagements you’ve photographed. You could also choose to be on camera yourself and talk to your followers ‘directly’. This way, people get a better understanding of what your brand is and perhaps even decide whether or not you guys are a fit.

2. Educate

One of the best ways to use Instagram Video for wedding photographers is to give back to your community. While your primary followers may be couples, it may be a good idea to consider pivoting into creating some content for fellow wedding photographers too. You could consider creating a ‘How I Got The Shot’ series for Instagram Video in which you select a few of your 5-star photographs and briefly talk about what went into getting that image. Similarly, you could educate them about other areas of expertise like posing, off-camera lighting, best business practices, etc.

3. Testimonials

infographic stating ask your clients questions about their experience with you and your brand

Instagram now allows users to upload hour-long videos, which means you have more chances to experiment with the kind of content you share. Therefore, to use Instagram Video for wedding photographers to its full potential, you could consider sharing the shiny testimonials your clients have left for your business. Conduct interviews with your couples, asking them questions about their experience working with you and your brand. Additionally, you could also ask them about what made them choose you as their photographer for their big day. These videos will be a great addition to your Instagram account, and they will also add to your credibility as a wedding photographer.

4. Trendy Videos

Trends may change all the time, but as far as social media is concerned, they are here to stay! Team up with the bridesmaids and groomsmen and even the couple and shoot video of them lip-syncing and dancing to a trending song. Cover all angles and add your creative touches to the video to enhance its quality. Focus on making these videos fun and make them with the aim to bring a smile to your couple’s and followers’ faces. Besides singing and dancing, check out what else is trending on the platform in the wedding sphere and see if you can replicate that for your social media content.

5. Behind-The-Scenes

infographic stating consider failed or missed shots as a blooper reel for your instagram videos

Another fantastic way to use Instagram Video for wedding photographers is to give your followers a glimpse at the behind-the-scenes action. As the wedding photographer, you can include behind-the-scenes of what went into shooting the entire day, what a wedding photographer’s usual day looks like, shenanigans with your team, etc. Remember that time everything was ready (including your bride), but your off-camera lighting just refused to cooperate? Or that one time when it took almost 30 minutes to get the perfect group shot? You can turn these ‘fails’ into fun blooper reels, even the shots/clips that didn’t make the final cut.

Further Read: Use Instagram To Grow Your Wedding Photography Business

As we’ve just shared, Instagram Video for wedding photographers is a great tool for you if you are looking to increase your brand awareness or wanting to take your Instagram game to the next level. While IG Stories, Reels, and regular static posts might already be a part of your game plan, adding videos to the mix could be a game-changer. And the best part is how easy the platform makes it for you to use this feature! So now that you know all the basics of Instagram Videos and already have some ideas on how to use it (you can thank us later by tagging us in your amazing videos!), put your creativity to use and start refurbishing existing content or create something brand new!

At ShootDotEdit, we aim to take your wedding photography business to the next level! And to help you dedicate more time to things like social media and digital marketing, we lessen your post-production workload by taking editing off your plate. To learn more about our professional photo editing services and we can help, check out our price plans.

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