Today’s Seniorologie 101 comes from a photographer in Wills Point, Texas.  Lisa McCully of Lisa McCully Photography is the Instagram Queen!

I first met Lisa when she pulled into the parking lot of the Inn at Serenbe in Atlanta, fresh off her road trip all the way from Texas.  Immediately, I was struck by her loving nature and sweet southern personality!  During the Atlanta Tour she taught me how powerful Instagram could be as she was instagramming every single thing about the tour!

Since then, Lisa has helped instagram the Seniorologie Tour Texas and is sharing her tips for instagramming in the post below.  She shares such great tips and I can’t wait to implement them into my own photography business.  Thanks for sharing Lisa!  And be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom of this post to read about a fun Instagram contest!

How can Instagram help your photography business?

I started using Instagram about 3 years ago; it has definitely changed in that short time. Everyone is on Instagram especially high school seniors and teens, which is the perfect reason to use Instagram in your senior photography business.

One of the first questions I have for my seniors is ‘are you on Instagram?’ I tell them how much I love it, I haven’t met a senior yet that didn’t smile at me and say ‘yes’. What’s your profile name is my next question, I open my Instagram and add them right there.

It’s important to build a relationship with your clients; I post personal and business images on my Instagram. They will see pictures of my granddaughters, sons, sunsets, photo shoots, flowers, products, food and anything else I think to photograph. What they learn from this is that I am just as they are that we are connected in our Instagram randomness. I like and comment on their images, I congratulate them, I laugh with them, I invest in them by commenting and liking.

How I use Instagram for my seniors:

1. On the day of a senior client session I take several images with my phone to be instagrammed afterward, I say things like ‘oh we have to put this one on Instagram!’ After the session I post the phone images to Instagram, I tag the senior and add a hashtag for my senior group; I then text the image to the senior so she/he can post it as well.
2. Next I do a back of the camera sneak peek image by taking a picture of an image on my LCD. I post that to Instagram, tag the senior and hash tag to my senior group again.
3.  When I edit and post one of the senior’s images from the session to facebook, I also post it to Instagram, tag the senior and hash tag to my senior group again.
4. Take pictures with your phone during ordering sessions and post to Instagram, tag and hash tag again.
5. When product is coming in take pictures for Instagram, if you don’t want to ruin the surprise of the products then take pictures of the product after you have packaged it for the senior client ‘oh can’t wait to deliver these goodies!’ tag and hash tag again.
6. Encourage the seniors to take a picture of themselves with their favorite product and post it so you can see it! Screenshot that post and repost on your Instagram….tag and hash tag it too.
7. Keep your seniors in mind when you’re out and about, if you see something that relates to them, take a picture, tag them (‘thought of you’). I do this with college products, like I have several seniors headed to Texas A&M, I take a picture of the product, post it and say Gig ‘em! Or their high school is in the paper for something, etc.
8. Add your Instagram hash tag group to your facebook page.
9. Include your Instagram profile name on your business cards and printed info.

Seniors typically don’t want to be sold to, but they love the innocent interaction of Instagram. I have tons of seniors following my Instagram, most I have not photographed but they found me through their friends.

One word of warning, don’t ‘blow up’ your Instagram newsfeed with multiple postings of the same thing in one day. Usually one to three images is enough. Multiple postings of seemingly the same thing will result in people unfollowing you for ‘hogging’ the feed.

If you haven’t jumped into the Instagram pool I recommend you give it a go, if you’re on there then I recommend incorporating it in to your business as well. Its great exposure and your seniors will love it.

Happy Instagramming to you!!

To celebrate the use of Instagram, Seniorologie is hosting a contest called Seniorologie Summer Senior!  Here are the details:

– Follow Seniorologie on Instagram

– Post pics from a summer senior session

– Tag @Seniorologie

– #SeniorologieSummerSenior

At the end of each Summer month, Seniorologie will pick the top three images posted during that month.  On June 30, July 31, and August 31, I will post those top three on the blog.  At the end of the Summer, September 1, I will post all the top three images from the summer and fans will vote on their favorite!  The winner will receive a Digital Goodie Bag and will be the Featured Image of the Summer on the top of the blog for two weeks!

Happy Instagramming!