Photography TikTok is a big deal! You can see how many photographers are growing their accounts on TikTok and gaining a large amount of likes and follows. I still think the majority of the content is damaging to their longevity and that’s why I call Photography TikTok a dangerous place.
Photographers are aiming for LIKES and FOLLOWS over quality paid clients. Instead of displaying their unique talents, we are aiming for LIKES. 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, especially photography tiktok. You will see video after video without originality showing creative edits. You will notice a before/after trend. The photographer shows the RAW photograph and then the post-processed photograph. 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. It leaves your potential client, the ideal client empty handed. If you want to learn more about Ideal Clients for your photography, check out this blog.
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?
Let me admit something… you will get a lot of LIKES and FOLLOWS when you try these trendy methods on photography tiktok. The reality is, they are not the people who will hire you.
- The majority of those followers and likes are from other photographers, or videographers. They are learning from your skills and style. 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. They want to 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 ideal clients 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 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.
- You might see this wave of social support and mistake it for financial support. Yes, 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. If your business model isn’t to teach, then what is the point of collecting thousands of other photographers on photography TikTok? 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 buy from you? Who would you like to serve? It is likely not other photographers, it’s the exact opposite of that.
In the future, consider making short videos that show how hard you work. You can take them on a location scout and they get to see how much work you put into every photo shoot. 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. You can show your process of backing up their photographs, and how much work it is to go through the light room steps? That would impress paying clients because they can imagine their work in front of you. You might be less popular on photography TikTok but the attention will come from the right people, paying clients.
The behind the scenes videos should highlight your work ethic and what makes you different than anybody else. This is what a good behind the scenes, it’s productive and will attract the right clients for you.
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