Maximize Your Image Reach on Facebook // Social Media

I wrote in one of my first social media blogs about how you can increase your Facebook reach by sharing a link instead of an image. Sometimes, though, we don't have the option to share a link. And we can always gain an advantage by tagging anyone who appears in our images (especially as wedding vendors!). So how can you make the most of the images that you post?

Most business owners know that an image cannot be used in advertising if it is covered with more than 20% text. There is actually a helpful tool Facebook provides that will show you instantly whether or not your image will be approved for promotion. Since their definition of what that looks like may be different than yours or mine (it's based on how many blocks the text appears on in the image), it's always a good idea to check any images with text overlays ahead of time.

However, a somewhat recent change with Facebook ensures that no image with a large amount of text - whether it's promoted or not - will be successful. The problem Facebook was running into is the presence of what they define as 'low quality' content. This includes content called click bait (eg. an article that says "You won't BELIEVE what Jennifer Lopez does with her children!") and memes.

Yes, memes. Everyone loves a good meme - they're relatable, ridiculous, and help break up the news feed with something fun. However, Facebook has decided through their own terms that memes are not high quality content, and people don't enjoy them as much as they think they do. For that reason, ANY images with a lot of text on them will be classified as a meme.  Though they don't technically violate any terms, their reach will plummet. You can read a helpful article about it here.

The takeaway from this blog is to keep large text OFF your images! Use the Facebook grid tool even when you aren't promoting a post to ensure it's not covered in too much text and your reach will grow noticeably.

Let me know what's worked for you and what hasn't! And if you have any questions, feel free to ask :)

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The Best Way to Increase Your Facebook Reach // Social Media

There aren't a ton of things I consider myself an expert on, or even better than the average person. What I do know, though, I want to share to help other people out. I will warn you in advance that this post is for small business owners with Facebook pages...it won't make much sense if you just have a personal page! Also, completely different rules apply to personal vs business pages, so consider yourself warned :)

The beauty of being a photographer is that we can befriend our clients. This extends to so many different areas - we get to make new friends and meet new people. It's also awesome to be able to show off your bride's or family's gorgeous pictures from their session, and tag them so their friends can see! I love when someone looks their best, and they can show their friends and family so quickly through social media.

In the last few years, Facebook has changed a LOT. Even the average user who doesn't have a business page knows this. But the changes have hit businesses hard! Where we used to be able to show virtually our entire audience what we've been up to, now it's hard to get even 10% of the people who 'like' your page to see a post. And that's frustrating!

I run social media pages for my photography business, as well as two other local businesses. From experimentation and a TON of reading, I've learned a lot about how to make your post the most visible to the most people. It used to be that a picture was the BEST way to show your work to a lot of people. So my strategy before was to post a picture with a link to my blog.

Now, because of the growth of Twitter and a whole lot of other factors (such as the new Facebook ad network), Facebook likes links. They like high quality links. In fact, they like them so much your reach will increase dramatically if you simply post a 'link share.' This is when you create a link to your blog, and when it automatically pulls up an image from the blog/website, you upload one in its place.

In all honesty, sometimes I upload the same thumbnail that Facebook did. This signals to Facebook, however, that I am creating not only a compelling link, but a fantastic, social media ready image that will draw my audience in to click on it. Here's how to do it, if you're lost:

Click on Upload Image and simply choose the one you want! The dimensions of that box are 484x252 pixels (source: Jon Loomer), but I find that horizontal images generally work just fine. 

And now for the evidence - let me show you a picture (with my clients tagged) vs a simple link. Look at the difference in audience reach! If that doesn't convince you, then I don't know what will :)

Here's a single picture:

And here is the link! Even though it didn't get nearly as many 'likes,' the reach was way higher (more on that later!)

Do you have any social media struggles? I'd love to help! Comment and let me know if you have any questions, or want to know how to do something specific.

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Taking A Quick Break // Personal

Although it's hard for me to practice what I preach, I truly am a firm believer in taking a break from things you do over and over again. Doing what I love is truly a blessing, but with it comes the responsibility to make sure I continue to love what I do by not getting burnt out.

I can't imagine ever getting tired of meeting new people. I don't think that seeing the love that is so evident at weddings will ever get old. The genuine laughter of couples and families absolutely brings joy to my life in a way I can't describe.

Sometimes, though, the things that surround what we do are more draining than the actual work. Social media is both one of the best and worst things for my business. It allows me to publish my work to the world, to reach people I never could have otherwise, and connect with the amazing couples and families that allow me into their lives for a day, a month, or years. At the same time, it can be so draining and distracting. Seeing what every other photographer does is both inspiring and tiring, because the only person I should ever compare myself to is who I used to be, and who I want to become. The distraction is completely my fault - it's so easy to jump on any one of my social networks to check it. Even if I don't get sucked in for a long time, it breaks my rhythm completely, and disrupts my workflow.

For this reason, I'm taking a short break from social media. I have a number of days in mind that I want to be out, but I'm not going to hold myself to something strict. I need time to not look at what others are doing. I need time to learn how to completely focus my attention on what I'm doing and not constantly be distracted. I just need time away.

I'm grateful beyond words for the ability to connect with people every single hour of the day, and I can't wait to do it in a new, fresh, and healthy way when I return.