Social Media Content Strategy

🔄 Quick Recall: In the previous lesson, you built SEO and marketing systems for long-term organic discovery. Now you’ll create the social media presence that builds your brand, engages your audience, and converts followers into clients.

Social media is the primary discovery platform for photographers. Instagram alone has 3 billion monthly active users, and visual content naturally performs well for photography businesses. But most photographers either post inconsistently (feast-or-famine based on editing backlog) or post beautifully without strategy (likes but no bookings). AI solves both problems — consistent content creation with strategic intent.

Platform Strategy

Not every platform is worth your time. Choose based on your genre and where your clients are.

Start with two platforms max. Mastering two is better than being mediocre on five.

Content Creation Workflow

AI prompt for weekly content batch:

I’m a [GENRE] photographer in [CITY]. This week I want to create social media content from: [RECENT SESSION DESCRIPTION — client type, location, style, notable moments]. Create 3 posts for [PLATFORM]: (1) Portfolio post — select the strongest image moment and write a storytelling caption (150-250 words) that connects emotionally and ends with a soft CTA. Include 15-20 hashtags mixing niche (#AustinWeddingPhotographer), medium (#TexasWedding), and broad (#WeddingInspiration). (2) Educational post — a tip for [target client type] based on something from this session. Format as a carousel outline (5-7 slides with headlines and supporting text) or Reel script (30-60 seconds). (3) Behind-the-scenes post — a real moment from the session that shows your working style, personality, or a challenge you navigated. Authentic and conversational tone.

Caption Writing

AI prompt for story-based captions:

Write an Instagram caption for a [GENRE] photography post. The image shows: [DESCRIBE THE IMAGE AND CONTEXT]. Write in my voice [DESCRIBE — warm and personal, fun and energetic, calm and poetic]. Structure: hook (first line that stops the scroll — question, bold statement, or intriguing setup), story (2-3 short paragraphs telling the moment — what happened, why it mattered, what the client felt), call-to-action (subtle — invite engagement, not hard sell), and hashtag block (20 hashtags: 5 niche, 10 medium, 5 broad). Keep under 250 words. The caption should make someone who isn’t looking for a photographer want to read it — and make someone who IS looking want to book you.

Hook formulas that stop the scroll:

✅ Quick Check: You want to post a carousel about “5 tips for choosing a wedding photographer.” What’s the hook slide? (Answer: NOT “5 Tips for Choosing a Wedding Photographer” — that’s boring. Try: “Your wedding photographer will be with you for 10+ hours on the most important day of your life. Here’s how to make sure you don’t regret your choice.” The hook creates stakes. The tips are the payoff. The last slide is your soft CTA.)

Hashtag Strategy

AI prompt for hashtag research:

Research Instagram hashtags for a [GENRE] photographer in [CITY, STATE]. Create three hashtag sets I can rotate: (1) portfolio/gallery posts, (2) behind-the-scenes/personal posts, (3) educational/tip posts. For each set, include: 5 niche hashtags (under 50K posts — highest visibility), 10 medium hashtags (50K-500K posts — good reach), 5 broad hashtags (500K+ posts — discovery). All hashtags must be relevant to [my genre] and [my city/region]. Flag any banned or spammy hashtags to avoid. Update quarterly as hashtag popularity shifts.

Platform-Specific Content

Instagram Reels/TikTok scripts:

AI prompt for video content:

Write a 30-60 second Reel/TikTok script for a [GENRE] photographer. Topic: [CHOOSE — behind-the-scenes of a session, photography tip, before/after edit, “things I wish clients knew,” day-in-the-life]. Include: hook (first 3 seconds — text overlay or spoken line that grabs attention), body (main content with visual direction notes — what to show while speaking/narrating), CTA (follow for more, book a session, link in bio). Format: two columns — left column is visual direction (what’s on screen), right column is narration/text overlay. Keep narration conversational and under 150 words.

Pinterest strategy:

AI prompt for Pinterest content:

Create a Pinterest strategy for a [GENRE] photographer in [CITY]. (1) Board structure — list 10 boards with SEO-optimized board names and descriptions, (2) Pin descriptions — create templates for portfolio pins, blog post pins, and tip pins with keywords, (3) Pin design guidelines — ideal image ratios (2:3 vertical), text overlay tips, branding consistency, (4) Monthly pinning schedule — how many pins per week and from what content sources. Optimize all descriptions for Pinterest SEO (keyword-rich, natural language, location mentions).

Key Takeaways

• Start with two platforms and master them — Instagram and one other based on your genre (Pinterest for weddings, LinkedIn for commercial, Facebook for families)
• Story-based captions with scroll-stopping hooks outperform generic captions dramatically — AI generates these from your session notes, turning every delivery into a week of content
• The 40/25/20/15 content mix (portfolio/educational/BTS/personal) serves every stage of the client journey — admiration, trust, connection, and booking
• Batch create weekly content in 15-30 minutes — one recent session provides a portfolio post, an educational post, and a behind-the-scenes post
• Hashtags should mix niche (highest visibility), medium (good reach), and broad (discovery) — avoid only broad hashtags where your content is invisible among millions of competing posts

Up Next

In the next lesson, you’ll build business operations systems — financial tracking, tax preparation, capacity planning, and the backend that transforms your creative talent into a sustainable, profitable business.