With over a billion users around the globe, Instagram offers a massive potential audience for your videography work.
However, the sheer size of Instagram’s user base can also make it hard to get noticed, let alone attract potential clients and build a large, engaged following.
Achieving this goal starts with getting the basics right and making sure that you are properly leveraging your Instagram bio and the features Instagram offers its business users.
Anatomy of the Instagram bio
Think of the videographer Instagram bio as a miniature brochure for your business.
You want it to clearly communicate what you do, where you are and what makes your videography business unique and worth paying attention to.
The Instagram bio is made up of several configurable elements, including:
- Instagram username
- Full name (or business name)
- Profile picture
- Description
- Call to action buttons
- Your portfolio
Make a name for yourself
There are two name fields used on Instagram.
The first is your username. Also known as your Instagram handle, this is a short name that is used to tag you and send you notifications.
With a billion users active on Instagram finding an original username that isn’t already taken by another user can sometimes be challenging.
To avoid spending ages trying to find an original username simply take your username and add ‘videographer’ or ‘videography’ to the end of it.
This username will be far less likely to be taken and will also make it instantly clear to your audience what your profile has to offer.
Once your profile is set up you will have the option of entering your name when you edit your profile. This field should be used for the full name of your business.
Profile photo
Even though you’re a videographer, you’re going to need to dig up at least one decent photo image to use on your profile.
Your profile photo should be a professionally composed shot that shows your face, and ideally gives some insight into your videography niche.
So, it’s worth getting some professional shots of you at work to use as your profile picture – it’s the gateway to your work.
Bio text
Instagram gives you the princely sum of 150 characters to tell its user base what you do and why they should be paying attention to your work
That’s almost half of the character limit for a Twitter tweet.
With so little space to play with you need to be succinct but memorable.
- Describe your videography niche, where relevant.
- Indicate your location.
- Include a call to action for users who want to engage further.
The characters you have left over can be used to provide some insight into your personality. Feel free to use emojis to spruce up your bio but avoid overdoing it if you want to be taken seriously.
Go pro
A professional account is required to unlock the full potential of your Instagram bio.
Converting your Instagram account into a professional account is simple:
- Go to settings.
- Tap ‘Account’.
- Select ‘Switch to Professional account’ from the options.
- Scroll through the follow-up screens.
If you’re wondering how to get the ‘video creator’ label in your Instagram bio, this is where you’ll be able to describe your business category.
Once you have run through the first four steps you will be offered the option to choose a category for your profile. There are several options available for videographers, including:
- Video creator
- Photography videography
- Event videographer
Choose the category you think best describes your videography business.
Then as a next step ensure that you turn the button to display your business category on – this will then appear on your profile and save you from having to use precious bio characters to cover this.
Once you’ve selected your business category you will be offered the choice to select whether you are a business or a creator. If you’re running a videography business, select ‘Business’.
The next step is to add in your contact information, including your email address, business phone number and location. Once that is done you’ll be given the option to connect to your Facebook account.
With all that done the core of your profile is in place – the next step is to make it engaging.
Adding buttons to an Instagram bio for a video creator
When your business account is activated you will automatically have the option to add buttons to your profile using the contact information you have provided.
Since you want to make it as easy as possible for profile viewers to contact you, you should submit both your phone number and email address.
To display your contact details as buttons on your profile you will need to edit your profile and enable the ‘Display contact info’ setting under Profile Display.
You can also add an action button to your profile using your contact options settings.
These action buttons link to third party software services, such as booking portals. Review the options available here and if you are using any of these services you can add them to your profile.
Website link
Finally, you’ll want to make good use of the ‘Website’ field on your profile.
This is the only place on your profile that Instagram will allow you to set up a video link in a bio on Instagram, so you want to make it count.
While the field says ‘website’ you do not need to link it to your own website – it can be linked to any web address, including your portfolio on 3rd party photography and videography websites like Cherrydeck.
Adding in the awesome
With so little space to convey so much information, it can be tricky to make an Instagram bio personalized or memorable without making it look like an overstuffed closet.
That means it’s best to use subtle methods to make your profile stand out.
Options include:
- Customizing your profile font using LingoJam.
- Using ASCII symbols instead of emojis CoolSymbol
- Adding line-breaks to your Instagram bio to improve readability – this is as simple as typing your bio with line breaks into your phone’s notes app and copy-pasting this into Instagram.
Get discovered on Cherrydeck
Having an impactful Instagram profile is one part of building an audience and client base for your videography business.
However, it’s important to look further afield for specialized services that can help you to connect your business with potential clients.
Cherrydeck‘s popular cloud-based platform lets photographers create professional profiles quickly and easily, while also providing potential clients with a tool they can use to find the right videographer for their needs.
Besides getting the attention from the right people, you’ll also benefit from:
- Being able to discover new commissions and collaborations made available on our platform.
- Tools to boost your Instagram reach and following.
- Discounts on software for creative professionals via our Partner Deals program.
- The ability to present your events to our large creative community.
Visit Cherrydeck now to sign up. ?
