10 Video Marketers to Learn from to Grow Your Photography Business' Followers on TikTok, YouTube & Facebook

If you’re a photographer, you may not know a whole lot about marketing or running a business. That's okay, though, because there are plenty of resources out there today that can assist you in learning more and becoming better at what you do. The world of photography is highly competitive these days and the Internet, while offering more for marketing, also increases that competition even further. 

The secret to staying ahead of the game is figuring out what your audience wants and how to deliver. Right now, audiences want video content.

It’s not just about marketing videos or ads, either—people want real videos of real companies and people that they can get to know. Especially if you’re a solo photographer just starting out, building those relationships through video marketing can make a big impact. 

Big enough, in fact, to keep up with the estimated 82% of Internet traffic that will be generated from videos by 2022. That includes streamed, downloaded, and live videos, the latter of which is expected to grow five times itself in the same time. So, how do you do that? Well, to begin with, you find the right people to help you along the way. 

We’ve got the head start for you there. In the list below, you’ll find marketers and others who know what it takes to generate a great social following and a dynamic video marketing strategy to help build your brand through video content. 

Now, you might be wondering just what you can do with video—certainly there have to be specific guidelines or types of videos that are being discussed here. However, the reality is that you can so do much with video in your marketing strategy that you really shouldn’t limit yourself. Before we get into the list of the people you can learn from, let’s talk more about that. 

Using video marketing for your photography business

The only real limit with video marketing is your imagination. Today's audience loves all kinds of video content because it’s easily digestible, entertaining, and effortless. They don’t have to work hard to be amused or informed and they certainly don’t have to go out of their way to find the brands and business owners that they love working with. 

If you’re looking to create a dynamic video marketing strategy that gets results, you’ll want to include all of these types of videos, and others, to ensure that you offer a complete collection for all types of audiences on various social platforms. 

Explainers and How-To Videos

These are ideal for when you want to pass along information. Whether that’s information about photography, a how-to on planning an event (which includes hiring a photographer, of course), or even explaining to your clients what “a day in the life” of your business looks like. Perhaps you want to offer an educational series on photography and its rich history. Whatever it is, your information seekers will love these. 

Testimonials 

If you are able, get videos from your clients that have enjoyed the work you’ve done for them in the past. These videos help people make buying decisions because they aren’t just you promoting your business, but other people who’ve worked with you in the past. These kinds of videos are great for making that final push in lead conversion, or even just to draw people in and get their attention. 

Company Spotlight

You could also do a spotlight on yourself, or the other photographers in your business if you work with multiple. This essentially allows you to be transparent with your audience. Show them where your business came from, what kind of experience and training you have, and more, so that they can feel connected and confident that your business is the right choice. 

Selfie-Style Videos

These are great when you want to connect with your audience. You don’t even have to plan a big production here—just grab your phone when the mood strikes and hit ‘record’. You'll be able to publish the video to TikTok or YouTube and allow your audience to get a more candid look at you as a person. The self-filmed videos also create a much better sense of that human connection. 

Tips and Tricks

Perhaps you want to offer insight and marketing assistance to other photographers or business creatives. Maybe you just want to help your audience with various aspects of photography or things related to it. You can create all kinds of videos with that “exclusive insider insight” that will make people feel like you genuinely have something unique to offer. 

Web Series 

Why not create a small web series based around your business? Maybe you can do “free tips Friday” or another catchy video series that will allow you to connect with your audience on a serial basis rather than through static videos that they may only see once. It’s not as common and takes a bit more work, but it’s a great way to engage your audience and give them education, entertainment, and everything else that they need. 

These are just a few of the most creative ways to put video marketing to work in your photography business. Of course, when you are trying to create your perfect strategy, the people in the list below can also help. 

The 10 video marketers you need to know

1. Jessica Kobeissi

In her videos, Jessica covers a lot of comparisons between professional photographers and influencers, making sure that people understand just what a professional can do. She's also got an entire channel on YouTube dedicated to her passions and her over 1.9 million subscribers will tell you that she’s worth paying attention to. If you are trying to build your own video marketing strategy and want to learn from someone who’s already doing an impressive job, she should definitely be on your list. 

2. Nigel Danson

A landscape photographer and passionate creative, Nigel hosts an impressive social following where he teaches others about how to improve their own photography and shares experiences from his own career and success. He talks about what helped him become successful, how you can use the right equipment to create great shots with less editing, and so much more. He has over 352K subscribers on his YouTube and an impressive social following elsewhere, too. 

3. Ted Forbes, Art of Photography

Art of Photography is a channel that’s been around for a long time, and it offers tons of great resources and information. Forbes posts videos on tips and techniques, opportunities for feature videos for other photographers, and even information about the right cameras and photography equipment to get the shots that you want. He likes to find other interesting artists to feature on his channel, too, which is a note you can take to help you build your following among your peers. He’s got thousands of subscribers and a huge social audience that’s eager to see what he’s going to share next. 

4. Peter McKinnon

This photographer-turned marketer now has an impressive following on YouTube and still follows his own passion for photography as much as he can. He's got an informative and educational approach that’s still entertaining, helping teach people with a unique storytelling ability. It's a lot of fun to watch his videos and you’ll see that he’s great at getting people engaged, too, which is something that you can definitely stand to learn from in your own video marketing efforts. 

5. Laura Clery

Laura Clery is not a photographer, but she is somewhat of a self-taught video marketing professional. In fact, one look at her Facebook page will show you that she’s got a unique approach to engaging her audience through video, using clever wit, and creating a whole new persona to make people laugh and keep them guessing. She has built an impressive following for her own personal brand and if you want to really learn how to dig in with viral videos and social marketing, she’s worthy of a follow. 

6. Phil Nottingham

Phil is one of our favorites because he’s an impressive video marketer with knowledge about strategy and social interactions, and he has spent years helping people create the perfect image for products and brands alike. He knows how to get results in video marketing, and you’ll even find plenty of videos published by other channels and experts that feature interviews and information from Phil, along with his own videos and social media profiles. He’s an entrepreneur and also a part of the product strategy team at Wistia. 

7. George B. Thomas

This man has years of experience in creative business marketing. He's always been a marketer but understands the importance of taking a creative approach in business marketing. He's also big on embracing new technologies and marketing tools, including video marketing, and has tons of YouTube videos to give you a sense of his own style. You'll find plenty of tips and tricks, too, and he can help just about anyone build their brand through video with his unique approach. 

8. Casey Neistat

If you want insight from one of the pioneers of YouTube influencing, this is the guy to follow. Although he isn’t a photography specialist, he’s a marketing genius when it comes to video marketing. His expertise lies in the areas of timing and engagement, which are two of the most critical factors in the success of any video marketing campaign. Casey has millions of followers across all of his social platforms, and he likes to help people go outside of their usual efforts to find better results. 

9. Mark Robertson

Mark Robertson is another video marketing guru that you need to know. As the head of marketing over at vidIQ, he’s also got years of business under his belt and knows how to get brands noticed. We like Mark because he focuses more on soft skills—things like building your confidence and learning how to present a professional, but friendly impression, in all the videos that you make. He offers how-to videos, tips, and plenty of advice to help entrepreneurs and small businesses embrace the new world of video marketing for themselves and expand their brand identities online. 

10. David Murdico

David runs Supercool Creative Agency, and he’s got quite an impressive following under his belt. You’ll find tons of his own videos on YouTube, along with impressive social followings on Facebook, LinkedIn, and others. He likes to help create videos that get noticed and knows how to reach the audience in ways that interest them most. He isn’t a photography expert, but he knows a few things about video marketing, which is why you need to have him on your list. His own videos are full of tips, examples, and resources to help your photography business improve in every way possible. 

Picture more time to grow your business when you partner with Smith.ai 

We know that you’re busy working on building your photography brand. We also know it’s no easy feat, but you don’t have to go it alone. Our dedicated virtual receptionists can field all of your calls, messages, and all kinds of other needs, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and all while you’re working on making a name for yourself in the prestigious photography industry. We’ll even help create the ideal strategy to manage it all, no matter what you need.

Our team can take care of all of your Facebook and SMS message answering, after-hours call answering, lead intake and scheduling, and even payment collection, and so much more. We guarantee that when you hire our receptionists to act as the face of your brand, you will never miss a moment, even when you’re busy taking care of other things. 

You can learn more when you schedule a consultation to discuss our 24/7 virtual receptionist solutions, including phone answering, live website chat, and more. You can also find us at hello@smith.ai or (650) 727-6484.