M1.7 Generating Leads: Jumping on the Algorithm

Overview

This module emphasizes the need for content creators and photographers to strategically generate engagement on social media by forging an emotional connection with their audience. It advocates understanding the audience’s emotional needs, diversifying content to cater to a broad spectrum of tastes, and using storytelling and technology to produce novel and captivating content. The essay dispels misconceptions about social media algorithms being biased, instead highlighting their neutrality and focus on promoting content that spurs meaningful interactions. It underscores the critical role these factors play in maximizing organic reach, shaping a brand’s online reputation, and succeeding in a competitive digital world.

By The End of This Lesson Students Will Be Able To

1. 1. Understand the unique role wedding photographers play in shaping perceptions of marriage and the potential for shifting focus from material extravagance to genuine authenticity.
   2. Analyze common adages and catchphrases used in the wedding industry to encourage higher spending and recognize their role in setting expectations around weddings.
   3. Discuss potential challenges and issues arising from the wedding industry’s focus on materialism, including financial stress, unrealistic standards, negative cultural implications, and a disproportionate emphasis on the wedding over the actual marriage.
   4. Propose strategies for wedding photographers to emphasize authenticity, such as capturing genuine emotions, promoting simplicity and intimacy, educating clients, showcasing diverse weddings, and prioritizing environmental responsibility.
   5. Articulate the benefits of this shift in perspective, from providing more meaningful mementos for clients to fostering a more sustainable, emotionally rich, and genuine wedding culture.
   6. Understand the Legacy-oriented archetype in wedding photography, which emphasizes capturing family connections, heritage, and traditions, by employing techniques like capturing family dynamics, documenting traditions, and creating generational portraits.
   7. Grasp the Luxury-oriented archetype that prioritizes the celebration of love through affluence, elegance, and sophistication, and involves capturing exquisite elements, showcasing luxurious venues, and providing premium services.
   8. Know the Eco-conscious Approach Archetype, targeting eco-friendly consumers who value sustainability, by showcasing eco-friendly weddings, educating about sustainable practices, and offering sustainable products.
   9. Appreciate the Intimate and Personal archetype that emphasizes the beauty of small, intimate weddings, involving specialization in small weddings, emphasis on emotions, and offering personalized experiences.
   10. Learn about the Whimsical and Playful archetype, highlighting a fun approach to capturing weddings, by focusing on candid moments, vibrant colors, and fun details.
   11. Understand that these branding approaches provide unique ways to connect with various target audiences, helping to differentiate photographers and align with their individual values and artistic preferences.

1. Understand the importance of generating buzz and evoking emotions in posts for immediate engagement and long-term brand reputation.
2. Recognize the crucial role of creating an emotional connection with the audience as a fundamental expectation in shaping online presence.
3. Develop a deep understanding of their target audience and tailor content to resonate with their needs and desires.
4. Implement an emotional connection across all types of content, creating a cohesive narrative that reinforces the essence of the brand.
5. Understand the necessity of resonating with humans positively to effectively promote content organically or get a high return on investment through social media algorithms.
6. Incorporate a diverse range of emotions and moments in their content to cater to a broad audience, thereby maximizing reach and engagement.
7. Understand that social media algorithms prioritize content that sparks meaningful interactions and emotional responses.
8. Dispel the notion that social media companies are biased against new creators, understanding that the algorithms apply the same rules to all users.
9. Understand that producing novel and captivating content can result in higher visibility and organic reach, as such content is more likely to be favored by social media algorithms.
10. Recognize the importance of storytelling, pre-wedding consultations, creative techniques, a distinctive editing style, and use of technology to generate novelty for the algorithm and stand out in a competitive market.

Course Content

Generating Leads: Jumping on the Algorithm

In today’s highly competitive and rapidly evolving social media landscape, it has become imperative for photographers and content creators to consistently generate buzz and evoke emotions with their posts. This is not only crucial for immediate engagement but also plays a significant role in shaping the long-term image and reputation of your brand. As such, it is a duty and responsibility that must be taken seriously and approached with unwavering dedication.

Creating an emotional connection with your audience is no longer just a bonus or a pleasant surprise; it is now a fundamental expectation that can determine the success or failure of your online presence. Ignoring this responsibility can have severe consequences, including diminished engagement, reduced visibility, and ultimately, the loss of potential clients and opportunities.

To fulfill this responsibility, it is essential to develop a deep understanding of your target audience and identify the specific emotions and experiences that resonate with them. By doing so, you can tailor your content to address their needs and desires, creating a powerful connection that fosters loyalty and encourages ongoing engagement.

Moreover, this emotional connection should not be confined to just one type of content or post. It must be woven throughout your entire social media strategy, creating a cohesive narrative that consistently evokes emotions and reinforces the essence of your brand. This cohesive narrative will serve as the foundation upon which your long-term brand image is built, making it an indispensable component of your online presence.

The duty and responsibility of creating emotional connections and generating buzz around your posts in the modern social media space is not to be taken lightly. It is an imperative that must be embraced wholeheartedly and approached with diligence, creativity, and unwavering commitment. By doing so, you can solidify your brand’s image, foster loyalty among your audience, and secure long-term success in an increasingly competitive digital world.

In order for a social media algorithm to effectively promote your content organically or provide a high return on investment for paid reach, it is crucial that your content resonates with humans in a positive way. Social media platforms are designed to keep users engaged, and algorithms are programmed to prioritize content that sparks meaningful interactions and emotional responses. Therefore, to maximize your chances of achieving success on these platforms, it is essential to target a wide range of emotions and appeal to various tastes and preferences within your audience.

By incorporating a diverse array of emotions and moments in your content, as suggested in the previous shooting chapter, you can cater to a broader audience and increase the likelihood that each individual viewer will find something that resonates with them. For instance, while sultry content might captivate one segment of your audience, others might be drawn to the playful, fun shots or the heartfelt, mushy moments. By offering a comprehensive emotional palette, you effectively increase the chances of your content being shared, liked, and commented upon by a wider range of people. This, in turn, signals to the algorithm that your content is valuable and engaging, resulting in increased visibility and reach for your posts, whether organic or paid.

Embracing a diverse range of emotions and moments in your content is key to ensuring that your work resonates with a broad spectrum of viewers, ultimately maximizing your reach and engagement on social media platforms. As mentioned earlier in the chapter, providing a variety of cues to create an emotional response is an effective way to appeal to various tastes and preferences. By implementing these cues, you can demonstrate to the algorithm that your content is worth promoting, thereby increasing your visibility and enhancing the overall success of your social media strategy. By understanding and catering to the emotional needs of your audience, you position yourself for long-term success in the competitive and ever-changing world of social media.

Many photographers and content creators, when faced with a lack of engagement on their posts, may mistakenly adopt a victimhood mentality. This mindset leads them to believe that social media companies are biased against new creators and actively suppress their content. However, this notion is far from the truth. In reality, the algorithms employed by social media platforms apply the same set of ubiquitous rules and principles to all users, regardless of their status or experience.

The primary goal of these algorithms is to keep users engaged with the platform, and to achieve this, they prioritize content that stirs up emotions and sparks meaningful interactions. On the other hand, content that elicits apathy or disinterest from viewers is considered detrimental to the platform’s objectives. Apathy is akin to kryptonite for social media companies, as it can lead to a decline in user activity and ultimately, the falloff in the use of the app. Thus, the algorithm is designed to avoid promoting content that generates indifference, focusing instead on showcasing creators who consistently evoke emotions and foster engagement.

As a photographer, riding the social media algorithm to gain visibility and grow your brand requires a dedication to producing novel and captivating shots. By consistently creating and sharing unique, eye-catching images that challenge traditional norms or explore untapped perspectives, you can pique the interest of your audience and encourage engagement. By doing so, your content is more likely to be favored by social media algorithms, resulting in higher visibility and organic reach. Embracing the power of novelty in your photography can elevate your work above the noise, allowing you to stand out in a saturated market and create a strong digital footprint. Remember to optimize your content for each platform, harness trending hashtags, and engage with your audience to further boost your reach and establish your brand as a creative force within the photography community.

Generating Novelty for The Algorithm 

1. Emphasize storytelling: Focus on capturing the unique story of each couple and their wedding day. Pay attention to small details, candid moments, and genuine emotions that showcase the couple’s personalities and relationships, creating a narrative that sets your work apart.
2. Offer personalized pre-wedding consultations: Invest time in getting to know each couple and their expectations before the wedding. This will help you better understand their preferences, style, and vision, allowing you to tailor your services and approach to their specific needs.
3. Experiment with creative techniques: Explore unconventional photography techniques, such as double exposures, light painting, or prismatic effects, to create visually striking and memorable images that set you apart from other wedding photographers.
4. Cultivate a distinctive editing style: Develop a consistent editing style that complements your photography and enhances the overall aesthetic of your work. This can include specific color grading, contrast adjustments, or even incorporating subtle textures and overlays that make your photos stand out.
5. Use technology to your advantage: Embrace new tools and technology, such as drone photography, 360-degree cameras, anamorphic lens, tilt-shift lens to create unique and immersive wedding photography experiences that showcase your adaptability and innovation.

By implementing these strategies, a budding wedding photographer can establish themselves as a remarkable professional, standing out in a competitive market and attracting clients who value their unique vision and approach.

Cognitive Engagement Questions