I was recently advised that I really had to get back on Instagram. It was the way forward they said. It’s where people find clients they said. So I revived my badly neglected Instagram account, downloaded an additional app to stop it cropping all the photos into pointless abstracts, and started uploading.
These days it feels like I am on a constant merry-go-round of social media uploads. If it’s not Facebook, it’s Twitter. If it’s not Twitter, it’s Instagram. And then I get new images from a shoot and I need to upload to Facebook. To Instagram. To WordPress. To Pinterest. To my website. To my Purpleport. And then I need to check all those accounts over the next week or so, so I can respond in kind to all the retweets, shares and hashtags. And hopefully inquiries.
Where does it all end? And where does it all start to seem worth it? Facebook does not get me work. Twitter does not get me work. Purpleport gets me all the work. All the other sites remind people that I exist. WordPress reminds people I can write. And I get that you need to cover all these options because Instagram users don’t necessarily have Facebook accounts. And Twitter users probably don’t have either.
But it’s a lot of work. I lose all my evenings updating, emailing, uploading. And when does it start paying off? When you’re trying to sell product, what’s the best way. Hashtags, blatant sales pitches? Special offers? Or keep shooting and sharing?
I keep hoping there’s a secret formula I have missed. But I’m not so sure. I am beginning to think this is the way it’s going to be for a long time yet. And I am persevering and kissing goodbye to my evenings at least in the short term.
Creative Process 
Oh My God, Claudia, I feel exactly the same.. EXACTLY! Someone told me I MUST get on instagram a few weeks ago, so I got on instagram my re-opened old forgotten account.. Posted a few pics which took me ages to work out how to get the app to do this… It’s all so so time consuming and boring… and for what? I’m on facebook, twitter, instagram, linkedin all of which seem kinda useless not unless I’m posting a zillion times a week, which will get me more work supposedly? I’ve never gotten work from any of these avenues so far.. Again, perhaps I’m not active enough on them?
Facebook is a bit of a waste of time for me though the messaging is great for client contact and a better place to put fuller shoot sets. I get all my work from Purpleport at the moment. I am going to hang in there with Instagram. You need to install Instafit to stop Instagram cropping all your pics. It’s a brilliant app. I hate the cropping restrictions on Instagram.
I find the same, especially since I have a day job also and I feel like I’m wasting time promoting and posting on social media instead of actually making! I do think it’s important to use social media but it has to be consistent, I try to upload at least once or twice a week. Otherwise people lose interest.
I found a way to make it a little easier however I set my instagram to post to twitter and then my twitter posts automatically to my Facebook page. This means I only have to upload one image and it is on all three platforms.
I know what you mean though it does seem too overwhelming.
I have linked my Facebook to Twitter and my WordPress to Facebook (and therefore Twitter) but I haven’t managed it with the others yet. I’ll definitely link my Instagram and Twitter though. It has to save a bit of time!