Is there any point in posting photos on social media anymore? I often get asked this question – and honestly, I ask myself this question every so often. Because the world has changed a lot in the last 10 years since I started my business. So the short answer? Yes. But they serve a very different purpose than they used to.
Let’s get into the details.
Do photo posts on Instagram still get reach?
Photo posts in Instagram and Facebook will still reach your most engaged audience – most of them anyway. With short form video (reels and shorts) taking over socials, the majority of young to middle-aged people are spending most of their social media time watching reels.
Photo posts can still do well to:
- Call your most engaged followers to take an action or make a purchase
- Engage with an older generation of clients (they still watch reels, too!)
- Show a more detailed view what you offer
Photography is the most powerful to capture and keep attention on your website, where people are already primed to make a purchase or reach out. But it ABSOLUTELY has a place on social media.
One caveat: AI generated imagery will not do well. Even if it gets engagement, it will often be negative engagement. In general, most people would rather see a cell phone photo over an AI generated image.
And stock photos? Just skip those entirely on social media unless it’s your ONLY alternative to an AI generated image.
Are reels better than posting photos for small businesses?
Short answer: yes. But posting is also better than not posting. If all you have capacity for right now is posting photos, do that! It’s almost always better to half-ass your social media than ignore it altogether.
Reels have better reach, better engagement if done well, and have the possibility of bringing massive new audiences to your business. But recording and editing just one reel can take hours of strategy, shooting, and editing.
The reality is that most reels don’t go viral, and it takes practice and luck to even have a chance. All this to say: post on your social media page. Post reels when you can.
What are photos actually for if they don’t go viral?
Photos rarely go viral unless they’re showing a meme or infographic, major world news, or something with shock value (think haunted houses or pin-up girls). They do, however, serve a purpose. Photos allow you to target your most engaged followers, inviting them to new offers, opportunities, or conversations. Use photo posts to ask questions, share about your personal life, or sell.
What kind of photos should a local business post?
My recommendation is always to choose one platform and plan all of your posts on every platform around that. Different platforms want different things, so I’m breaking this down by popular platform. Product-based businesses NEED professional photography to sell to strangers, so keep that in mind on any platform.
Profiles are very browsable on Instagram, so posting photos serves as part of your overall magazine when someone visits your profile. If Instagram is your preferred platform, I recommend incorporating professional photography of your you or your team, your offering or product, and your process.
Photos, especially things like selfies or cell phone photos that are obviously not AI-generated, are a massive trust builder for local businesses. For service-based businesses, casual is best with a little bit of professional photography mixed in. For product-based businesses, posting photos that are a mix of your own behind-the-scenes photos and detailed professional photography of your products.
You can post photos as carousels on TikTok, but honestly? I’d skip it entirely. If TikTok is your preferred platform, post at least one video per week (3-7 is better!) and skip the photos.
Believe it or not, YouTube does support photos! You can share photos specifically with your subscribers. If YouTube is your preferred platform though, I’d focus on video and skip photos entirely.
No matter what platform you’re on, you want to make sure you’re sharing the face(s) behind the brand, the thing you offer, and the process behind it. If you’re a brick and mortar store, share photos of the physical space. And this applies to video, too!
Should I use stock photos for my business?
Almost always NO! Stock photos don’t belong on social media. Social media is where we share and connect. I’d rather see you posting photos that are dark and blurry over a stock photo any day.
Stock photos do have a place though. If you’ve paid for professional photography, but you don’t have a specific photo you need, it CAN be okay to temporarily fill in with stock photography. But make sure it matches the style of the rest of the photography on your page!
Inconsistency in your brand can subconsciously break trust with potential customers, so keep it real as much as you can.
Are phone photos good enough, or do I need professional photos?
The short answer is that you almost certainly need professional photos to grow your business. That doesn’t mean you need t hem right this second. If you’re just getting started, phone photos can usually get you through your first 1-3 years in business. But to build trust and grow your brand, you’ll need professional photography on your website.
Social media is more casual. A local small business can sometimes keep it casual with cell phone photos indefinitely. But growth beyond your home down almost always requires more than social media, and certainly requires some level of professional photography to build trust with strangers.
That said, my clients report getting new opportunities and higher-paying clients after we start creating content for them. Professional photography makes an impact, so I always recommend investing in it when you’re able!
How often should a small business be posting photos?
I recommend posting 3-7 times per week. If that needs to be entirely photos for now, that’s at least 3 photo posts per week. But if you plan to incorporate some video, just fill in with those photo posts.
Choose a frequency you can stick to: 3x per week, 5x per week, 7x per week – whatever you can keep up with. Choose a video frequency you can manage: 1x per week, 3x per week, 5x per week…
And fill in with photo posts for the rest. If you have an off week and miss a video post? Replace it with a photo post. Don’t let perfect become the enemy of good.
Where should small businesses use photos besides social media?
Your website NEEDS professional photography! If you’re just starting out and can’t invest in professional photography, this isn’t an emergency. You have some time. But if you’ve been in business for 2 years or more and are not yourself a professional photographer, it’s time to invest.
You can also use photographs on everything from advertising materials to brochures.
As a content creator for brands, I hear stories all the time about how professional photography is impacting my clients’ businesses. One client became a preferred vendor for an interior designer after they had ignored him for months. One client was featured in a local news article after sharing the photos. My clients use photos to hire, to pitch themselves, to make sales, and more.
Photos are the gift that keeps on giving.
Do photos on my website help with SEO?
They sure can! Just posting photos on the website isn’t enough. Having meta data attached to that image helps quite a bit (relevant file name, descriptive alt text). And you heard it here first: I have a prediction that the content of your image will be part of the Google algorithm in the future, as Gemini leads the charge on allowing AI to “see” images in a way other models can’t.
Can AI search tools find or use my business photos?
Yes, they can. You can have your website set up to block robots from scraping images from your website for their learning databases, but it’s pretty hard to keep your images totally out of the hands of AI, and that block likely isn’t a perfect one. Most AI agents are blocked from social media, but social media has their own AI and third party partners who ARE allowed to pull data from social media. We’re living in a time when anything you put on the internet, not only is out there forever, but it’s probably in an AI database forever.
And while that’s an ethical gray area (if not danger zone – that’s a topic for another time), it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t post. Getting your business online is an absolute requirement in modern times. If you’re not online, you’re not going to be able to compete. Word of mouth is amazing, but it only gets you so far.
When is it worth hiring a professional photographer for my business?
As we’ve discussed in this post, it’s okay to use cell phone content for a while. But if any of these are true, it’s probably time to reach out to us:
- You’ve been in business for 2+ years and your website is full of stock / cell phone images.
- You struggle posting photos or videos on social media because you simply have no content and can’t seem to remember to create it.
- Your website or social media is filled with AI generated images – it’s hard to go from AI to cell phone photos.
A good professional photographer is worth the investment, but it is an investment. Someone who specializes in family photos or weddings will likely do a beautiful job and charge a little less, but you’ll be missing the variety you need to really level up your online presence.
Someone who specializes in business photo and video content, like us at Sparkchaser Studio, is going to charge a little more. But the result is having the range and variety of content you ACTUALLY need for your business.
It’s up to you to decide what kind of growth your business is ready for.
Need to talk through your options with someone? We’d love to chat! In our discovery call, we’re totally honest with you. We only want to sell you something that will serve you, and we’re always honest if we don’t think this is the best next step for you.