Focusing on Success in 2026: Topics to Share in Social Media

by Skip Cohen

When it comes to sharing ideas to help you build a stronger business in the new year, as I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm like a dog with a bone. For close to 20 years, across at least 3 different blogs, as well as in presentations, podcasts, and guest posts, I've covered so many different aspects to help you build a more successful business.

We're in the "slow season," but in reality, as a business owner, you should never have a truly slow time of year. When incoming business/revenue is low, there's plenty you should be doing to establish your "formula" for success in the year ahead.

I started with your website and social media basics last week. Now it's time to move to content ideas. I'm so tired of hearing photographers say, "But Skip, there's nothing here to write about!"

Most of you are sitting on a goldmine of topics, perfect for a blog or wherever you're most active in social media. Sadly, you're often too close to your own business to recognize how much value there is in so many different aspects of your knowledge about imaging. Remember, the key to building followers is all about being helpful.  

As a photographer, you do things you take for granted every day. Let's help Mom, Dad, and the kids become better artists. They're not going to open up down the street and compete with you. So, whether they use a conventional camera or a phone, let's help them raise the bar on their images.
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• ​Composition: Show them the basics. For example, teach them the rule of thirds, leading lines, and subject placement. You do it automatically, but they don't think before clicking the shutter.
• Posing: Help them with group shots, and let's get rid of those firing squad poses. For example, teach them how to position subjects with triangular placement. Show examples of the right and wrong ways to pose.
• Lighting: Spend some time talking about lighting and when to use the flash. Backlighting is always an issue, and they don't understand, especially in winter, when their outdoor images are too dark, even though it was a bright, snowy day.
• Have fun with in-camera special effects: Teach them to drag the shutter and panning. And on an iPhone, demonstrate how to zoom or change the special effects when in portrait mode.
• Storytelling: You're already the expert at storytelling and bringing in detail shots to tell the story. Help them think through their vision before clicking the shutter. Share a page or two out of an album you did for a previous client.
• Conversion from color to black and white - everyone can do it, but it's up to you to help them understand how an image can have more impact.
• Cropping: Roberto Valenzuela used to do an exercise in his classes where he took one image at a wedding and showed how many other shots there were in that same photograph. This is about you helping them see their pictures differently.
• Things to do with their images: From sharing on social media to printing, give them ideas of things to do with their photographs. Most professional labs have little interest in working with consumers, so you might have to resort to Shutterfly for some examples. However, this is also where you can plant the seed of why you're a professional with ideas about framing and presentations. It's also a great tie-in to unique products you're offering.
• Subject matter: Back in my Polaroid days, we reminded consumers when they looked through the viewfinder, "What you see is what you get!" Remind them to move in close on those people shots.
• Post-production: Share tips on using new products to help them get the most out of the experience of capturing images.
• Website display: Help your readers build their own galleries. This is where you can be so much help in the storytelling theme of their work. Years ago, the legendary Ernst Wildi at Hasselblad taught me the difference between a consumer and a professional - "Consumers show you all of their shots!"

There's a very practical advantage to the ideas above: each one lets you share some of your images as examples of the right and wrong ways to capture their memories. You're establishing yourself as the expert in imaging in your community. And if you have a Facebook page, you can share each idea with examples and reinforce your reputation as an artist and a community leader.

And to take it a step further, some of you have the skills and ability to hold physical classes and photo walks to help your audience capture better memories. As their skills grow, you become more established as the expert and open the door to more advanced techniques. At the same time, you're developing top-of-mind awareness of when they need a professional photographer.

Tune in later this week for 20+ more ideas for social media topics!