How many hashtags are too many hashtags? It’s a question that has nagged every social media user at some point. In the middle of February, it seemed that Instagram decided any more than 5 was just too many. That’s when a few IG users noticed a pop-up warning when they tried to add more than 5 hashtags to their posts. On Threads, Meta’s rival to Twitter/X, users can only add one topic/hashtag to a post, so it seemed like a natural leap for the company to test something similar on IG. Turns out that it was just a glitch and something that the platform wasn’t “actively exploring.” It comes across as a flimsy response, yet this is a space that we’ll be monitoring closely over the next few weeks. Hashtags are an important component of post reach and discoverability, so we’ll be experimenting with the amount we use in our posts this coming March.
After considerable highs in January (when we reached 13,084 accounts), our Instagram account came back down to earth in February, reaching 9,277 accounts and generating 37,997 impressions. It was a bit surprising since we prioritized the content type most favored by IG these days: reels. There were rumblings of changes to the Instagram algorithm, though there wasn’t an official statement from the platform, just similar observations by marketers active in the space. However, it’s best if photographers pay attention to an article by Hootsuite explaining the different algorithms at work on IG.
Getting back to our main Wonderful Machine IG account, the best-performing post of March belonged to Birmingham, Alabama-based Stacy Allen, looking at her assignment for Une Femme Wines. It reached 1,742 accounts.
The best-performing reel took us behind the scenes on a paint palette portrait photoshoot by Charleston, South Carolina-based Chad Savage. It received 3,033 plays.
Pinterest is a visual discovery platform where users can collect ideas on various trending topics. We use it as a virtual mood board where we organize our members’ photos by specialty, and also collect examples of all the main types of marketing materials photographers use to promote themselves (including logos, bios, email promotions, print promotions, and PDF portfolios).
We periodically select new content from our photographers’ websites (and also consider the work they send directly to us) to keep the platform fresh for our audience. Though Pinterest is not always top of mind for photographers, we’ve found that our Pinterest page gets a significant amount of views.
In February, we reached a total audience of 127.18k and generated 212.06k impressions, while garnering 3.92k engagements.
The pin with the greatest reach created in February featured Austin-based Jody Horton’s beverage photography. It received 105 impressions.
Another pin of note featured travel photography by Miami-based James Jackman which received 9,466 impressions last month.
The top-performing board was Photographer Specialties, with 83.8k impressions and 2.09k engagements.
LinkedIn is the only major social media platform dedicated specifically to professional networking. This makes it a good place to share the stories of our photographers and their creative problem-solving skills. We post once or twice a week, sharing our Photographer Spotlight articles and photos from our Creative in Place email campaigns — where we pick a very specific creative brief and show clients how our extensive network of photographers can deliver on that particular theme.
We brought in 245 unique visitors in February and generated 3.5k post impressions.
The top post shared one of our Creative in Place promos, looking at some of the toughest workplaces around the world. It generated 608 impressions and 136 clicks.
Though Facebook is mostly used to connect users with their friends and family (and their algorithm favors that content), we’ve found that it’s also effective at connecting photographers with clients. Our Facebook account mirrors our Instagram feed, and we also share a selection of Photographer Spotlight articles from our Published Blog.
We reached 3,300 accounts on Facebook in February, and the top post focused on London-based Henry Knock’s assignment for Opera’s new gaming browser. It featured actor and comedian Eric André being his usually animated self. The post reached 175 people.
Twitter, or X, is a microblogging platform that enables users to post short messages or posts (formerly known as tweets). It is commonly used for sharing information, expressing opinions, and staying updated on current events.
In January, we began using X as an archive of our website homepage photos. The strategy is working during these early days, with February bringing 3.5k impressions, up from the 2.5k figure in January.
The top tweet highlighted a photo by Los Angeles-based Rocco Ceselin, receiving 141 impressions.
Tired of brunch plans? Our homepage is serving up some alternative Sunday vibes with a side of dust and denim.
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📸 Rocco Ceselin // @Roccostudio
📌 Los Angeles, California
.#SundayFunday #PhotoOfTheDay pic.twitter.com/tY7bgUcFlf— Wonderful Machine (@wonderflmachine) February 25, 2024
We use our YouTube channel to host a wide range of content, including behind-the-scenes, photography compilations, motion reels, print portfolios, Member Open House presentations, and much more. Users can subscribe to our channels, comment on videos, and share with others.
We post once or twice per week and use two types of formats — vertical shorts and horizontal motion reels.
In February, we received 578 views and 9.1 hours of total watch time. We also added 9 new subscribers. All the figures were on par with the previous month.
Stay tuned for more content on our Social Media platforms. Keep tagging us, and of course, let us know if you have any tips and ideas for us!
Have questions about how we promote our photographers? Check out our Membership page. Want to know how you can get the most out of your Wonderful Machine membership? Check out our Jumpstart page or just reach out!