Relevant links from the answers
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And if you prefer to watch a video of the answers, see video below on my YouTube Channel :
If you do not prefer to look at my face and would rather listen to audio-only in podcast format, following the podcast on Anchor ( also available wherever else you listen to your podcasts! Search for “The Naina Redhu Experience”.
The Q&A in text format
How to make a shift from Freelancing to Professional when it comes to Photography?
A Freelancer is someone who is self-employed and hired to work for different companies on particular assignments. A Freelancer is a Professional. “Free” + “Lance” : a medieval mercenary – a professional hired to do a job. A Professional might be a Freelancer or an Employee of an Organization. Maybe you’re not taking yourself seriously as a Photographer & think that “freelancing” means “hobby”?
The new Instagram algorithm has turned organic reach into a trickle. Is there a way to get around it?
No way to get around it until you’re the CEO of Instagram. Instagram will do whatever it needs to do to stay profitable. Instagram is a business and you are their product. If your business strategy is to rely only on Instagram – or any other social media channel, there’s going to be nothing but disappointment in the future. You want to reach more people? Who are those people? Paid clients? Blog visitors? YouTube subscribers or YouTube viewers? Instagram Followers? Why? #GoalKyaHai Establish these and then go from there. What is “reach” and why do you care?
Can you please suggest how to get students for my Podcast Workshop?
Advertise ( paid ads are an option ), build the workshop brand, figure out the sales funnel, etc. The approach would be similar to any brand wanting to get paying clients / customers. ( For brand-specific advice – whether podcast brand / jewellery brand / whatever brand, I’m available for hire for a consulting session. Swipe up to read more and book. )
IGTV or YouTube. Which one is the future of video content?
Neither platform is going anywhere anytime soon. In both, you are at the mercy of an algorithm that you don’t have any control over. Video is especially complicated when it comes to “owning” your content. Rare to find an individual who can afford to host their own video. YT & IGTV are both video distribution & hosting platforms and they rule the roost. YT more than IGTV currently. I don’t see that equation changing.
How can one find the audience for art? Or does the audience find the creator / artist?
Depends on how one defines “audience”. Is this audience going to admire my art from a distance? Or is this audience going to pay for and purchase my art? Or is this audience going to “like” the photos of my art that I post on Instagram? In all this, however, the bare minimum an artist must do : make art, document art ( process / final piece ), show art ( online / offline by way of still photographs / video etc. ). If one doesn’t SHOW it, there will be no audience.
What is #NAINAMAMA? : “Naina’s Monday Ask Me Anything”.
Having used the “Ask Me Anything” questions box on Instagram Stories over the last few years, I’ve considered doing it in a more structured way and I’ve observed that a lot of the questions are repeated. The repetitiveness is understandable because of the nature of Instagram. Stories are gone after 24 hours and not everyone gets to see them. This is not only a waste of my time, but also a loss of information that someone might find useful. I have, indeed, considered saving these stories as “Story Highlights” on my Instagram profile but I do not like how they eat up valuable real estate. Someone visiting my Instagram profile for the first time, sees my profile photo, my statistics, my bio and then an entire row of Story Highlights and THEN they get to the real reason they are likely to engage with me : my work. Without the Story Highlights, they can see six posts and 1/5th of another three. With the Story Highlights they can only see the first three posts in their entirety, which, to me, is unacceptable.
Every Monday, I will put up the Q&A box on my Instagram Stories and attempt to answer about 5-10 questions. I will also document those questions on my blog, similar to today’s blog post.
