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If it takes you an hour or more to make one Reel, I can tell you right now how that Reel is probably going to do: badly.
I know that because I have watched it happen a few hundred times. Inside Rebrand, everyone gets content reviews, and a huge chunk of what comes through for me is social media content. There is one thing I see over and over again: photographers think good content has to be complicated.
But a strong social media strategy for photographers does not require spending an hour on every post. In fact, overcomplicating your content may be making it harder to get results and almost impossible to stay consistent.
Complicated Content Isn’t the Same as Well-Edited Content
First, let me clarify what I mean by complicated content.
I’m not talking about a 30- to 90-second talking head Reel with B-roll cutaways, sound effects, zoom-ins, and other editing. That can be a lot of work, sure, but that type of content can actually perform really well. It’s also not necessary, so that’s not what we’re worried about here.
What I’m talking about is the Reel that starts with a 25- or 30-second clip of you walking, shooting a session, or interacting with a client. Then text dissolves onto the screen. Maybe it’s a question, so it dissolves away to make room for the answer. Then another piece of text comes in. Then another.
Meanwhile, the person watching is just sitting there waiting for you to finish saying the thing you’re saying one fade at a time. You probably spent 20 minutes finding the right Canva template, and realistically, that Reel took you an hour or more to make.
And it’s probably not going to perform well.
Instagram Is Already Showing You What Works
The wild part is that it’s incredibly easy to see what kind of content Instagram is rewarding. Open your discover tab on Instagram and scroll for 90 seconds. Ignore the topics and pay attention to the format.
You’re probably going to see things like:
- Five- to seven-second B-roll clips with a hook that stays on screen
- Talking head Reels, with or without fancy editing
- Carousels with text over photos already sitting in someone’s camera roll
What you’re probably not going to see is 30 seconds of video with text fading in and out while you wait for the next point.
Social Media Strategy for Photographers Can Be Simpler
So what does work? Lazy girl content.
Before every photographer reading this panics, “lazy” does not mean sloppy or ugly. Your content can still look nice, feel like your brand, and use your colors, fonts, photos, and other brand elements.
It just does not need to take an hour to make.
Use the Instagram Stories creator function inside Instagram. If you prefer Canva, create a simple template you can use over and over again. Then keep the actual content creation simple: grab a photo from your camera roll and put text on top. Take five seconds of B-roll and add a hook. Record yourself talking for 20 seconds and post it.
That’s it. You are off to the races.
The alternative is spending your Sunday afternoon hunting for Canva templates and watching tutorials for fancy Reel transitions on a piece of content that may never be seen by enough people to change anything about your business.
Complicated Content Is Killing Your Consistency
There’s another reason this matters, and honestly, it’s the bigger one: complicated content is killing your momentum.
If every Reel takes an hour to create, of course you’re struggling to stay consistent on Instagram. That is not a sustainable process.
There is absolutely a learning curve when you’re new to content. If you’re going from posting nothing to posting consistently, things are naturally going to take longer at first. You’ll get faster as you practice.
But a complicated process doesn’t necessarily get faster. If every Reel requires 30 seconds of footage, four different text treatments, and a template, it’s still going to require a lot of time six months from now.
Nobody sticks with something that is expensive and doesn’t pay—and your time is expensive. I would hate Instagram too if it took me an hour to post something and brought me zero clients.
One Piece of Content Should Make One Point
There’s another problem that tends to happen when you’re creating those longer, more complicated Reels: you start cramming multiple ideas into one post.
If you have 30 seconds to fill, you might start with a hook, make one point, add another point, and then throw in a bonus insight because you still have room.
Instead, one piece of content should make one singular point. One.
It’s better for the person consuming your content, and selfishly, it’s better for you too. If you have three points to make, you have three pieces of content instead of one overloaded Reel.
Otherwise, you’re essentially doing three days of work to post one piece of content—and that one piece may not perform anyway.
Spend Your Time on the Part of Content That Actually Matters
The reason Instagram works for me and for my clients isn’t because we’re more disciplined. It’s because the actual process of creating and posting the content takes almost no time.
That doesn’t mean good content requires no work. The ideas, messaging, and strategy happening behind the scenes absolutely take time, and they should. That is where your time is much better spent.
But once you know what you want to say, opening Instagram or Canva and turning that idea into a post should take minutes.
That changes your entire relationship with content. Posting doesn’t become something you have to psych yourself up for. It’s just something you do because the process is simple enough to repeat.
That’s what makes a social media strategy for photographers sustainable.
Try This Simple Instagram Content Challenge
If you know you’ve been overcomplicating your content, I have three things I want you to try this week.
First, open your Discover tab and save five pieces of content that stopped your scroll. Ignore what they’re talking about and study the format instead. How long was the video? What kind of footage did they use? Where was the hook? What actually made the format work?
Next, open your camera roll and find 10 photos or video clips you already have that could become content. If a video is longer than seven seconds, trim it down. Selfies, mirror photos, client work, or little vignettes around your home or studio can all work. If you’re not sure where to start, use your face—it’s one of the most recognizable parts of your brand.
Finally, make one piece of content that communicates one singular point. Set a timer for 10 minutes. When the timer goes off, post what you have.
It’s probably going to feel too easy. It might even make you a little uncomfortable.
That’s the point.
Want Help Making Visibility on Instagram Feel Easier?
If simplifying your content and becoming more consistent on Instagram is something you want help with, join me for my free Visibility Challenge.
We’re not just creating content. We’re also tackling some of the mindset issues that come with being more visible and making sure your Instagram profile is ready when people find you. Because once someone sees your fabulous content and clicks over to your profile, we want it to look like your business has the door open and the light on—not like nobody’s home!
The challenge starts Monday, September 1, and you can join early to work through the pre-work before we officially begin. It’s free (at least for now), and I would love to have you.
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