Just when you think you understand social media, the game changes. One thing remains constant, though: Users of social media want to be engaged, want to laugh, want to be moved and most of all, want to see something they haven’t seen before.

There’s nothing like an image that makes people laugh or evokes joy. It’s not a surprise that this image created a huge response when I posted it to social media.

Stop them In Their Tracks

I recently presented a seminar in India along with my good friend Jesh de Rox, who shared his perspective on images that create an impact on social media. He shared a “bread and butter” family portrait that received only a few likes and then showed a photo of a cat wearing a nun’s habit and sunglasses that went viral and also got a big response from the audience at the seminar. So let’s be frank. Maybe it will be impossible to beat the impact of a cat dressed as a nun (or any other viral photo or video), but what can we as photographers do to stand out?

We have to remind ourselves that what appeals to other photographers may be very different from what appeals to our potential clients. The same is true about entering competitions: What appeals to a judge in a competition will not necessarily appeal to clients. The bottom line is that when looking at an image, we all look for impact, for something that will make us stop scrolling on Facebook as we surf our social media feed before even getting out of bed every day.

Show the Type of Image You Want to Sell

It really doesn’t matter how may “likes” you get unless it turns into followers and eventually converts into a client. Popularity doesn’t necessarily equal profitability. To determine what your audience wants to see, you must first determine what appeals to your desired clientele. A bride wanting a fairytale wedding wants to picture herself in the images she sees on social media. A dark and moody image that wins in a competition might not be attractive to such a bride. In other words, you have to show the type of images that you want to sell. It’s one of the first rules in sales.

Make ‘Em Cry. An image that tugs on heartstrings is compelling to any audience. We all identify with images that showcase the human spirit and share the importance of relationships.

Make them Laugh, Cry and More

I have never claimed to be a social media expert and I certainly will not claim it now, but what I can do is share a simple formula that I use on social media. I want to make people laugh, cry, hold their breath and share something personal (this allows our clients to identify with us because we all feel more connected to someone who opens up their heart). No one says you have to post your daily bread and butter images, so don’t feel obligated to!

Jerry Ghionis is widely regarded as one of the top wedding/portrait photographers and educators in the world. He is a USA Nikon Ambassador and has won more awards than any other photographer at WPPI, where he became the first Grand Master.