Social Media Stories - Shan Fisher - Fine Art Photographer

Teaching social media gives me the opportunity to meet hundreds of business owners with their own stories to tell. Sharing these stories allows me to add value to the learning by addressing the problem everyone encounters and sharing successes that show what can be achieved. Hearing from business owners about first-hand experiences from those who have already gone through the process can be a far more authentic, encouraging and inspiring way to help you put things into perspective.

That’s why I have decided to embark on a series of blogs to share these stories with a much wider audience. My aim is to give you an insight into how and why each individual has achieved success in their industry and to show you that no two success stories are the same.

To start off the series, I had the privilege of speaking to Shan Fisher, an extremely talented fine art photographer who specialises in portraits, ranging from new-born baby shoots to christenings and weddings. Shan's ability to capture the emotion and personalities of her subjects in a simple and enchanting manor has been the foundation of her success.

I have been following Shan from the very start of her career, and I am always amazed by her enthusiasm, passion and never-ending energy that she has for her job. Her love for photography shines through in her photos, and Shan is forever learning and continuing her professional development so that she ensures her clients have the best experience possible.

When I joined Shan for the interview she was in the middle of filming a video for her new project. The video aimed to show the behind-the-scenes aspect of what she offers, giving clients an insight into what they can expect to find at one of her photo-shoots.

What this video shows is that while clients not only leave Shan with a variety of stunning photographs, the whole day itself is an amazing experience packed with personal touches to make the day truly memorable. Shan's genuinely warm and friendly personality is the key ingredient that shines through in her social media, for Shan humanising her business on Facebook comes naturally.

From the very beginning of her career, Shan has used Facebook as a marketing tool for her business, as the ability to post images and shoots which can be shared by clients is a fantastic way to gain followers and customers. Shan’s fantastic photos speak for themselves, and she has now built a following of over 4000 people on Facebook. Having never advertised her business directly, Shan’s credible reputation and client base have been developed purely through social word-of-mouth, with the stories and people in her portraits inadvertently sharing the story of her talent.

Shan states that the key to a successful business run through Facebook is to not view the platform as a place to sell your services, but rather to share your love of what you do- ‘To me, it really does not matter if people buy from me or not, I use my page as a chance to share the stories and memories behind my photos and to engage with my followers who I view to be my friends’. By doing this, Shan has built a loyal fan base over the course of 10 years, allowing her to be involved in the developing lives of her clients and following their journey’s from engagement photos to their wedding day to photographing their first child.

Shan believes that engagement with your audience is essential so that clients can really get to know the person behind the business. Shan follows the ‘3 E’s’- stating that all business pages on Facebook should aim to Engage, Educate and Entice their audience. Not only this, but Shan deems regular posting a necessity, and tries to post something on her page every day so that there is a continual engagement with her followers. Whilst this may seem challenging to some businesses, Shan’s advice is that photos posted do not need to be perfect, or of a finished project. In fact, Shan regularly posts behind-the-scenes photos so that clients are able to view both sides of her business, and you can often find photos of her team posted online to help keep the page stimulating.

Not only this, but Shan deems regular posting a necessity, and tries to post something on her page every day so that there is a continual engagement with her followers. Whilst this may seem challenging to some businesses, Shan’s advice is that photos posted do not need to be perfect, or of a finished project. In fact, Shan regularly posts behind-the-scenes photos so that clients are able to view both sides of her business, and you can often find photos of her team posted online to help keep the page stimulating.

Whilst continuing to conquered the Facebook world, Shan has recently branched out onto Instagram, and whilst she is enjoying experimenting and posting on the platform she is worried about finding the time to do so. In fact, when I asked Shan what her biggest challenge was, like so many successful entrepreneurs she admitted that finding time could sometimes be a struggle- ‘Having two young children means I have to be flexible and work around their schedule. Often by the time I have made them supper and put them to bed I have missed the opportunity to post for that day. Thankfully, I use Facebook’s scheduling tool so that my posts are always published at a sensible time and I don’t have to worry about rushing’.

Moving forward, Shan hopes to show more of her work through videos, and realises the importance a video can play in telling the story of her business and allowing clients to virtually connect with her. At the moment Shan is achieving this through short videos and slide shows allowing her clients can see just how much detail and effort goes into each shoot, but in the future, she is hoping to have grasped Facebook Live and have a better understanding of just how various social media platforms can be optimally utilised.