How to use Instagram to get castings

I know, I know - we photographers go on about Instagram a lot. But the thing is, we do that for a reason. For someone working in the creative arts, Instagram is a boon. It’s a place for us to share our work, get seen and followed, and drive people back to our websites to hire us. It’s also a place to be inspired, to connect with others, and to create work opportunities.

For models, it can be all that and more. If you are desperate for castings and just don’t know how to get more, you might be missing a big trick. Take a look at the image below. It’s a post I shared on my account recently.

It’s a casting call for a make up artist. I also regularly share casting posts for models, and these could be a fantastic source of new work for you. While it’s true that you aren’t likely to land your first big brand advertising campaign through Instagram, you could land paid work.

Here are a few tips for how you can use Instagram to win castings:

- Keep your profile up to date by sharing your latest modelling pictures, and grow your following as much as possible

- Seek out and follow photographers and other creatives you would like to work with

- Check hashtags like #castingcall, #casting, and so forth. Not all posts will be in your area, but you can interact with the poster by asking them for more details. You can even comment something like “Oh no, wish I was in California as I would love to shoot with you!”. Connections are everything and it could give you a new follower or at least some interest in your work

- Use relevant hashtags on your posts so photographers know you’re available - tags like #agencymodel, #pageantgirl, #castinglondon, and so forth may help. Some have more posts, some have less. Experiment and look around for the tags that work for you

- Talk to photographers and other creatives and let them know you would love to work with them! Sometimes a comment or DM is all it takes

- Interact with brands. When they call out for influencers or ambassadors, why not take them up on the offer? Down the line, you could end up shooting their lookbook.

These are just a few tips. Using Instagram to get work requires creative thinking, desire to connect, and the ability to stay on top of a fast-paced social network. But it absolutely can be done. If you’ve got any tips of strategies that have worked for you, please do comment with your thoughts.