Yow, there are so many places for photographers and models to share there images online these days! You’ve got the main places everyone knows about like Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc… but then there are also so many dedicated photo sharing sites such as Flickr, 500px, Pinterest and quite a few others.
As a photographer or model, one has to ask themselves a (at least) couple questions regarding this plethora of exposure resources (pun intended). They would be…
- How many photo sharing sites should I be on?
- Which ones would get my images the best exposure!?
So How Many?
This answer (like all) will vary for each person. You could search out every photo sharing site and just start posting away. That would certainly spread your work around… but would you be spreading yourself too thin?
No matter which site(s) you post to, it more likely to have a successful experience there if you maintain your presence often and genuinely; sites where you check in regularly, post and interact with those who comment on your photos, as well as you commenting on theirs. (build community – people like that)
Does that mean you shouldn’t post something to a lot of sharing sites if you’re not going to be there very much? Not necessarily, IMHO. It’s not a bad idea to have your work in many places to help it get seen, but realistically you probably shouldn’t expect the same results as you would from sites where you hang out and participate often. Just make sure that you keep your contact info up to date in ALL your profiles.
So Which Sites Are Best?
Using social platforms to spread the word of your greatness can be anything but a sure thing, and choosing the right one(s) isn’t necessarily easy.
It’s always good to keep up with what current marketers are suggesting and watching evolving trends to see how others are getting good results from their social presence. That can help, but I think it’s up to each of us to try out the networks that appeal to us, and work to figure out the best way to use the site that you really enjoy posting and interacting on. If you really enjoy being there, it’s going to be easier for you to develop an effective and positive presence.
Sorry, I don’t usually write posts this long, but if you are still reading, here are the sites where I’ve set up shop.
Social Sites
- Facebook (profile) (here quite a bit)
- Facebook (photography page) (not as often, but still keep an eye on it)
- Google+ (everyday)
- Twitter (pretty often)
- LinkedIn (use more as a resource site)
Photo Sharing
- 500px (check in every once in a while)
- Pinterest (every now and then)
- Flickr (very rarely here)
- Hotshoe.org (just joined this site today… we’ll see)
- Viewbug (very rarely here)
- Pixoto (I don’t think I’ve even uploaded anything!)
Video Sites
Feel free to connect with me on any of those sites. I think there are a few more, but obviously they must not have been used much. 🙂
What are your favorite networks, and why?
