Social Media, it would seem, is here to stay, but like other aspects of like, it is constantly changing and just when you think you have it worked out, another one comes along. If we were to create a list of what is available, I suspect we would never get to the bottom of it.
Take a look at the following list and see how many of them you use, or even know about:
- YouTube
- Google+
- Tumblr
- Snapchat
The list goes on.
Today we are going to take a look at some of these, perhaps the ones that could be more important to you as a photographer. Though, I am sure many of you are using them already. This is just an overview, and, as time goes on, in future posts we will look into them more.
It has to be said it is the number one social media site in the world. I recently heard someone saying that it is the site we all hate, but feel we have to be on it. It is so true. When you think about it, all your customers are probably on it as well.
It seems like a good place to showcase your work and share what you are doing and what your business it about. Unfortunately, Facebook has algorithms, which basically means that only a small percentage of those that follow or like your page will actually see what you post. It is the downside to the site and if you want to change that you have to pay for it.
While huge in places like the US, it seems Twitter doesn’t quite have the impact here in Australia. You will often hear from people that they don’t get it, or even understand how it works. Many people feel it is for celebrities, which of course it isn’t, but that is the impression. There are successful stories of people using it, and it rates as number 2 on many lists, but I’m not sure it would be the case here.
This site requires you to think differently. While it is a social media site, it isn’t really for socialising. It is more for people who want to connect on a professional level. Very good for business. You won’t find your customers there and as a photographer it can be hard to work out how you can get any benefit from it. You need to be careful with who you connect with.
YouTube
This site is said to be the second biggest search engine after Google. Everyone is looking for videos to watch. If you don’t have a YouTube account, then you could be missing out. Photographers can do many things to create videos and get their work up there. Putting up short videos of works in progress, or events that you are photographing could potentially lead to new clients.
Google+
Many people don’t seem to think that Google+ has any real value, but remember that the people who are running G+ are also running the largest search engines in the world. So, while on the page itself, it may seem that nothing is happening, but it is in the code of the site where all the action takes place. Using this means that you are more likely to be seen when people go searching. Your photos will be seen when people do image searches.
It is also very inspiring site and searching through photos is a real treat. There are many incredible photographers using it.
This one certainly started out with a bang and then petered out for a while, especially after it was purchased by Facebook. Rumours were rife that they would own any image that you put up on the site, but it isn’t true. People have come round now and you can see many people using it. There are photos all over it and that is primarily what it is for, showing your images. It can be a great place to showcase your work to help build your clientele.
It started as a place to put photos up taken with your phone, but has grown since then and people are now putting photos up from their cameras as well.
Tumblr
Seems to be something that far younger people use. It is like a blogging platform and you can post photos, reblog other people’s posts, but not many use it for original work. It is not something I use, or one that I hear many photographers using.
This is an interesting one. It is very popular and people use it like story boards. They put themes up and post photos according to the theme. There are photographers that would find it very useful, but the thing you need to be careful about is that images can get lost there. People will pin your images, and if you don’t have copyright information or a watermark and another person pins it, and so on, eventually it can get to a stage where no one knows who the image originally belonged to.
Snapchat
Started as a great way to send a photo to a few people and once they view it for a few seconds the image is gone, apparently forever. People can do screenshots of those images, so not always gone forever.
You can create stories, so a series of images of short videos that people can follow along. Can be a great way for people to stay connected to you. It is still fairly new, though growing in popularity.
Many more
There are many more social media sites, but these are the main ones at this point in time. More are coming and I keep hearing about Blab and Vine, though I am not sure exactly what they are, I know I will have to do more research and investigate them.
How this affects you
As was stated in the last article on social media, you don’t have to be involved in them all. It would be too time consuming to be on all of them, but you do need to choose which ones you think will benefit you the most. Learning how to use all of these platforms well is much better than using them all poorly.
I use Facebook, Instagram, Google+ and Flickr. I have a Twitter account, but I don’t really use it properly. I have set everything up, so many things will add tweet, but that’s it really.
Next month we will start taking a look at them more closely and see how you can use them effectively for your business.
