Tag Archives: selling your photos online

Why You Should Sell Your Photos on Etsy

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Many photographers dream about making money selling photos online. Thanks to the Internet, photographers now have many photo marketing options available to them. Ranging from microstock sites like Dreamstime and iStockphoto to eBay, the biggest hurdle is selecting the best site for your work. Another growing marketplace that many photographers are finding great success with is Etsy.

how to sell on etsy 257x300 Why You Should Sell Your Photos on Etsy picturesFounded in June 2005, Etsy is fast becoming the best place for creators of art to sell their handcrafted wares. Their motto is to “enable people to make a living making things, and to reconnect makers with buyers. Our vision is to build a new economy and present a better choice:Buy, Sell, and Live Handmade.“

Why you should sell your photos on Etsy. Microstock photography sites offer photographers an excellent opportunity to market their portfolios. While many photographers “do well”, stock photography is all about numbers. Since your work will be showcased along with millions of other excellent photos, you need to be a constant contributor to build a library large enough to receive a significant revenue stream. In addition, the payout structure for microstock sites is biased towards high volume sellers since the money received per image download is typically very low compared to selling prints. The positive news about microstock sites you do not have to have prints made or deal with collecting money or shipping the final product.

I have had very good results selling prints on eBay. Since they are the one of the largest marketplaces on the Web today, traffic is not an issue. In addition, you set your own prices and deliver the finished products. I prefer this style of marketplace since it allows you to add a personal touch to selling, which can add value to the customer experience and your bottom line. The main downfall with eBay is that it is a crowded marketplace full of bargain hunting shoppers.

Etsy, on the other hand, is a niche marketplace for handcrafted artwork. Visitors coming to Etsy are people interested in artwork period. They are looking for unique works of art from a wide variety of artisans. While Etsy will never match eBay in terms of sheer traffic volume,  Etsy’s overall ranking in terms of relevance is growing quickly. From a marketing perspective, I prefer to advertise my work within venues specifically focused on art. Think in terms of selling high end art in Walmart versus a boutique environment.

Patrick Andrew Adams on Etsy.>

In the end, the marketplace you should select is one that offers the best financial return for your work. If you haven’t heard of Etsy and are thinking about selling your photos online, I would suggest you check them out.

Keys to Successfully Exposing Yourself

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In this post we will look at key ways to getting more exposure for your photography. Many of the topics we’ll discuss also spill over to any business related venture you’re involved with. At the end of this post, I would encourage you to share any tips proven to be successful for you as well.

What are you or your business all about?

Before developing any type of business plan, you must first understand what type of service you can provide and what value it will be for potential clients. At JustCreateDesign, he recently discussed the importance of developing your elevator speech. In a nutshell, an elevator speech is a short overview of your business or product, which is to the point, clearly articulated, and leaves no questions as to who you are and what you or your product does.

As I review hundreds of photo blogs daily, one common theme that quickly appears. Professional photographers display a narrow focus of work, while amateurs display every pretty picture they’ve ever taken. Professional photographers leave little doubt as to what they specialize in. Including too much in your photo portfolio is an easy mistake to make, but can be quick to remedy. Review and edit your portfolio on a regular basis, just like any job seeking candidate should do with thier resume. Focus your photography portfolio on the type of work you’d like to get hired for. If you have to tell a client what type of work you specialize in, you may want to look at that portfolio one more time.

How do I get people to pay attention?

Getting exposure for your photography is not as hard as you would think. Sure there are millions, if not billions, of photos online, but there are billions of people on our planet and some get a lot more attention than others…it’s called marketing. Marketing can come in all shapes and sizes. In photography, you are many times more likely to get your first paying job in your hometown than online. It’s just that simple. So stop spending all your time, holed away in the bedroom/office, posting image after image to your latest blog.

If you are interested in becoming a professional photographer, go after the low hanging fruit first. Here are some tips for getting your photography business off the ground:

  • Let people know you are a professional photographer and would like their business. Sounds simple, but millions of photographers spend billions of dollars each year, hoping to be discovered and never will. If you want the business, you have to ask for it.
  • Promote, promote, promote. Think of your favorite products, and now think about how many times you see advertisements related to these products. Advertising/promotion is effective stuff. That’s why companies spend $3 million for a 30 second ad spot during the Super Bowl. But don’t be confused and think you need a big budget to start promoting your business. Advertising does not have to be expensive, and you can sometimes find great deals on free promotional material (shameless plug for our current contest). But in all seriousness, paper products are a great promotional tool. When do correctly, they have a “sticky” quality that online sites lack. Paper promotional products come in many forms, however, my most success promotions have been free calendars (ultimate in “stickiness) and quirky postcards advertising a promotion.
  • Have a show at your local library or community building. Local community centers and libraries are usually very open to these type of events. It costs them nothing, may attract more people to their establishment, and it’s typically no cost to you as well. This is a great vehicle to let people in your community know about your special skill sets and talents. You can also sell the prints and pass out your promotion material. A sure win-win proposition.
  • Leave your business cards wherever you’re allowed to. Again, spreading the word is your first obstacle. Regardless of the type of photography you wish to pursue, potential clients frequent all types of businesses, so make it easy for them to find you. When I was starting out, I was looking for any type of paying photography jobs available, and would drop off business cards anywhere, bridal shops, dry cleaners, sporting goods center, fishing and tackle shops, restaurants, hair dressers, …you get the idea. Wherever there are people, I wanted them to know if they needed a photographer…I was available.

Getting your first paid job in photography

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photography business Getting your first paid job in photography picturesGetting your first paid job in photography is not as hard as you think. The secrets to cracking open the door to professional photography require attention to the following rules:

  • Develop consistency. Being a professional photographer requires the ability to deliver quality results on a consistent basis. Learn your equipment, inside and out. Live with your camera, take it everywhere you go. Photograph a variety of subject matter under a wide range of conditions. The technical aspects of using your photography should come second nature, with your main focus on composition and creativity.
  • Network, network, network. Always keep your eyes and ears open for potential opportunities. Talk openly about your desire to work as a professional photographer. Show your photographs to as many people as you possibly can. Ask for work. When first starting out, no job is too small. All jobs have the potential to land you the next job. No opportunity? Make your own. Produce your own show or exhibit. Volunteer to be an event photographer. Create a website. Communicate with other professional photographers in your area. Professional photographers can be a great source for referrals, in the event they are over booked or have a job they are not interested in taking.
  • Being lucky. Make no mistake, luck plays a large part in how quickly your photography business takes hold. However, you must be visible and ready for people to notice your work. To quote Seneca, (Roman philosopher) …”Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”
  • Be professional. To be a professional photographer you have to act professional in all your business details. Return calls promptly, invoice accurately, and deliver final product within the specified time period. Sound simple, but this is the primary reason for photography business failures. Word of mouth is the greatest marketing tool you can have.

The world of professional photography can be a rewarding and prosperous career path. The biggest hurdle to overcome is self-doubt. Talk with professional photographers and learn from their mistakes. Going it alone can be a tough road to travel. Every job has a learning curve and photography is no different. Having a circle of peers in the business can be a tremendous resource for knowledge, encouragement and assistance.

Listed below are a few links to additional articles related to landing your first paid photography job: