Social engagement The social media landscape
Social media, particularly Instagram, can really help build an audience for your images. Jon Devo shares his social secrets
Love it or hate it, social media is one of the most powerful tools for getting your work seen, building a community and gaining new customers. But with competition for attention nearing saturation point and so many different platforms, it is easy to waste your time online. For a number of years, Flickr was the go-to online platform for photographers and visual creatives; it was a fantastic source of community and inspiration. Aside from its 1TB of free storage, one of the major strengths of Flickr was that it took the support-group feel of photography forums and provided a gallery-style layout that let the images take centre stage. The ability to upload full and hi-resolution samples made Flickr an ideal platform to pixel peep and compare camera and lens performance. In addition, it allowed us to curate online portfolios of our most popular images to share with potential clients, as well as friends and family. Deviant Art was another similar platform, although it tended to lean more towards those interested in graphic design, illustration and retouching.
Photography as a craft and a passion lends itself to club-like communities. One of the major differences with today’s most popular social media platforms is that while it’s much easier to find specific interest groups – thanks to hashtags and Facebook – the communities we find are often too big for us to develop meaningful connections. For many
photographers who have been developing their craft for a number of years, social media in its current form can be a frustrating, fruitless and occasionally disheartening affair. Where you could once share an image on a forum or Flickr group and get constructive feedback from a group of peers whose work you knew and opinions you valued, today, uploading your images to platforms like Twitter and Instagram can feel like throwing pennies in an oceansized well. It’s much more difficult to get constructive feedback for your work and for it to be seen by people whose opinions you respect. For many photographers, the whole experience is a huge turn-off.
Other social media platforms that have grown in popularity in the wake of Flickr’s stuttering, such as 500px, have made a lot of photographers wary due to questionable terms of service that threaten their image rights. For these and many other reasons, utilising social media as a photographer can be a minefield.
Considering the current social media landscape, retreating to closed Facebook groups and clinging on to Flickr is a fair response. However, it’s worth exploring the world of opportunity beyond certain familiar digital stomping grounds – a world where many people who never even thought about taking pictures before they got a smartphone have now discovered a passion for photography. It also offers enthusiasts and professional photographers the opportunity to build an engaged fan base that can be converted into customers and clients.