Are you ready to get your business off to a strong start? After you have built a starting catalog, explored your eCommerce options and finished your website, it's time to launch. You've already learned the basics of managing an independent web store, but how do you drive traffic to your site? Marketing is vital, but there's more to expanding your reach than connecting with affiliates and asking, “Can you sell my photos?” You'll need to make sure you're actively engaging potential customers while doing the work of increasing traffic to your site.
Can a Blog Sell My Photos?
As an independent merchant, you want to make sure as many people as possible see your work. While there are a number of ways to pay for traffic, from affiliate networks to sponsored social media posts, you'll also want to explore options which don't necessarily cost money. Starting a blog and regularly updating it helps you build a following online, especially if you take time to learn best practices for search-engine optimization. Provide interesting content with the right keywords, and common searches will lead your customers to your virtual door.
Dedicating some time and effort to curating a strong social media presence can also be valuable, especially on networks dedicated to photo-sharing. Post some of your shots to a social media profile with a watermark to deter unpaid use, and watch your sales numbers climb alongside your follower count.
Should I Sell My Photos to a Niche Audience?
Very narrow areas of specialization can limit your audience substantially, which may be ideal for niche artists. If you're interested in working with stock images and more widely-used content, however, it's wise to make sure your catalog is reasonably diverse. Successful online merchants whose businesses are built around digital photography often have areas of specialization, but they're more akin to broad genres than very narrow areas of expertise. For instance, a photographer whose work focuses primarily on natural photography will have a broader appeal than one who exclusively shoots and sells pictures of European birds.
If you are interested in building a niche following of customers, you may be able to sell your work at a slightly higher price than non-specializing photographers, especially if you're targeting a typically under-served market. With less competition, you can charge more, but you'll make fewer total sales than some of your peers.
Assignment:
Would you rather sell a popular photograph many times at a lower price, or sell it less frequently for a greater profit at each sale? Deciding whether you want to brand yourself as a niche merchant or one with more universal appeal is a choice only you can make. Start thinking about how you want to position yourself and your brand in the online market.