Etsy? Website? Photo Sharing Sites? Do You Have the Time?

Painted Bunting by Sheen's Nature Photography

With all of the options to share and display your work, it can become a huge time commitment just to keep up with your accounts.  We're artists and we'd much rather be behind our cameras, photo processing software, paint brushes and other creative mediums of choice.

In today's environment, it is almost a must to have web visibility.  And yes, that also means with visibility comes risk.

Risk that you won't get traction.  Risk that you won't get "likes".  Risk that you won't get a return on your time investment.  Risk that you won't make the needed income to support your full time, part time or 'just in it to cover my costs'.

Risk is mitigated by reach and by maximizing your visibility.  Here's a few tips to consider as it is continues a journey.

Schedule - If you maintain multiple social media sites, have a schedule of when you are going to post.  For example - Facebook:  Mondays, Wednesday and Saturdays; Instagram: Tuesdays and Thursdays on occasions. Consider posting different images in a given week as many followers may be following you on both sites.  If they see the same thing multiple times a week, the impact is lost and potentially their interest.  My schedule on my facebook page is fairly consistent.  My Instagram is a work in progress.

Consistency - For those with multiple selling sites with the same offering such as a "nature" web page and a "nature" Etsy Studio, upload your images to each site at the same time.  This makes it easier to keep track of your additions and by doing it at one time, also minimizes rework.  If you're just getting started with Etsy and you already have a website that's loaded, don't worry.  Just start uploading the new mages at the same time. Over the course of time, add your other work you'd like to sell.

Reach - Tag, tag and tag your artwork.  With all of the SEO capabilities embedded into websites, this makes it faster for your work to be identified in a search from a customer looking for something specific.

For illustration I typed in the phrase: Snowy Owl Sheen Watkins.  Click on this link and you'll find pages of listings (some not all good by the way).  This search identified my tagged owl photos, links to websites, my articles for Light Stalking and Loaded Landscapes, my Sheen Watkins website, my older website on Fine Art America that's still open and my new Etsy Studio:  SheenWatkinsStudio.   Tagging definitely works.

Snowy Owl on Etsy by Sheen Watkins Studio

Recently, a fun website dedicated to owls, Owl Stuff posted my snowy owls from Etsy and the overnight traction was significant.  Had my images not been tagged, they would not have been as readily located.

Blog - Blogs do not need to be long to be effective.  Blogs DO need to effectively connect you with your audience.  It may be educational, philosophical, a funny story of how you captured a photo.

Look for an upcoming blog on how I made this photo:

Iced Teeth by Sheen Watkins/Sheen Watkins Studio

Your blog offers insight into the artist behind the work.  Initially I blogged weekly and over time shifted  to random blogging as I started writing for other sites.

Final tip:  Producing and publishing quality work is a must.  Sure, that photo of your dog that's really adorable and funny (and blurred) should be shared.  Fido's perfect place (unless you are a pet photographer) is on your personal Facebook page for your dog lover friends to enjoy.  Keeping your professional photography site stocked with your professional work will never confuse your customer or send the wrong message.

Do you have a tip to share?  Add a comment or two or email me directly at sheensnaturephotography@gmail.com.

Thanks for following and happy shooting!