social media for photojournalists

Social Media for

Photographers

Mandy Jenkins @mjenkinsmjenkins@digitalfirstmedia.com

March 2012 LANG Extravaganza

What Social Media Does for Photogs

• Gets your work out to a wide audience quickly

• Post photos on the go• Increase your SEO for freelancing• Provides a portfolio space online

for free

Social Media Tools

Slide on copyright

Read the Terms of Service!

On every social network you post photos….

Watermarking

From PhotoShelter:• Regularly sharing your photos, adding captions,

and filling out photo details including the dimensions of your photo, the specific camera you used, exposure, ISO speed, and focal length, adds to your credibility as a professional photographer.

• If you are frequently posting new and interesting photos, it will be a constant reminder to your network that you are an active photographer with current work to show.

• Send your photos quickly to the newsroom

• Become a source of breaking news

• Get your photos spread fast• Instant feedback

It's All About Who You Follow

Muckrack.com

Find Who to Follow• By subject/location: Twellow.com,

Wefollow.com• Follow photo hashtags (#photo,

#dailyphoto, etc.)• Look at others’ follows/followers• Spy on Twitter lists• Listorious.com

• When tweeting a photo, say where it is and what is happening• Note the time/date if not today• Tweet followups • RT reporters who are with you to

give context• Share newsy photos with relevant

hashtags

Profiles Pages• One place to manage

everything• Control your privacy• Timeline design with

large image• Could mix

personal/professional

• Completely separate presence from profile

• Completely public• Timeline design with

large image• Detailed analytics to

see who visits• Can sell there, if you’d

want

Facebook Page Analytics

Target Your Updates

Create An Engaging Presence

• Use Facebook page or profile as a portfolio space for your favorite photos

• Use Timeline to highlight your best recent photos

• Attach older photos to dates on your Timeline with milestones

FB Tips from Photoshelter

• If you aren’t comfortable posting images to Facebook, post a link to them (make sure the thumbnail works)

• Update often and mix it up with links, photos, albums, etc.

• Use Creative Commons licensing• Many mobile options• Can prevent downloads• Lots of storage, with upgrade

option for more• Join groups to share photos

around a theme, place

• Circles: Post updates, photos and albums to certain groups (or public)

• Upload photos and albums (using Picasa)

G+ Tips From Photoshelter

• Have a good profile pic• Post regularly and mix it up with links,

photos, albums, etc.• Interact on others’ pages too, share

others’ work• Share newsy photos with relevant

hashtags• Participate in daily Digital Photography

themes using G+ hashtags (search to find them)

• Create pinboards of your photos• Grouped by subject, location• Pin others’ photos for ideas

• Make your slideshows into videos• Embed in stories, blogs

• Connect with other photographers• Help your SEO• Show your work via apps

Tumblr

Instagram/Hipstamatic

About.Me

More Advice• Photoshelter.com’s tips for

photographers on social media• “Twitter tips for journalists” & a

listing of Twitter resources on: stevebuttry.wordpress.com

• These slides (and many more) at slideshare.net

• Zombiejournalism.com (my blog)

Mandy Jenkins

mjenkins@digitalfirstmedia.com@mjenkins

Blog: Zombiejournalism.comThese slides & more at slideshare.net/

mandyjenkins

THANKS!