Whether you are a hobbyist or a professional photographer, you can sell photos and with photography. Best of all, it doesn’t have to be a full-time job. Take beautiful photos, upload them and generate passive income.
But how to sell photos online? What are the best places to promote your photos? Stay because we will answer all questions and help you start your business.
How to sell photos online
We’ve broken down the process of selling photos online into three easy steps:
1. Choose your photographic niche
Pick a niche so people know what you specialize in. If you haven’t decided yet, experiment with different styles and pick a theme you like.
Then do one to analyze the search volume for keywords related to your niche. As a general rule of thumb, anything that exceeds 1,000 monthly searches on average has a chance of making a profit.
Here are some photo ideas to sell online:
- People. Portraits and photos of people arouse a lot of interest, and people can use them for their websites, posters, and brochures.
- Business. Office-themed images often work well, as many businesses need them.
- Food. This genre of photography is very popular for its commercial use in various disciplines, from advertising to the publishing industry.
- Architecture. Take photos of emblematic places around you. These images are often used by sites and .
- Objects. Many business owners are looking for photos of a single object, such as books, t-shirts, or other items, to feature on their product pages.
- Nature. The photos of flowers and landscapes are the favorites of the clients. Try taking close-ups to make your images stand out.
2. Choose an eCommerce platform
There are many of your images. Maybe you want to create your own website, rely on an agency or participate in a professional community.
For now, we’ll talk specifically about selling on stock and non-stock photo sites.
Selling your photos on stock photography sites is very convenient as they take care of everything from hosting and marketing to sales. Some examples are and .
However, you don’t have a lot of freedom, as you have to adhere to rules for image resolution, themes, and equipment. In addition, the income for each photo is divided between you and the platform.
Instead, non-stock sites give you the flexibility to control your brand. You can sell the photos you want, use any image format and set your own prices.
The drawback is that you are responsible for managing the sales and promotion of your images. Although it may take longer to make a sale, you may receive more profit in the future.
As for payments, most stock photography sites will pay you monthly once you have accumulated a certain amount. For their part, non-stock sites pay as long as you manage to sell photos.
If you choose to sell on stock photography sites, there are two ways to license your photos: exclusive or non-exclusive.
Having an exclusive image means that you only sell it on a specific site, and stock sites often pay more for those photos. On the other hand, non-exclusive images are paid less, but you can sell them anywhere.
3. Build an audience
Everyone in the creative industry needs to build an audience to improve their online presence.
To get started, create a portfolio on Instagram or Tumblr. Upload your best work and then expand your reach using hashtags. Use it to get hashtag suggestions and information on trending topics.
If you have a budget, take advantage of the or to get quick results. You can set the target audience and get detailed reports of your posts.
Last but not least, link your social media accounts to post to multiple sites at the same time. On Instagram, for example, you can connect the account with Facebook Y Twitter.
Tips to increase sales and profits from selling photos online
Here are some helpful tips to grow your photography career online:
- enhance your photos. Edit the photos to improve their quality, but avoid excessive filters. Use programs like Photoshop or mobile apps like Snapseed.
- Add multiple keywords. This strategy helps your photos rank well in search results. Think of terms relevant to your image and mix them with keywords specific to your niche.
- Pay attention to the details. Avoid using photos with visible brand logos. If your photo is of a person or a building, the parties involved must sign an image rights release form.
The 12 best platforms to sell photos online
We’ve compiled a selection of the best sites to sell your photos online, so you can start selling right away.
1. Create an online store to sell your photos
Having one is the best way to sell photos on the Internet. You can design a site that fits your brand, sell the photos you want, and have full control over your work and pricing. Plus, you get to keep all the proceeds.
One of the easiest ways to create a photo selling site is to use wordpress. It is very versatile and has thousands of add extra features to your website. For example, the plugin features gallery styles with many effects and customization options.
Use the plugin to add the shopping cart feature to your store. Choose a theme, then edit the layout, font, and color. We recommend using visual editors like and to simplify the page creation process.
Mind you, using WordPress means you have to for your site to work. Prices range from €1.49 per month.
If you prefer an all-in-one solution, try the . They offer hosting, domain name and an intuitive page editor in one package.
Next, establish the credibility of your website through the . Share tutorials, tips and other content to improve the position of your website in the search engine results pages (SERPs).
two.
Shutterstock is a well-known stock photo site with millions of buyers around the world. It offers royalty-free stock images, video clips, audio tracks, and vectors.
As a Shutterstock contributor, you’ll earn a percentage of every purchase. The fee ranges from fifteen% and the 40%depending on your .
Following trends in mobile eCommerce, Shutterstock allows contributors to upload images from anywhere with their .
3.
Getty Images is known for its extensive library of stock photography, popular with publishers and brands for its high-quality content.
To sell images here, download the app, fill out the form, and submit three to six photo samples. Your submission will be reviewed and the result will be announced a few days later. Of course, remember that Getty Images requires its collaborators to be at least 18 years old before submitting the application.
Depending on the sales potential of your photos, publishers will rank you in Getty Images or its microstock branch. The first is exclusive with a fee of twenty%while the second offers a non-exclusive contract with a rate of fifteen%.
Four.
Formerly Fotolia, Adobe Stock is one of the most reputable sites for selling stock photos.
Adobe Stock offers a 33% of commission, which is deposited in your account once you reach the 25 dollars. The percentage is not that high, but the conditions are not exclusive, so you can earn money selling on other platforms.
Submitting images is seamless as you can upload them directly from your photo editing software or website. Not forgetting the automatic tagging system, which will save you time by not having to insert all the keywords yourself.
All the photos of the market will be available in the adobe appswhich will give you the opportunity to increase your visibility in one of the largest creative communities.
Since the website offers so many possibilities, Adobe Stock has strict quality control. Make sure you submit your best work.
5.
Alamy is a UK-based website that allows you to sell stock photos and other assets such as vectors, videos, and 360-degree panoramic images.
This stock photography site offers generous commissions from 40% to the fifty%, depending on whether the image is exclusive or not. The company will pay the commission for rights once your total balance is greater than 50 dollars.
The good news is that you can upload photos taken with your phone through the app. However, it is recommended that you use a DSLR camera or equivalent to pass the .
Since it’s not as big as Shutterstock or Getty Images, you may have to work harder to increase your exposure. However, their commissions are higher than the industry average, so you can earn more over time.
6.
500px is a stock photography site with a community of 14.8 million members. You can connect with other photographers, organize workshops and build your profile with the likes and views system.
Anyone can sell photos online, whether you use a DSLR camera or a phone. Your photos may also appear in the editor’s gallery, so be selective when submitting them.
The payment is from 30% for non-exclusive users and 60% for exclusives. As an alternative, you can also earn extra income by participating in their .
There are a couple of . If you choose the plan gratuitous, you can upload seven photos a week. For the most demanding users, we recommend the plan Pro ($5.99 per month), which includes large advertising campaigns and .
The drawback is that you will have to pay to access the best features of the site, which can take a small part of your income. Even so, you can earn more if you sign an exclusive contract.
7.
Known for being a marketplace for handmade items, Etsy is also a viable option for selling your photos to its 30 million active buyers.
Publishing costs are minimal: $0.20. In addition, there is a transaction fee of 5% and a payment processing fee equal to 4.5% of the most value $0.40. In total, you can take around the 90% of the sale of photos on this platform.
Keep in mind that not everyone on Etsy is going to search for photos. Therefore, you will have to promote them well. Be sure to customize your image titles, descriptions, and tags. Use Etsy statistics to see total shop visits, revenue, and traffic sources.
It can be challenging to sell on an e-commerce platform as big as Etsy, but you can always check out their for tips on branding, marketing, and pricing.
8.
Snapped4U is a stock photo site for portrait and event photographers. After registering, you will get a page…
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