How to sell photos online, make money and become a champion

In this guide you will find tips, tricks, strategies and learn how to become a heavyweight champion in photo selling online and money making. And yes, we’ll also be talking about Rocky.

"I see therefore I shoot". Nice motto, right? Seeing reality and locking it in an image has an irresistible charm.This is one of the main reasons why photography is your passion and why you dedicate your time and energy into it. Now, it’s time to take a step forward: learn how to make money from your photos.

You feel a bit like Rocky before fighting with Apollo Creed: you’re not sure you’ll be able do it, but the title is there, and you want it. Do you want to sell your own photos online and see them displayed all around the world?

Online photo selling is a bit like this: it fuels the spread of your images like never before with a relatively modest investment. You don’t even need a physical store: just open an e-commerce site, learn the techniques, and... train with patience.

Follow the steps in our guide and you will have all the information you need to climb into the ring, avoiding mistakes and defeats.
We will answer these questions:

Positioning
How to sell your photos online with microstock portals
Earn money by selling photos online from your site
Promotion: build your community
How to sell your photos to magazines and newspapers
Positioning

The boxing ring is just there and you can’t wait to climb into it... but, like every champion worthy of respect, you need train and workout carefully. The first move, not to be neglected, is to: define your positioning within that vast world wide web.

Who are you, what do you do, what identifies you? Why should a person buy from you and not from someone else? Who are your competitors? Who are your customers? Know yourself and know your opponents: these are the basic rules in any fight, and they also apply if you are going to start selling photos online.

Branding

Branding strategy is the first step in selling online photos
You are your brand, and "branding" is about what you do to help define your identity as a trademark (or brand).

Do this exercise: you need it to get to know yourself and to start thinking about the most suitable ways of making money from your photos.

Identify several milestones that brought you closer to photography: desires, classes, what you purchased... This is your story plot.

Describe your photos: are there any subjects you prefer? What is the technique you use? What equipment do you use?

Think about time, style and quality. Which photos you can shoot easily and quickly? What kind of photos do you love shooting? Finally, what photos are you good at?

For example, trend visual 2017 photos relate to

minimalist landscapes;

still life photos with bright colours;

stories and people;

astrophotographs;

"cinemagraphs", special gifs that have only one animated element.

"Spying" on others helps you find new collaborations: think about all the makers and artisans who have decided to sell on Etsy and other marketplaces for example. They definitely need appealing photographs: why not suggest yours?

Cinemagraphs, the visual trends of 2017
How to sell your photos and make money on microstock sites

The best way to learn how to be on the market is have your shots on sites that publish photos, especially on microstock sites. Draw your attention towards these because they will become your next online showcase.

What are microstock sites and which are the main ones

Microstock sites are large collections – 'stocks', precisely - of photographs that sell at 'micro' prices: this is the main difference compared to macrostock sites like Getty Images and, it is the reason to start setting up your sales strategy from these channels.

The main ones are:

Can Stock Photo
Depositphotos
Dreamstime
EyeEm
Fotolia
iStockphoto
Pond5
Shutterstock
YAY Images

Download the chart and choose the most suitable microstock sites, depending on the photos you have and your earnings forecas.