Using Facebook to promote your images

[Urban Grimshaw]

I hope this is not asked too often. I'm not a regular here, and I did a search and nothing really relevant came up. So I was just wondering what peoples thoughts are on using Facebook to promote images?

There's all the obvious copyright issues, but one that struck me is that your images can be shared any number of times across the globe. That might be a good or a bad thing, depending on how you look at it. But I guess it's the complete lack of control that is worrying to me. Yet Facebook is possibly the most powerful tool out there right now..?

What's the consensus. Low resolution and watermark? Avoid? Or just stop worrying and take up smoking and drinking too?

 

[meonshore]

IMVHO

Always low resolution for Facebook (750x500 for me if you are asking). Personally I watermark anything that goes onto the internet that I care about (and I care about pretty much everything I put online), unless it is an image on my own website that I want to be completely clean for prospective clients to view. I'm also actively tracking every image I post onto the open internet, and pursue almost all infringements.

I watermark:

- because it makes it harder to use if stolen
- because I actually want people to know who to contact for the image, or similar, or to hire me should it have been pin'd, emailed, nicked or shared away from my FB page.
- because wilful removal of the copyright if/when stolen earns me more money when they are caught

The real questions you need to be asking yourself are:

- What am I trying to sell ?
- Who am I trying to sell to ?
- Where do they hang out, and where do they buy from ?
- How will people buy it if they want one / some ?

Facebook is *a* channel to some markets. It isn't the only one, and for some things it either isn't going to find your target demographic, or they might hang out there but not buy from there.... I use it, but it is one of many routes to market I have. Whacking images up there, on your own website, or Flikr, or similar won't suddenly have thousands of clients busting down your door though - plenty of marketing and awareness required still.

 

[Urban Grimshaw]

All makes sense to me. Thanks for the response.

 

[Carlh]

I'm also actively tracking every image I post onto the open internet.

Hi Mike, I'd like to be more active in looking for images being shared illegally but aside from using TinEye or Google Images, it is a slow process and with the amount of images I have, I find it almost impossible to do this. Is there an app I can use that will bulk check for infringements?

Cheers fella

 

[meonshore]

Hi Mike, I'd like to be more active in looking for images being shared illegally but aside from using TinEye or Google Images, it is a slow process and with the amount of images I have, I find it almost impossible to do this. Is there an app I can use that will bulk check for infringements?

Cheers fella

Pixsy is a company that can assist. They tend to take on new photographers / clients in batches so you'll need to register interest and await a code. Suggest if you do that then as soon as you get it sort out your login.

Very good image matching capability, and then transitioning over to cases you would like them to pick up and handle, or of course you can then do it yourself if you so desired. You will pay commission if they take on a case.

They provide a similar service to ImageRights who collect on behalf of Getty Images, and recently announced with Alamy.

 

[Carlh]

Pixsy is a company that can assist. They tend to take on new photographers / clients in batches so you'll need to register interest and await a code. Suggest if you do that then as soon as you get it sort out your login.

Very good image matching capability, and then transitioning over to cases you would like them to pick up and handle, or of course you can then do it yourself if you so desired. You will pay commission if they take on a case.

They provide a similar service to ImageRights who collect on behalf of Getty Images, and recently announced with Alamy.

fantastic. just signed up so hopefully will get an invite soon, cheers matey