How to Sell Photos on Stock Photo Websites

Turning your hobby into a money maker isn't always easy.

Selling stock photos online is a great way to make money from home. However, no matter how many photos you upload, it can be difficult to actually sell them. By making sure your photos will be useful to your customers, tagging them properly and promoting yourself you will increase your chances of success.

Instructions

1. Take clear photos. Make sure your photos are in focus and free of graininess. Also, make sure it is clear what your subject matter is.

2. Upload useful photos. Artistic photos are nice, but they won't likely sell. The people searching on stock photography websites are usually looking for photos to accompany a specific article and therefore they want photos that accurately illustrate their subject matter. Before uploading a photo, take a minute to think about what kind of article it might accompany.

3. Add lots of tags, but make sure they're all relevant. The more tags you add, the more likely it is that someone will find your photos. However, if you add irrelevant tags, people who find your photo won't want it and might report it.

   For example: if you had a picture of a cat, you could put "cat, kitten, pet care, cat care, domesticated cat or domestic animals," but if someone found it by searching for "lizard," they would ignore it.

4. Promote your stock portfolio. If your tags are accurate, your photos will show up in Google as well as the stock photography site's search. Sometimes good tags are all you need to sell a photo, but promoting yourself will help you sell more.

   Most stock photography sites will include links and widgets to help you promote your photos on social networks and blogs. You can also join relevant forums and put a link to your portfolio in your signature. This will also give you an opportunity to see what kinds of photos your potential customers are looking for.

Tips & Warnings

• You don't need fancy equipment to make money from stock photography. You need a digital camera with at least 4 megapixels and a well-lit area. Sometimes the best makeshift studio is a white sheet hung outside on a nice day.

• Only upload your own photos to avoid copyright infringement.

• Get all your models to fill out a model release form or your photos won't be accepted.

References

• DIY Photography: How To Make Money From Micro Stock Photography
• Ezine Articles: How to Promote Your Stock Photography Business?