Start Selling Stock Photography TODAY
Where do you even start when it comes to stock photography? You’ve heard success stories from other photographers making five figures of passive income selling stock photography, and you’d be lying if you said you hadn’t wondered if you could do it too. Then, as quickly as those thoughts entered your mind, you forced them out again because teaching yourself how to do something new on top of the zillion other things you do is just too daunting to consider.
So, you put it on your mile-long “to-do” list, and it perpetually falls to the bottom. One day you’ll look into it. One day, you’ll find the time to learn everything about stock photography.
Well, I’m here to tell you that after you read my actionable steps, stock photography will feel less like a mystery, and you will feel confident jumping into stock photography today without feeling overwhelmed.
Know Your Agency Options
Don’t worry. You don’t need to spend hours upon hours with your face buried in your computer, but you need to know the best stock photo agency for you. Cavan, Stocksy, and Adobe Stock are just a few of the agencies out there. Each one will be a dramatically different experience and supports distinct goals. For example, Cavan is a great one-stop-shop. If you work with Cavan, they will send your photos to multiple agencies. It’s a great place to start if you want to be hands-off and have the agency do a lot of the work for you.
With Adobe Stock, you’ll have a little more control. Most likely, you will have a non-exclusive contract which means you can submit your photos elsewhere and not only on their site. Stocksy is very stylized and niched. This agency might be an excellent fit for you if you’re already a professional photographer with a specific style or modern aesthetic. So, in short, take a look at the photos on various agency websites and see what images you resonate with and which agency will support your goals.
P.S. Don’t spend hours researching all these options. I’ve compiled everything you need to know iside my free guide, The Little Back Book of Stock Photo Agencies.
Add Keywords and Descriptions to Your Photos
It’s vital to write strategic keywords for your photos, so your content has a better chance of getting discovered by potential consumers. If you have no clue where to start with keywording your photos, take a look at similar photos on stock photo sites and see what other people are using. Don’t forget to take advantage of free keywording tools like mykeyworder.com. I know it sounds like a lot, but you’ll want to write somewhere between 30-50 keywords for each photo. I promise it’s not as intense as it seems.
Do Market Research
This is where a little more strategy comes into play. Take a look at what’s out there and identify what content is underrepresented. For example, if you’re a food photographer, see what types of dishes rarely pop up in your searches. Maybe it’s Southern cuisine, or perhaps it’s a really specific diet. Knowing what’s lacking in the stock photography world will give you a stellar strategy when planning your shoots so you can be sure to create content consumers are desperate for.
So, there you go. Three actionable steps to get you started selling stock photography today! You can ditch the overwhelm and start earning passive income ASAP by researching stock photo agencies, keywording your photos, and developing a killer strategy for your content. Let’s get started!
Wanting more tangible advice and guidance for selling stock photography? Sign up for my signature course, Stock Photography Academy or download PHOTO TO PROFIT, The Ultimate Stock Photo Starter guide!