It’s 2014 and it seems as though the whole first world has taken up photography, whether it be as a hobbyist, amateur or professional. With the exponential uptake of mobile phones doubling as cameras and the rapid decline in price of DSLRs it is fast becoming the creative outlet of choice for anyone with an idea and the ability to press a button.

What makes one photographer different from another though, is what they do with those photos. For some it is enough just to open up the shutter and capture a moment in time, some will be shooting on assignment looking to obtain a certain portfolio, whilst others find their gratification in sharing their creations with the world. For the click and run photographers life is simple, in one swift action they are done, content and ready to move on. The assignment photographers have a goal to achieve and then they are done. For the sharing photographer though, some questions need to be asked.

Who are you hoping to reach?

Friends? Family? Followers? A snapshot of your child taking their first steps will get a different response from your loved ones than people that do not have a personal connection to you. Think about who your target audience is.

Why are you sharing this photo?

Are you wanting more people to discover your art? Do you want to receive critique on your photo? Is it relevant to a story you are trying to portray? Do you want to sell prints? Have a clear goal in mind with what you are wanting to get out of each photo so that you can form a strategy of how to best go about it.

What can you do to be noticed?

Simply dumping your photos online is a sure-fire way to disappear amongst the crowd. Try telling a story relevant to the shot, relate it to an experience, give it meaning. Interact with what followers you have, give them a reason to look for you in the future. Be consistent with your uploads, be reliable. Use any network specific options to your advantage (hashtags, post formatting, categorisation).

Where should I post?

Where to post is very dependent on the who and why, but online there is a myriad of social media/photography networks where you can share your photos. Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Flickr, 500px, Instagram, Tumblr, Your blog just to name a few. Some people are against cross-posting but at the end of the day, the more places you post, the larger your potential audience is, so if that aligns with your goal expand your online presence.

When should I post?

The answer to this question is simple, yet narrowing that time down is far more difficult. The best time to post is always when your audience is the most active. This can differ between networks, age groups and of course, timezone. There are plenty of guides around to get you started on the best times, but just think about when you tend to see people mostly use their phones, this generally means in the morning before work/school and when either is finished. Weekends are known to be LESS active when it comes to online activity.

How should I manage my posts?

If you are only posting here and there, managing your online presence is not much of a big deal, just a casual affair that you take care of when you get the chance. However if you are serious about establishing yourself online it could be beneficial to utilise a service to help make things easier.

Fotostat provides an easy way to schedule the publishing of your photos across multiple social media accounts and photography networks. We also provide all available statistics against your photos so you can see how well received they are. Save time and interact with the followers that have taken the time to comment across your networks, all in one location.

One shouldn’t be so discouraged looking at the prominence of fellow photographers online, remember that they all had to start somewhere. They all had 0 followers at one point and took the steps to get where they are. Do not get caught up in chasing what someone else has achieved. Instead focus on your own photography, focus on building your own audience and cultivating it. You may be surprised where you end up.