Promote Your Photography Site - Part 2

©Kol Tregaskes. All Rights Reserved

As discussed earlier in part 1 of promoting your photography site - photography directories are certainly the best way to start promoting your images and business. The second and another great way to get visitors to your site is by using photography forums.

Photography forums are an online chat centre where you can discuss all types of photography, get tips from other photographers and create good quality links to your site.

Photography forums are pretty simple to use - first you must register, then you are free to ask and give advice, discuss all the latest camera equipment and much more - the choice of topic is yours - all while promoting your own website. Some forums will allow you to show your images to promote your site even further.

For anyone interested in using forums as a promotional means, and to make sure you get the very most out of them, sign every comment you make with a link to your site. It is truly that simple. You get inbound links to your site while discussing your hobby or giving advice about your work.

©Eoin O'Riordan. All Rights Reserved

When creating a comment do not write rubbish or give bad advice, people will be reading your comment and may take it serious. The goal behind using photography forums is that you get visitors while creating links to your site.

Forums and directories are not the only means of promoting your images online. Photography competitions are also a great means to earn some extra cash and receive award-winning status. It is also a great source of free advertisement if you win or come in the top five.

It would be nice to be able to write in bold after your name on the top of your Website: AWARD WINNING PHOTOGRAPHER.

There are thousands of competitions held online every year. Some are just for amateur photographers while most are open to all. Most competitions will have certain guidelines, and you would be well advised to read them very carefully.

Some firms hold competitions to gain access to free images - so read the guidelines before enter. It may be great to win a competition, but you do not want a company using your images for free without receiving any payment.

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Most photography related sites that hold competitions will not be looking for free images - they hold competitions as a promotional means for photographers.

If you are looking to find a list of local competitions in your area you should contact someone in your local photography club. Photography clubs are usually notified of all competitions that are held within their area. Some of the main photography directories should have a list of the online competitions.

Prizes do vary from cash to camera gear and equipment; some online companies offer free advertisement on their site, which may result in your business making thousands through sales. Regardless of the prizes you should add your image and Website to as many competitions as possible especially when most of them are free to enter.

TJ Tierney is an award winning photographer and a freelance writer. To find out more information visit his free photography and digital photography site. His site also contains a free photography competition.