Flickr, Photobucket, and SmugMug are some of the most popular photo sharing sites according to global traffic rank and page rank. Photo sharing sites allow users to upload and share photos publicly or privately and allow commenting, rating, and tagging. Marketing with online photos provides benefits like showcasing products, documenting offers, and influencing buyer mood at a low cost. Companies must consider legal permissions and avoid sharing trade secrets when using photos for marketing.

1. Sharing Photos and
Images
Chapter 9

2. WHAT IS A PHOTO SHARING SITE?
•Photo sharing sites let users upload photos and
other images for public or private consumption,
allowing them to comment, rate and tag the
pictures.

3. History or Photo Sharing
Photo
Sharing Site
Alexa Global
Traffic Rank*
Google
Page Rank**
Date Started Description
Flickr 37 9 February 2004 Free upload 300MB of photos per month (Pro
account available at $24.94 per year)
Photobucket 143 7 June 2003 Free, Unlimited Photo Storage (pro account available
for $2.99/month or $24.95/year)
SmugMug 1,834 7 November 2002 Free trial, then packages from $5/month to
$150/year.
Shutterfly 1,106 6 December 1999 Picture storage is free and unlimited.
SnapFish 2,792 7 April 2000 Free photo storage is unlimited, but to maintain your
account, you must make one purchase per year.
Webshots 3,065 6 September 1995 Free (pro account available for $19.95/year)
Kodak Gallery 5,822 6 December 2001 You must spend $4.99 per year for 2GB. For
accountsover 2GB, the fee is $19.99 per year to
maintain your account.
PBase 3,889 6 August 1999 $23 yearly for 1,000MG of photo storage, $43 for
2,000MB, $60 for 3,000MB
Popular Photo Sharing sites, as of Dec 2011

4. Benefits of Marketing with Online Photos and
Other Images
1. Showcase a product
2. Document offers
3. Influence buyer mood

5. Showcasing a product is most effective when the
presentation is highly detailed.

6. Documenting Offers

7. Influence Buyer Mood

8. Additional Benefits
• Images can demonstrate a company’s values and beliefs which can persuade
potential buyers without showcasing a product.
• Drive web traffic towards a product website.
• Photo market campaigns are low cost and low effort.

9. Disadvantage(s) of Marketing with Online Photos
and Other Images?
Some companies shy away from distributing product images and
specifications, fearing that their trade secrets will be uncovered.
Example
Beauty of Nyn one of a
kind custom earrings
and accessories.

10. Marketing with Photo Sharing Sites
• Determine the target market for images; Different photo sharing sites cater to
different clientele.
Demographic examples could include:
• College-age viewers
• Women
• Professional photographers and artists
Additionally…
• Nature of images should be appropriate for the platform used.
• Use of multiple photo sharing sites is a good idea to expand reach to different audiences

11. Stock Photos
• Stock photos are professional and staged photographs produced
by picture agencies or photo libraries.
These photos are less likely to be shared on photo sharing sites than more
unplanned and spontaneous images.

12. Photos can also be used to demonstrate knowledge
about a business or industry. Direct advertising is
banned on many image sharing sites. Therefore,
indirect promotion is normally an effective way to
avoid overt “sales talk”.

13. Tags are a great tool to help distribute online
images.
Tags help to organize images and group them
by subject. They also help more people find
photos in a search. Format of tags may be
different across platforms.
Instagram Tags
Flickr Tags

14. Legal Permissions
• Not every photo must be original content. However, when sharing unoriginal
images, it’s important to keep legal issues in mind regarding permissions and
attributions.
• Permission is not just limited to commercial image sharing, but to personal image
sharing as well. Personal permission is especially needed if the picture could cause
harm, embarrassment or hurt feelings later on.
Not the
boyfriend…
Commercial Permission
Personal Permission

15. Future of Photo Sharing
• Facebook has increased
convenience of sharing
photos with friends.
• Offers free unlimited storage.
• Boosts photographic services
by letting users share larger
high-res images, tags, and
keywords.