A life online: the pros and cons of using social media to promote your content

It's often assumed that photographers need to use social media to reach an audience and be successful. Using social media is undoubtedly a great way to raise your profile and showcase work to potential employers. However, there are also well-known downsides. For people who frequently post on social media, it can be addictive and bad for mental health. It can expose them to undue criticism or even abuse. Also, having lots of followers doesn't necessarily lead to lots of paid work.

Even among successful photographers, there are very different attitudes towards social media and how much to engage with it. Most use it to some degree, but some prefer to use other ways to reach an audience and win commissions.

Evely Duis is a fashion photographer and whose stylish portraits radiate glamour. She creates her work from a studio in the Netherlands but, thanks to social media, she has a global presence and has worked for high-profile international brands.

However, photojournalist Jérôme Gence, who is also a, takes a different approach. His photo stories have appeared in publications such as National Geographic and Le Monde, but he avoids using social media for his own work.

Evely and Jérôme's different attitudes towards social media show there's no definitive way to approach making and sharing your images and videos. Here they discuss the pros and cons of social media for working photographers.

Jérôme says he understands creatives who use social media, but just doesn't like to use it himself. "We don't ask Content Marketing Managers to put their work on social media, so why should a photographer?" he says. "There's always marketing saying 'everything is possible as long as you have an account'. This is not true for everyone."

Evely's view couldn't be more different. Although she is very aware of the pros and cons of social media, she has used it since she was 13 and says that, for her, the benefits far outweigh the negatives. Professionally, she says, social media hasn't just connected her to other people, it's helped her build a business on her own terms. "I live in a really small village, nowhere near the fashion industry in Amsterdam," she explains. "My clients need to travel to my studio, but because of social media I can show my work everywhere."

Lars Lindemann, Director of Photography at GEO magazine, questioned whether you would want to try to succeed without social media during a talk for the Canon Student Development Programme. "I think it's still possible, but it's so much easier [with social media], especially if you're from a place where you don't necessarily have a connection with some of the most important hubs of our industries."

In contrast, Jérôme won his first major commission by booking a 15-minute portfolio review slot with a major photo editor at Visa pour l'Image in 2019, and he still prefers to maintain the personal touch when approaching publications with his stories. He also likes to surprise photo editors with work they haven't seen anywhere online.

"Photo editors receive so many photos, and most of the time it's on the same topic," he says. "I like to be able to say 'I have things that you've never seen before. I want to show you things I was amazed to photograph'."

Lars points out, though, that for him, social media is a useful tool for reaching potential photographers. "I promote the work we do in GEO, not to our readers, but to inform photographers about what we do. Social media is a way to keep track on what GEO is interested in publishing."

If Lars does see a photographer he likes on Instagram, it's only the first step in making a connection. "I will ask around, check their website and if I've never met the person, I need to have a conversation with them – and not only by email."

Jérôme admits that working without social media has caused him some difficulties, mainly in terms of getting access to the people he wants to photograph for the stories he wants to shoot. "When I ask people for access, the first thing they say is, 'what is your Instagram account?' And when I say I don't have an Instagram account, they don't believe me."

The way around this situation, he says, is by clear communication with the people he is making his stories about. "I explain to them step by step how I work. I spend time with them, trying to understand their lives, and they feel touched by that."

Jérôme, for his part, is concerned that the endless quest for Likes and Shares could have a negative impact on new photographers' morale. "Some students I've met feel like they've failed if they don't get a positive reaction, he says. "They've posted a good photo and they'll say to me, 'It only has three or four likes'. But there are so many things happening with social media – the algorithm, people scrolling so fast – it's not really about your talent."

His solution is to encourage people, particularly young photographers, to explore other ways to show their work, such as events that offer portfolio reviews. "It can really help to go to a show and find an editor," he says. "You can get really good advice. To have people who are leaders in this business look at my photos, I think that is amazing."

Promoting his work and getting commissions without social media has been tricky, but Jérôme prefers it to the alternative. "I think it's more difficult to be on social media, to be honest," he says. "You have to constantly post to stay in the race, and you have to fit with your audience and reply to the comments. I don't want that. I prefer making a modern story in an old-school way."

Evely, however, wouldn't want to work any other way. "For me, it all started with social media, so it's really natural for me to post my stuff online," she says. In her experience it's all about building bridges with other people, forging links that will benefit her in both her work life and social life.

"I look for more clients online," she adds. "For example, I might look at the work of a jewellery brand and think 'Oh, they could have better photography,' and contact them. Or I might find other photographers who are the same age as me, or in the same field. It's nice to go 'Let's hang out together, or do a shoot, or even just get a coffee'."

Lars advises photographers to concentrate on their content, rather than their profile. "It's not the design, or how you arrange the posts, or how often you post; it's the quality of the visual work itself," he says.

While it's clear that social media is here to stay, how we use it and how much we use it are a personal decision. Few photographers reject it completely, but, as Jérôme shows, that approach can work well. For the vast majority who do use social media, it's important to find that elusive sweet spot where it can be used to boost your career without having a negative effect on everyday life.