The other day, I wrote the general outline of everything I do online. The list of actual sites is longer then that an I went about checking out where I left off with things. With the health problems I've had the last few years, I just shut down my computer. I needed a break from it because I would go to work, then come home an work. An the kiddo's had a bone to pick with me about it. Frankly, I just needed a vacation an deal with the root of the medical problems I was having.

This is not the first time I've dealt with a cancer scare. Right after I found out I was pregnant with my youngest, the doctor told my my pap came back abnormal. I would have to wait until after I had her to know, but the pregnancy would slow it down. So after her birth, they did the tests. On a scale of 1-10 I was a nine. My cervix was on the verge of cancer. I had it removed. I call my youngest, my guardian angel because of it. If I had not gotten preggers, I would have never known.

I considered myself extremely lucky.

Even though I had gallstone attacks for over a decade. Lucked out an a doctor finally figured it out an I had the surgery to remove them. The thing is, I just worked myself into a teesy. An this last scare, I was just exhausted. Mentally, emotionally an physical just done. I worked my regular photography job until I just couldn't go no more.

I quit “the internet” an digital artwork.

I was frankly just too damn tired to mess with it. So, I've let it just float the last two or so years. Because of that, and is it even worth the time an effort I'm putting into it. I didn't expect to see a massive return on my time an effort anytime soon. I defiantly have a long term game plan an approach to the whole thing. Internet entrepreneur ships, successful ones just don't make money over nite. But the other reason I quit, is I needed to step back an really take a look at what's really going on. I meet with my former boss of Picture Me! And basically said to her:

“I'm just trying to understand why “the real world” an the internet are not working together”

Why people aren't making they money they should be in these industries, on or off the net. An what needs to be done to correct it. In my mind, by now brick & morters, real world businesses should have a real grasp of what is needed to survive in techno culture. Why are so many long standing studios, companies going belly up? Why art artist making less.

I mean this was really effecting me because I work online and off.

I've watched, 5 majors in the photography business fold up, sell the company or file bankruptcy. Two of them had very strong internet strategies. All they are seeing is trickles in profits compared to what they should be seeing. An I've watched artist jump on this site or that, upload their work just like I have an putting a lot of effort in, to see little return. While those companies they have uploaded to make 5 million a year.

It's flustering.

It's a lot of work, so why do it is where I was getting to. Like I told her, something is not working between the two: internet & real world. I was tired. I just had invested the last ten years of my life in both. An frankly, I get annoyed on a lot of these art sites as well because I have a programming background an go, why the hell doesn't it have this, why don't it have that? An I get equally annoyed with the “real world” businesses because they aren't using it to it's full capacities. Almost to the point, I want to go just create one myself. Then I think about it an go: NOPE. I'm tired. I know how much work goes into running one already an say forget it. An that's pretty much what I have done the last two years because the two sides of the industry are not playing well together.

Yes, there is an niche in there.
Yes, I know there is an opportunity in there.

No I do not think we need another one. There are to many art sites out there now in my opinion. So unless someones going to do it RIGHT. I don't think another one should be built. An I never will unless I'm positive it can be done right. Trust me, I could pick apart each artistic site there is. What's not working, what is working. What they need to add, what they need to stop fricking doing. But I'm just now getting to where I feel better or good enough to even sit at my computer.

The problem “real world” businesses have on the internet is they don't respond to their customers. I created just a little Facebook page for my store. I responded every night to my customers. I watched in horror as the main corporate site ignored customers. They didn't respond to them on social media. An watched as complaints piled up on their internet accounts. The internet is no different then a customer walking into your studio or store: You have to give them the same level of service you would face to face.

An yes, I get it. I've been in retail over 32 years: Some people are just assholes.

Yet, in the real world you have to respond to them. You have to listen to them. You have to correct the problem. Even if they are totally wrong half the time. It's rare to ban a customer, asshole or not. CPI failed at customer service on the internet. An Lifetouch, wasn't much better. That's why they have been swallowed up by Shutterfly. I use to get customers, that where so grateful to have me just because Lifetouch was so bad at dealing with customers. Hopefully, with Shutterfly they handle themselves better. My guess is yes but then I see the Shutterfly site doesn't handle professional photographers very well on the internet themselves. It's just about selling prints.

An that's what a lot of these artistic sites are only interested in.

Few of them really promote promote the artist as much as they should. Some of them aren't even search-able by internet engines. The slap a few things up related to artist, like giving them a support network of other artist: Which we need but they all are about promoting their own companies. Nothing wrong with that but artist still are not getting picked up as much as they should be on the internet by them.

Some of it is the artist themselves own fault.

I'll give you few examples of my own blunders: Cuz I know better an would still get in a hurry uploading an wanting to move on to the next task is this: Artist don't write good descriptions of their work, an bad at key-wording it. As, I looked around yesterday at all the updates I need to do if I'm going to jump back into this is I made the blunder.

Well what the hell am I talking about?

Okay, the biggest thing artist/business who are not computer savvy need to know is: You won't be found on the internet if you don't do this. An I'll use myself as an example: Go to Google an search for Dana Haynes

My artwork comes up half way down the page in the images section.

But none of my stuff comes up on the first page. I have one listing of me on the second. Most people won't click beyond the first ten results on a search engine. This is BAD. I know better. Every piece of artwork I posted, which is over 500 something by now should have had a well written description for each piece an at least had my name as a keyword. Sites like Redbubble & ImageKind let you do this. An I was very good about it when I started posting my pieces. But as time wore on, I would upload an run. An I probably didn't use the best keywords I could have for each pieces. An here's why:

Most people are not going to be searching for my name.

Not as an unknown artist. Yes, you should keyword it with your name but it's not the most important keywords your going to use. What you want is keywords people actually search for when buying artwork. Example: Search artist dana haynes an I am the first one that comes up. But this still requires someone knows my work to begin with. Yes, you should still use those: because someday maybe lots of people will know your name.

I used Fractal art & artist on everything I keyworded.

None of it shows up in the search results, an I'll tell you why: The art sites I posted on are not searched by search engines. This is why, I stopped what I was doing. This is why I looked at my ol' boss an said somethings off. Because the only way I get results back is if I search: fractal artist dana haynes. Then I show up in the top ten. Then all my artwork shows up.

But it's still requiring someone knows my name.

Unless you are very active on social sites posting your work, introducing people to your name and brand you can't be found. An you won't make many sales either. There are two ways to look at this: Hey, at least I'm getting my name out there. An that's wonderful. It's a part of leaving a long term legacy. An people get to know you because your using these sites. An yes, it feels good to be featured on ImageKind as an upcoming artist. Or spotlighted on Redbubble. The attention to your art by other artist feels good. But attention & likes don't pay the bills.

It's a way for customers to find artist & artist work. But it doesn't mean you will be found on one of these sites. Let alone sale anything that amounts to a real income & I'll tell you why: The flip side of it is this:

I spent a shit ton of effort, posting to every where to get my name out there. Now, some people know my name an can find me to purchase. The problem is it all leads back to these art sites an I could just as easily loose this one little old customer that found in me: the needle in a haystack. They can get easily distracted an buy someone else art or product instead. So, being on these sites is a catch twenty two. The goal is for them to purchase yours.

Well, how do you do that? You have a website that's key worded an the meta tags are in place so that they visit your site first instead of one of these sites first. The job of those sites, is to get you found. Not for you to loose potential customers to. Everything you do should point back to your site. Your name, your brand. An I will admit it.

I have a programming background, but haven't kept my site up an running. Mostly because I've been sick the last few years but anywho, you catch what I'm saying here. These sites, they come across like well t his is all you need. But I'm here to tell you, don't believe it. It doesn't look professional. So if you are serious you will put up a website with your own url. They just cost so little these days, there just isn't much of a excuse not to. An now that I'm feeling somewhat better, mines going to go up.

I have a little freebie one right now.

Just playing around with my design I want. An you can use weebly, or wix an any other “cheater”. They don't take a lot of programming background to use. At bare minimum, just post a small portfolio of your work an how to contact you. If your serious about selling your artwork you will. Might be worth it to invest in a web designer. They can set up a site for you that's just as easy to use as Shopify. An they don't have to cost an arm & a leg either. You can generate leads this way or commissions. Sell stuff you already made, but everything you do on the internet should point back to you. Your art. Your name. Your brand.

But be sure to understand meta tags & keywords.

Without them its hard to generate new customers: That's the goal. Increasing Sales an retaining old customers.

The thing about meta tags and keywords, whether its on your own site or one of these art sites is getting the right ones. Don't think about what you would search for. Think about what your customers would search for. Not just the ones that know your name. That's an easy one. Any idiot can do it. Think about what the customer that doesn't know you is going to search for.

I'll give you example.

The family business is a tavern in town. Regulars know the name. They will search for that. Great, but don't you want the people that don't know your business to find it? Or are you okay with landing on the fourth or fifth page of a search engine result where you will never be found. Because most folks won't look that far into a search result. So, if you where a customer looking for somewhere to new to go hang out, what would you look for?

Name of the town, an probably just the word bar or tavern.

Am I making sense? Are you following me? Use the word bar, tavern an any other word you can think of a new person would use to search. What most web designers if they are good will do this for you. If they don't they aren't that great. But a decent design includes doing a search of what meta tags an keywords to use. If your designing your own or having someone else do it for you: Go to Google. Run searches on your competitors. Open up their site programming: Look at the words they use to comee up first in the results. Chances are the designer used more keywords then your site an it's why they are getting the results an you are not. You could be the most popular place in town an be coming up low in search results for this reason an this reason only.

If your artist, think about what a stranger would search for.

Art, painting, abstract fractal blue gray dog donkey ect

This is your biggest expense an usually cost you nothing to do it right. This is how you leave a footprint on the internet. This is how you get found. Also, be sure to embed keywords in your photos an use them in your descriptions. Don't forget to do this. You'll come up more often then someone who forgets. LOL like I did sometimes. Only about half the artwork I've done comes up in search results.

That's still mighty good but it could be better.

An all that is with me being gone for two years, with no website. Which, I'm fixing to get started on this next month. It's important an can't be ignored. I've just been putting it off because I'm trying to figure out a way for it to stay in place long after my death. Cuz I'm betting the kiddos will remember to pay the small monthly fees to keep it in place. An that is one reason to post on these art sites. Most of them are free to a certain degree. An if my website goes down, or my backup drive fails like my did all the work you've done still exist somewhere. An the sites are pretty good about protecting your images.

An so will your social media account.

As long as that site is live. I have witnessed popular art sites like artistrising.com a subsidiary of art.com go down. No longer in use. Vango.com, who sold only original paintings for $250 quit. Say they can no longer do it. An in 20 years, Facebook might not exist. So there are marketers out there that say social media is a waste of time. Or websites are. An countless regular old people who just socialize on their computers that won't get your actually not just on yours to be social but running a business.

Are they right?

Is social media marketing a waste of time? Is having a website too? Well, I just went two years not doing either. Kinda testing the theories while I was sick. An just told you about two companies that failed because they didn't take social media or the internet seriously. They had websites. Not very responsive ones. Who didn't give the level of service they would face to face. Both of them the two largest in the nation.

So I'd say, yes it matters.

When you see large companies crumble because of it an ask yourself why?

The answer is having a bad social media / internet reputation. Bad word of mouth. People went to better photographers who would respond on social media. I haven't really done much art except at work. It couldn't be displayed publicly or I didn't personally have to post it. So I haven't had much to share anyway. Did people notice? Yes an no.

When you disappear from the internet life goes on without you. But you can get right back in there an pick it up like nothing happened. It's kinda the same in gammers land. Where ya been, oh! Well, welcome back. We missed you. An you pick up where you left off. As long as you didn't leave people angry. You can take vacations from social media. I didn’t leave angry customers laying around so it didn't really effect me, my brand or art sales. I sold art without any more effort on my part. So soical media didn’t matter, but it did. Cause it’s what helped me get search results years ago too.

Which is nice to know that residual income will come in long after you've put that kinda effort in. Which is an argument for being on a shit ton of art sites. Just encase something happens to you. Or like me, loosing a hard drive. At least I know now what will happen to my work if I pass. An I'll left some kind of legacy when I'm gone. So, while its not the greatest sales in the world right now because I haven't continued to work it. It is something.

An I still do get tickled when someone from Germany or Florida buys my work.

But back to the question of do you really need to be on social media? Depends. I say artist an businesses do. An they need to be just as responsive as if someone walked into their store or studio. There are people who do not do social media & businesses that won't. They generate leads a different way an don't need to. But its Rare. One of these “gurus” spouting off you don't is being very generalized saying that. He only has two products. He doesn't run a service oriented business. If your unsocial online why would I expect you to be in your business.

Why would someone hand you there business if your not?

If someone is going to buy a Snickers Bar, a good product, who do you think they are going to buy from? The unsocial one or the one that’s social with them. That makes them feel welcome. An with artist & photographers especially it's important. You need to leave a impression of who you are with people to sell your work. You could be “hell kitchen dude” with a tude, an it work for you. I've watched a clothing company generate leads just posting sarcasim. It works with their brand. Might not work for yours. Depends on what you decided you & your brands about. An who you want your audience and customers to be.

I have very diverse customers. My customers for my photography is usually dead opposite the audience and customers I sell fractal an traditional artwork to. Being on social media helps you discover who likes your work, types that don't an gives you an idea of who you want your customers to be. It helps you narrow it down really quick.

Social Media gives the ability for people to respond to you, helps you improve your work, service an business.

So while I agree with that “guru” that your product needs to be great. An it's the most important thing. He doesn't seem to understand service in our day an age is a “product”. An you can't just order it. You actually have to interact with your customers, fans an “audience”. An it is like putting on a show. While it's a little more work, it is what will make you stand out competing with someone else that sells the exact same product or service.

Do I think you should spend all your time doing just that? Social Media? No.

I think it's just one part of customer service these days an putting on your “show”. That's just part of sales. Does social media increase your sales? Yes. If done right. Does it have to be time consuming? No.

Depends on how large you or your business is. Some of the companies I worked for should have hired at least one person to do nothing but respond to customers online. They didn't. An it hurt their brand enough to put them out of business. The other one, had poor phone responses. It took a nose dive. I've heard complaints about another larger one having the same issues.

Service matters.

Service is interacting with people. So yes, social media matters. And I've said that right from the beginning of it. AOL sold a lot. An so does word of mouth.

Why are photography studios closing nation wide? It's a good question, an a lot will blame it o the camera phone. I beg to differ looking back on the history of photography. In the 1970’s when the instant camera came out there was for a brief time of decline in using professional photographers. The industry bounced back from it. All it took was for customers to see, that their prints where not as good as a professionals portrait. The dyi instant camera became a way of documenting events in ones life. But people recognized a need for “nicer ones” on their walls an became willing to pay for them again.

The reasons studios are closing isn't the explosion of home picture takers, because they have been doing that since the 70s with instant cameras. In fact, the phone camera has renewed a interest in photography. The problem is, people are not printing them up if anything. They see the photo instantly. An what use to take a week or so to see how they turned out now takes seconds. An a lot of them aren't worth print price. People just aren't willing to pay to print everything anymore. Or should I say, more selective about what they print. An some of it is, just not having the money to and thinking they can wait . Print it up later. It will be there later on their phone or computer.

It's the illusion that the job is easy to do. People think anyone can do it. An there are a lot of people who do photography as a hobby believing it's an easy career route to get yourself into. Just listen to all the gurus online saying it is. It's not. It took 25 years of management experience for me to be hired to run a studio. I also had to have a portfolio showing my digital abilities an a proven track record of working well with children, families and the public. If I had not had that I would have been hired in at minimum wage, working part time for the privilege of even learning a little bit about the industry.

An that is one of the problems. The pay.

I have watched people with degrees in photography who are actually over qualified not be able to make living in the dying photography industry. Not because they where not good photographers but because they didn't have the necessary people skills to photograph people. They where either terrible with children, the elderly or families in general. Or simply too shy to take command of their audience. Part of a professional photographers job ends up being entertainer: clown. The photographer ended up with only the ability to photograph non-moving objects. So no matter how much she had learned in college about lighting an her camera: She wasn't qualified to be a entry level photographer.

Another example of why studios are closing related to pay is this: Even if the photographer develops the people skills to interact with them to get a photo session done: They may no matter how hard they try not be good at sales. I've watch people reject perfectly lovely portraits from a very good photographer because she simply didn't have the confidence to sit down an sell them. An even some of the best sales people who are great at photography can't make enough to justify staying in the job. They simply can't make enough on commission to live off of. The commission jobs don't pay enough even if you sell everything you did. An if they pay an hourly wage to do the job, it's just a little over minimum wage. Not enough to live on.

Photographers are making less then they ever have in these commercial retail jobs.

I had a very hard time finding qualified employees that would work at the wages offered. An the ones who did invest in a degree in it where usually pretty upset to find out they would make less then 30k, or 20K a year doing it. So between low hourly, salary or commission: retaining people to do the job is hard. The reason beyond low pay is why. So listen up if your think opening your open photography business is a good idea. It's why the studios are closing. It may seem fun: But it's a lot of work.

If your not in a studio, you have to travel a lot. Taking you away from your family. The hours can be crazy in or out of the studio. But traveling means, you have sometimes 14-18 hour days. Loading up all the photography equipment, even if you don't carry tons of it. It's a lot to throw up an tear down at each location. Usually adding 2 hours before an after you actually photograph anybody. You may have to get up at 3 AM, an not get home til after 6pm or even the next day. It could be days away from home. You got to love traveling. You’ve got to put wear an tear on your car. You have to be okay with not being home or seeing your family much. This alone burns out a lot of photographers.

It all sounds like a romantic, glamorous lifestyle until your doing it on next to nothing.

Your car breaks down, or you can't even afford to keep your phone on cause the pay is so poor ends the dream for most right there. But if that doesn't get you, the uninspiring 10 second snap shots of 30 to 300 kids in a row just might. In a lot of these jobs, your a school photographer that doesn't get much time with your subjects. An if you do take the time, your going to be rode by the company you work for. It's draining. An most really don't appreciate this type of photography to begin with. I got a lot of complaints from customers about pictures from these pop up studios not being as good as they should have been for the money. So even if you don't have to sell it, it can be pretty uninspiring hard routine. That's why many don't last in these jobs.

These companies ask too much from you, an give to little.

An the companies are barely making it themselves. Most are closing because people aren't willing to pay what it really cost for high quality. They lore them in with the promise of a quick cheap solution, an it's a mistake. The whole industry should have never gone that route. Customers feel like its a switch and bait. If they are going to pay for photography they want it to be high quality. An from my experience willing to pay if if you give them that. Since commercial studios are not making the profits they should, even by paying low wages they are going out of business. They simply can't afford to pay for high quality locations, photographers, mangers, the prints and keep the lights on.

It's really that simple. They aren't making a profit. And haven't been for some time.

But it's not the digital cameras fault. It just happens to coincide with a time when people are seeing low print cost an thinking going to a studio should be cheaper. People have access to high quality printers the industry has used the last 30-40 years. An think well, I can just do it myself. Or gee, it be easy to open my own studio. Then I'll make the big bucks!

It's not that simple. An don't buy the hype from all these photo gurus online telling you how easy it is. It's not. I've ran a studio during session, in some of the highest volume areas. Have got to work photography season in one of the busiest malls in America. So even if you are serious about opening your own studio, understand it's a lot of hard work. From October til January you are doing 15-40 photography sessions a day, in the right locations: It seems like good money to get into. But it's grueling work. I've had nights I didn't make it home til well past 2 in the morning trying to keep up with the demand. I personally thrived being that busy but never could have done that job when my children where younger. I had colleauges that had a lot of regrets about the amount of time it takes away from your family. They are long hard days, with a lot of pressure put on you to perform. An I haven't had one Christmas season go by where a customer didn't try to attack me or someone else in the studio. If you want a studio that's actually going to be profitable, an to be able to support yourself doing photography: You are talking about putting in 14-18 hour days for months on end.

One or two photo sessions a day or week won't support you. Unless your one of the best, that actually gets paid $3000 a session.
An that's highly unlikely to come anytime soon. It takes years or decades to build that kind of reputation as a photographer. It takes all year to build up that kinda of momentum for season even in the best locations. The locations that do make any kind of real money are expensive. So getting into doing photography and being successful at it is a lot more expensive then these gurus online would lead you to believe. Your going to need more then your camera & a set of lights.

When I trained people to do this job, I started off by telling them this: You have to learn to do and be at least five people at a time: A manager, a marketer, a sales person, a photographer, a digital artist an a sales person all rolled into one at the same time. Plus part clown to make it in family photography. Most people don't want to be six different people to get a job done. Let alone work a job like that for poor pay. An its why studios are closing nation wide.

The reward that once was there, isn't for most. Facebook likes don't pay the bills.

I've done over 5000 sessions. I was in the top 100 photographers nationwide out of over 5000 photographers. My studio ranked one of the best. I've won awards & prizes. I've sold $1100 canvases in five minutes but it took years of building my skills and reputation to be able to do that. Most of it was word of mouth about me and my ability not social media that made me successful. My portfolio & work didn't get seen online much unless it was after the fact. It was private viewings an sessions: actually doing that much work that made it possible to support myself doing photography. And I didn’t get “rich”.

I do not suggest a career in it to most.

It's a much harder lifestyle an learning curb then most want to involve themselves with. An if there was a lot of profit in it national studios wouldn't be closing. Or Sparse. Companies wouldn't be selling out to Shutterfly right now. Or taken over by another company. The whole industry is shifting right now an they can't figure out why?

It's because cheap just isn't cutting it anymore.

Quality photographers expect to be paid. Or they will just go out on their own an get paid.

Usually doing work that's a lot more inspiring then working for one of these companies that are folding paying so little. Myself, I'm getting into a lot more photography crossing over into digital art. It sells well, but it's also another hat I have to wear to continue to be successful in photography. Most getting into it today, doing shoot an burns aren't going to make it. It's looks easy, but it's not. It took 20 years to get where I've gotten with it, an even I am starting over. Adding new skills to stay competitive in this market. But I definitely believe it's cheapness & lack of quality that's killing the industry right now. Over saturation of these things leads to less demand. It’s not camera phones. It’s lack of quality.