TABLE of CONTENTS

Part I

Introduction to Twitter for Photographers

Part II

Using Twitter to Advance Your Photo Career

12

Part III

10 Ways to Grow a Following and Increase Engagement

17

Part IV

Measuring Success on Twitter

19

Part V

Protecting Your Interests When Using Twitter by Judy Herrmann

21

Part VI

Twitter FAQ

22

Part VII

Twitter Glossary

24

Part VIII

Resources

2014 PhotoShelter, Inc and the American Society of Media Photographers

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The Photographers Guide to Twitter

J O I N A S M P T O D A Y.
I honestly dont think that I would be a photographer

certainly

not in the capacity that I am now if it werent for A SMP and the
support Ive gotten from my fellow members. I have learned so
much from the A SMP about business, photography and the issues
that the industry is currently facing. I have come to understand
how important it is for me, as a photographer, to get involved, and
to help clear the road so we, as an industry, can move forward.

Sally Aristei

c h r i s w i n t o n - s t a h l e m e m b e r s i n c e 2006
www.winton-stahle.com

Scott Gable

Tom Salyer

chr is w in t on -s ta hle
m e m b e r s i n c e 2006

Felicia Perretti

Stephen Mallon

Andy Batt

asmp.org/join

Join Asm P

Mail Me

Part I

Introduction
to Twitter for
Photographers

f you want to connect with professionals in your

field, engage in conversation, and stay up-to-date
on industry news, Twitter is where you need to be. As
Twitter said on its own company blog, Twitter is the
real-time soundtrack to the biggest global moments
and events as they unfold in the world. For roughly
the past ten years Twitter has been where information is
sharedand shared rapidly.
Unlike Facebook for example, Twitter only allows succinct communications using just 140 characters. Plus,
your tweets have the ability to reach a wide and likeminded audience. While your Facebook posts are likely
to surface organically to the News Feeds of less than
10% of your followers, your tweets can be seen by anyone and everyone.
For many photographers looking to expand their networks, Twitter has been the key to breaking into their
marketplace, connecting with photography fans and potential clients, meeting experts in their field of interest,
and staying on top of industry news. Twitter was the
initial knock on the door of many of the companies I
now work with closely, says travel and lifestyle photographer Ken Kaminesky, who has over 103K followers.
And therefore, its perhaps the most important of all
social media platforms for me.

For many photographers looking to expand their

network, Twitter has been the key to breaking
into their marketplace

In this guide, weve partnered up with the American

Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) to help you
tackle how you can use Twitter to help advance your
photo career, get your name out there, and engage with
more potential customers.
Ready to get started?

How can Twitter help your

photo career?
Twitter is a social media platform designed for whats
sometimes called microbloggingsharing posts that
are short and to the point. A tweet requires that users
say what they want to say in 140 characters or less. Thats
why Twitter is so great for sharing and consuming news.
Its also why Twitter is ideal for photographers. You can
share your whereabouts, quickly show off new projects,
or add your two cents to an ongoing discussion. You can
also search Twitter for professionals, companies, and
brands by checking hashtags, trends, and conversations
(more on this later).
When done right, Twitter can also help insert your
work into relevant, industry-related and sometimes even
global conversations, spreading the word about your
brand, and putting you in touch with key players in your
field. In PhotoShelters recent guide, the 2013 Survey:
What Buyers Want From Photographers, 35.4% of buyers
surveyed said they have discovered new photographers
through social media. Of that group, 18.4% said they
discovered those photographers on Twitter. This means
that the platform is not only a way to increase awareness about what you're doing, but also a way to help you
potentially land a gig.

The Photographers Guide to Twitter

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Says Kristina Hicks, Creative Consultant at Agency Access,

You can approach buyers via social media networks, but
be sure to do your research. Know if your work applies to
the brand or the person youre contacting. Reach out and
say hello. Sometimes a quick email or a connection on
Twitter, for example, is easier than a phone call or a meeting. Remember that art producers are very busy, so you
want to get to know these people in whatever way you
can and then foster those relationships. And if you can
connect with someone on a professional level, they will
remember you and your work no matter where theyre
working or what they are working on.

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Photographers can use Twitter to:

>>Follow industry updates and trends

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>>Discuss news and photography-related issues

with peers or industry leaders

>>Offer great customer service

>>Show-off your great personality by tweeting
about things you enjoy or find interesting
>>Give yourself a voice in your industry and become an asset to your community

>>Connect with dream clients and brands by

tactfully inserting your voice into existing conversations
>>Continuously update those who are interested
in you and your work

>>Drive signups to your newsletter

>>Announce news, special promotions, achievements, and generate buzz around events
>>Ask questions and get answers from other professionals

Before you roll out your new engaging Twitter strategy, make sure your target audience is actually on Twitter. Twitter requires a lot of maintenance in order to
reap the return and full benefit of its services to your
business. So assess your market: are the brands youd
like to work with on Twitter? Are people already talking about the kinds of things you photograph? If you
dont know, ask your clients, ask other photographers
doing similar work, or ask friends who use Twitter
why theyre on it and what they like (or dont like)
about the platform.
Says photographer and social media consultant Rosh
Sillars on deciding if Twitter is right for you, Photographers need to decide if developing themselves as an
expert in their field or niche is an important part of their
overall marketing plan. They need to consider if having
a good distribution channel to share their work is important. Do they need access to influencers within their
industry or target market? Its okay for the answer to be
no. If the answer is yes, then garnering positive results
from Twitter takes work, planning, time and patience
just like any media or marketing asset.

>>Find out how other photographers view various photography services, including website
providers, gear, and other equipment

>>Improve your Search Engine Optimization

(SEO)

Getting Started

tweet from @LauraJade_

My goal is simply to use Twitter to keep my audience

up to date on my work, and to give people a behindthe-scenes look into my portfolio and workflow. But
Twitter also allows me to keep up to date with people
I followI use it as a news tool, which helps me stay
current with the photography and fashion industries I
like to follow. Lara Jade, New York and U.K. based
fashion photographer

After youve determined that Twitter is in fact a social

network you want to actively use, youll then need to
choose a Twitter name, otherwise known as a handle. The
name you choose will show up on your profile, and will
be what people will type when theyre looking for you
there. This is also the name others will use when interacting with you via replies, mentions, direct messages, etc.

Choosing a Twitter Username

If you can, use your own name or your business name
as your Twitter username. If you already have a username on Instagram, for example, see if you can use
the same name for Twitter because consistency across
platforms is important for your overall photographer

The Photographers Guide to Twitter

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brand. Avoid numbers in your handle because your

Tweets can get logged in search engines, and Google
can read numbers as spam, making them less likely to
get ranked. Also, try to avoid underscores. Its not very
common and may appear strange to the average user.
Here are a few good examples of Twitter usernames,
which all include the photographers name or photo
to indicate their profession. Adding photo to your
handle is increasingly important if you happen to have
a fairly common name:
@briansmithphoto
@KendrickBrinson
@KenKaminesky
@JoeMcNallyPhoto
@CoreyRich
@BrookeShaden
@JWilliamsPhoto
Also be sure to fill out your Twitter profile. To do this,
click Edit Profile under your main header image, and
add a short bio, including a mention of your primary
photography niche, plus a link to your website.

The Photographers Guide to Twitter

Part II

Using Twitter to
Advance Your
Photo Career

sed as a simple social tool, Twitter can help connect

you with potential clients and build your reputation. However, Twitter also has some great features for
businesses that can turn the platform into a powerful
marketing tool, and help give you a voice in your industry.
Here are a few ways to take advantage of
Twitters marketing capabilities:

tweet that includes a photo you took on an assignment

while in that area, youre engaging with an audience interested in the outdoors, plus those in Aspen who may
be more inclined to take notice of your photography of
their city. Also check out this example from editorial
and commercial photographer Zack Arias on how using specific hashtags can start conversations about your
location or the gear youve got:

1. Use hashtags

Hashtags, which organize conversations through the #

symbol, are very useful because you can follow specific
conversations, and get discovered by others following those
same topics. You can create a hashtag by simply placing #
in front of a conversation topic. Keep in mind hashtags
can contain numbers, but cannot contain spaces, punctuation marks or other special characters. Once youve started
following people in your industry, especially any heavyhitters, youll notice which hashtags are popular in your
field of interest. You can also click #Discover in your top
navigation and search specific hashtags and activity you
think might be relevant to your work. To learn more about
using the Discover tab, check out Twitters resources here.
Hashtags are also a good way to identify yourself as a
photographer with particular niche specialties. Heres an
example: By adding a #nature and #aspen hashtag to a

Once youve started following people in your

industry, especially any heavy-hitters, youll notice
which hashtags are most popular

tweet from @Zarias

Also, if you host or participate in photo events or workshops, remember to find out what the official hashtag
is for the event and use it from your phone while youre
there. Events will often announce in the opening days
which hashtag theyre using, or you can find the information in the events program.

The Photographers Guide to Twitter

Here are a few:

Hootsuite
A social media management system with scheduling
tools that help streamline your workflow from a single
web-based dashboard.

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Tweetdeck
In one interface, Tweetdeck helps you organize and build
custom timelines, keep track of lists, create searches to
track topics and hashtags, and more.

tweet from @RFWPPI

Additionally keep in mind that hashtags can be used as

shorthand for your opinions. Using hashtags to add humor, for example (#win, #epic, #totalfail), shows you are
Twitter savvy, and that you have an engaging personality.
In general, by using these hashtags (when your tweet
applies), you can add your voice and perspective to a
given topic. Suddenly youre involved in a conversation with professionals and enthusiasts from around
the world.
2. Share photos

Before you had to click on a link to see a photo, but

now the photo is embedded right in your feed when you
upload an image via the camera icon. In addition, you
now also have the ability to tag up to ten others within
your images, plus take advantage of a collage option that
lets you to share up to four images within a single tweet
(though you can only use these features via mobile, not
your desktop). Check out more info here on how to use
some of Twitter's newest features.
Tweeting a photo also greatly increases engagement.
According to a study published by Dan Zarrella,
Hubspot's social-media scientist, tweets containing
pictures uploaded using pic.Twitter.com (the link that
appears when you upload a photo via your dashboard)
are 94% more likely to be retweeted than those photos
shared other ways (e.g. as a direct link to your Instagram

Twuffer
Twuffer is designed for anyone who wants to compose a
list of future tweets and schedule their releases.
4. Tweeting from your phone or tablet
tweet from @Danbaileyphoto

account). For photographers, this is great news. Use this

feature to show off new work, add an image to a tweet
about breaking news or trending topics, or retweet images you find inspiring. Before uploading your images to
Twitter, be sure to refer back to ASMP's article on "Protecting Your Interests When Using Twitter" on page 19.

Its likely that you cant be at your desk all day, so stay
connected by using your phone to send tweets while
youre on-the-go. Be sure you download the Twitter application to your smart phone and sync your account
(youll need to provide your username and password),
so you can compose tweets, add photos, reply to othersall right from your phone. You never know when
something very shareable might pop up:

3. Schedule tweets

One of the most important aspects of social media

marketing is consistency because your network expects
to hear from you. Thats why scheduling tweets can be
helpful. If you know you cant be online all day, or if
youre going on vacation, schedule some evergreen
content (content thats always relevant to your brand
and audience). Examples of evergreen content might
be a link to an old gallery from your archive or a favorite blog post youve come across recently. There are
useful tools out there to help you schedule efficiently.
tweet from @Chrisdthompson

The Photographers Guide to Twitter

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Twitters targeting capabilities make Twitter Ads

particularly useful for photographers.

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Also keep in mind that camera apps (you have lots of

options) like Snapseed, Camera+, Instagram, and PowerCam, used for phone-photo filters and insta-editing
can link your photos directly to your Twitter account.
5. Try Twitter ads

Anyone can run an ad campaign on Twitter. Ads can be

a great way for a small business to boost its reach and
spread awareness. Through Twitter advertising, you can
pay to promote your account, specific tweets, or even
promote trending topics.
Experiment by setting a budget through Twitter and see
what engagement yields. Keep in mind, you will only
be charged when people interact with your promoted
campaign by following, retweeting, replying, favoriting,
or clicking.
Through analytic tools, you can also track multiple components of your Twitter Ads activity, learn about the the
behavior of potential customers, and adjust your ad to
drive better results.
Twitters targeting capabilities make Twitter Ads particularly useful for photographers. You can target based on keywords you indicate (e.g. landscape, fine art), interests and
gender, geography, or even target people similar to existing
users who may fit the profile of your ideal customer. Ads
can help photographers expose their brand and services to
the specific groups who are most likely to be interested in
what they have to share. To get started, follow Twitter's
step-by-step instructions on running an ad campaign, and
also check out tips for setting your budget.

6. Make Twitter Lists

Anyone can create a list on Twitter that organizes users

into topic groups. For example, if youre a fashion photographer, you might create a list of people you follow
who are connected to the fashion industry. You would
add that person or brand to your Fashion Industry list.
Or, you might want to keep a list of influential photographers and blogs so you can easily stay up-to-date with
industry news.
Creating lists is helpful because if you follow 2,000 people for example, you might miss tweets from some of your
favorite sources. A list helps aggregate these folks so you
can keep track of important content theyre generating.
Also keep in mind that you can create both public and
private lists. A private list can only be accessed by you,
whereas anyone can subscribe to and follow a public list
you create. If youd like to subscribe to a list created by
someone elsean industry blogger or photography association, for example, click on their profile, click Lists
on the lefthand navigation, and then subscribe to a list
of theirs that might interest you.
Learn how to make a list on Twitters support blog.

The Photographers Guide to Twitter

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Part III

10 Ways
to Grow a
Following
and Increase
Engagement

1. Tweet regularly

Twitter requires volume. A single tweet of yours may be

seen only for seconds by other users, so the more regularly you tweet, the better chances your posts will get
noticed. (Remember, you dont want to tweet too often, theres a balance). So once youve set up a frequency
strategy that worksmeaning people are engaging with
youstick to it. Your tweets should include responses to
tweets at you, retweets from others in the industry, inspirational articles you find or quotes you like, plus links
to your photos, blog posts or videos youd like to share.

As Twitter pro Ken Kaminesky says, The goal of using

Twitter should not be to grow your network, but rather
to engage with the right people who can help grow your
business and help others grow theirs. For example, I like
to share inspiring quotes and information about the
companies I team up with like Zeiss, Fujifilm, and GTechnology. It helps strengthen relationships.

tweet from @lucasgilman

tweet from @jeremycowart

The Photographers Guide to Twitter

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2. Contribute to a conversation

Twitter isnt your website, and its not a venue for ceaseless self-promotion. Always remember that. However, it
is a place to add your topical perspective and expertise to
ongoing conversations. Share useful articles that add to a
dialogue, engage with industry influencers by retweeting
them, thank people for their perspective, or add your opinion and a hashtag to include it in a conversation stream.
Says Ken, A true and tested Twitter strategy is the use of
the ten-to-one rule: post ten things about other people
(places, ideas) to every one tweet about you or your work.
No one wants to follow someone who constantly blathers on about themselves. If you follow this rule, youll
push yourself to engage with others and use the platform
more as a social tool than a soapbox, even if you just add
a simple I agree. It lets people know youre listening.

where your images appeared, or tweet industry articles

you think are interesting and could prompt conversation.
Says Rosh Sillars, Also keep in mind that keywords and
topics are important. You will attract followers based on
the type of content you post. If you share information
and thoughts on photography you will attract photographers. If you share architecture content you will attract
architects and if you talk food you will develop a following of foodies. Plan ahead, focus and Tweet what you
wish to be known for as an expert.

are widely known. If we use social media as a voice, we

can raise awareness to many people all around the world
about issues that affect photographers.
4. Go behind the scenes

A behind-the-scenes shot while on assignment can be a big

one for photographers who cant show their finished product (which has been sold to a client), but who are spending
long days in cool places or with interesting people. Snap
a picture using a smartphone app and give people a peek
at what youre up to by tweeting. Use hashtags to leverage
local pride (#nyc, #LA #LondonTown) and call out the
creatives on set. Keep in mind, if you are doing work for a
specific client, its always a good idea to green-light your
behind-the-scenes shot with them first. Theres a chance a
client may want rights to those unpolished photos because
that imagery can add to the authenticity of their brand. So
when in doubt, ask first before sharing.

tweet from @melissalyttle

Adds editorial photographer Kendrick Brinson of Brinson

+ Banks, Its nice to not yell, Me! Me! Me! on social media because who wants to have a conversation with someone who never lets you speak? Think of social media as a
dialogue and a marketing tool and youll get more out of it.
3. Be a conversation starter

One way to use Twitter to expand your reach (while not

being pushy) is to use your photography and opinions
to spark conversation. Post a picture and ask for opinions on the topic, talk about the articles in a publication

tweet from @toddowyoung

I recently tweeted about saying no to pay-to-publish,

which is a way of increasing awareness among new and
inexperienced photographers about not paying a fee to
post work in magazines, said Lara Jade, New York and
UK based fashion photographer. It sparked something
in a lot of people and I got a lot of re-tweets. I often post
advice for photographers because I feel that there isnt a
lot of help or advice given, especially from people who

tweet from @JoeMcNallyPhoto

The Photographers Guide to Twitter

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Says Lara Jade, I feel my most successful posts are those

where Ive given insight into my work a piece of advice,
quote or behind the scenes image tend to resonate best.
5. Credit others and give shout-outs

One great way to stay consistent with your tweets, engage with your industry and show that youre paying
attention to your market is by being a cheerleader for
others you respect. Retweet, post others work, credit
them using their Twitter username; add people to lists,
favorite a tweet, etc.

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You can also give shout outs to the creatives you worked
with on campaigns you thought were great. You can stay
on top of agencies and firms via Twitter or find Twitter
handles for creatives working on a particular campaign,
and give them a little praise to show youre watching,
engaged and like their work.
But be careful not to overstep. Make sure youre not
flooding peoples feeds with constant praise or comments.
Its easy to come off as unprofessional when it looks like
you spend more time on Twitter than on your own work.
Says Kendrick Brinson, A couple years ago I shared a
link to this really awesome wedding video. It was innovative and I wanted the creator to get some love, so I mentioned him in my tweet. All of a sudden I got hundreds
and hundreds and hundreds of retweets within minutes.
My account was blowing up and I couldn't figure out
why. I finally got to the bottom of it: Ashton Kutcher had
retweeted me! It would've been nice if he'd retweeted a
link to my work (wink), but it goes to show you that you
have no idea who is reading and clicking what you share.

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6. Every tweet does not need to include a link

or hashtag
tweet from @briansmithphoto

tweet from @bradmangin

To engage others, consider leaving out the hashtags

and links and giving people insight into your day-today life instead.

Since links garner more retweets, but don't generate

as much engagement (clicks), photographers looking
to engage potential clients may want to go easy on the
URLs and hashtags, and focus on one-on-one conversations instead. After all, if someone is interested in
talking to you, and you know that person could want to
hire you, one day engaging with that person might be
more valuable than posting another article.
As Zack Arias, Atlanta-based commercial and editorial
photographer said, Remember that Twitter is a social
media platform. Social media isyou sit down, you interact, you talk to people, you find out their name, you
get to share your storyyoure talking to each other.

tweet from @brookeshaden

7. Tweet about whats trending

To see whats trending on Twitter all you have to do is

go to your Twitter dashboard and look at the box on
the bottom left of the page. The box says Trends and
youll see a list of hashtags. These are things that a lot
of people are talking about at the moment including
breaking news, events, or holidays. Take advantage of
trending topics by tweeting your opinion along with the
trending hashtag, but only engage with trends that are
relevant to your work and market.
For example, when the Olympics were trending, photographer Brian Braun tweeted a portrait he did for an
athlete before the previous London games. He used the
hashtags #olympics and #photography to contribute to
the existing trending conversation about the current
Olympics in Sochi.

The Photographers Guide to Twitter

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In general, adding your voice to popular topics will help

expose your tweets to a wider audience also tracking
that topic. Contribute a photo or blog post that might
interest people involved in this conversation and (important!) engage with anyone who takes interest in your
topical tweet.

where stuff is being given away. You can create your own
deals or team up with others to offer prizes. Create incentives to whoever has the best 140-character story about
gear mishaps or the first 10 people to tweet about why
they love photography, or tie a giveaway to a live event
you might be hosting or participating in. Get creative!
Note that if you decide to do a giveaway, be sure to do
it tactfully and only once in a while. As Zack Arias says,
"If you paid someone to sit and have a beer with you at a
bar, they might agree but the relationship is bound to be
shallow, short-lived and a little awkward. Make sure you
can deliver on conversation and valuable content after
the deal or giveaway is done."

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tweet from @actionimages

Being on top of Twitters trending topics is also a great way

to show people that youre in-the-know and have valuable things to say and share about news or culture. This is
one way to become a thought leader and show people that
a visit to your profile yields solid intel. Tip: The hashtag
#photography is often trending, so when you see it in the
list of trends, be sure to include it in your tweet (when relevant), to help expose your name to a larger audience.

tweet from @lindsayadler

Also consider tweeting discounts from companies you

like. They just might return the favor when when youd
like their help to spread the word about your own work.

9. Keep tabs on your competition

You cant deny the benefit of seeing how other people

in your field operate their businesses online and interact
on social media. Creating a private list is a great way to
keep tabs on these folks. Find and follow others who do
work like yours and see how they conduct themselves.
Find out what they think is important to know and talk
about. How do you differ? If you cant answer that question off the bat, take time to get your thoughts down on
paper. After all, if you cant determine and convey why a
client should hire you instead of another photographer,
how is a potential customer supposed to figure that out?
10. Show Great Customer Service

Twitter is considered one of the most valuable networks

for customer service, so you may come across a potential
customer, fan (or critic!), with a question about your work.
So if people are tweeting at you with questions about
your businessworkshops, prices, your location, etc.,
be sure to respond in a timely manner. If its a conversation youd rather have privately, send the user a Direct
Message (DM) with a response. You can DM someone
by clicking on the envelope icon in the top right navigation bar, and then new message. Keep in mind you can
only send a Direct Message to someone who follows
you. Learn more about sending a Direct Messages here.
If you go this route, be sure to still publicly respond to the
user with a Sent you a DM! so that others following you
can see that youre responding to tweets and providing
excellent customer service. Of course, if you feel comfortable responding to the tweet publically, simply @reply.

8. Promote coupon codes, deals and giveaways

Who doesnt love incentives? Remember, you are trying

to promote your photography and services to some extent. Everyone likes a good deal, free stuff, and knowing

tweet from @kenkaminesky

The Photographers Guide to Twitter

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Expert Tips: 6 Twitter mistakes to avoid

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Four photographers, Lara Jade, Ken Kaminesky, Rosh Sillars, and Kendrick Brinson of Brinson + Banks shared their
top Twitter donts:

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1. Dont over-share. Dont share your feelings too

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much! In the beginning I fell into thisI'd post my

feelings and thoughts far too often. I think its important to share your personality, but try to only share the
positive aspects. Remember, your photography is your
business, so you want to put your best foot forward. You
never know who is watching!

2. Dont whine. Please, please, stop using social media

to whine. No one wants to follow a whiner, and no art

buyers or editors want to work with people who complain
and make excuses. I've started to write a gripe a handful of
times and almost always delete before I tweet.
3. Dont tweet too often. Tweeting 50 times a day

makes you sound like you have nothing better to do.

Shouldn't you be taking photos?

4. Dont get tunnel vision. Dont follow photographyrelated accounts only. Whens the last time a photographer hired you? Follow potential clients and engage
with them in a social way, not in a sham-wow! salesman way. I'm stunned by how many people only follow
accounts similar to theirs.
5. Dont be ungrateful. Dont forget to say thank you
to people who share your important tweets. You know who
likes to hear please and thank you? Everyone.
6. Do not automate. Dont take the social out of social

media. If your Twitter feed is filled with automatic posts

from other sources like Facebook or Instagram, you are
missing out on building quality connections. This doesnt
mean you cant schedule posts throughout the day, just
make sure you check-in and connect with your community.

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Part IV

Measuring
Success on
Twitter

easuring success on Twitter is different for everyone. Youll have to decide based on your Twitter
strategy, which metrics matter for your business. For example, do you care about a large following or engaging
a very targeted group?
To start off its important to see what traction youre
getting with your tweets and the links and photos youre
attaching. You can track this by using Twitters own
analytics, or running your links through a link shortener
that supplies analytics for your shortened links.
Link shorteners are great for a few reasons. First, it
makes it easier for people to retweet your workthey
have more characters left to add their own commentary
once theyve included your link. But most importantly,
link shorteners are a way of tracking how people are interacting with your links and your content.
A few popular link shorteners are:
Hootsuite (ow.ly)
Bit.ly
Buff.ly
Google URL
Shortened links can be customized (called vanity urls;
some examples are Search Engine Watch, sewat.ch, and

Do you care about a large following or engaging

a very targeted group?

Mashable on.mash.to), which is a good way to brand

your content. Heres how to set up vanity urls, and how
to make your own short urls.
Some of these services (Bit.ly and Hootsuite for example) have analytics tracking functionalities built in.
When youve subscribed to one of these services and
start to use the link shorteners you can check your user
dashboard to see a graph of daily traffic and engagement. What youre looking for is whether Twitter is
leading people to your website.
Google Analytics is also a useful tool for tracking traffic
from Twitter. In Google Analytics you can type in a url
and see all kinds of great stats about how people got to
that page, how long they stayed, and where they went on
your site once they got there.
Google Analytics is essential for small businesses looking to see a return on their social investments. To find
out if Twitter is driving people to your website, log into
your Google Analytics navigate to: Acquisition >
Social > Network Referrals. If youre not set up with
Google Analytics to help track your sites traffic, check
out our guide, Google Analytics For Photographers.

PhotoShelter Can Help

If youre a PhotoShelter member, PhotoShelter is set
up to allow easy integration with Twitters marketing
capabilities. For example, if youre using PhotoShelters
Beam portfolio platform, integrate your Twitter account
by adding your Twitter URL as a link in your top navigation. You can accomplish this within your Navigation
Settings in your Site Builder.

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Or, you can use PhotoShelter to easily post your galleries to Twitter. Open any image gallery from the Left
Pane of your Image Browser and select the gallery you
want to tweet. Note that your Twitter followers will only
be able to freely view galleries whose visibility is set to
Everyone. Then, in the Right Pane, click the Share Gallery button and select Tweet this gallery. Its a quick and
efficient way to share your images with your Twitter followerseasy as that!

Conclusion

Youve got the basics, youve heard why photographers

use Twitter and youve seen how they do it. Now its
time to make a Twitter strategy of your own. As Rosh
Sillars says, Dont forget that Twitter is a media stream.
Its like the peoples AP wire. You follow people who
offer quality information or ideas because you find them
to be helpful, knowledgeable or expert in their field.
People will follow you for the same reasons.
Happy tweeting!

VI
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VIII

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Part V

Protecting Your
Interests When
Using Twitter

sed strategically, Twitter offers very real marketing

and audience building opportunities but its not
without cost or risk. As Twitters own Privacy Policy advises, When you share information or content like photos, videos, and links via [Twitters] Services, you should
think carefully about what you are making public.

Use Of Your Images By Twitters Partners And Third-Party Providers

An in-depth review of Twitters Terms of Service

(TOS) by ASMP Executive Director, Eugene Mopsik, and General Counsel, Vic Perlman, revealed a
significant potential for lost income and increased liabilities that all users should take into account before
sharing imagery on Twitter.

Restrictions On Advertising Uses

Use Of Your Images By Twitter

All platforms have a legitimate need to assert the right

to reproduce and display user contentafter all, thats
what we use them for. But Twitters TOS go beyond the
rights needed to fulfill this function.

By Judy Herrmann,
Director of Content Strategy, ASMP

By agreeing to Twitters current TOS, you grant Twitter a

royalty-free license to display, use, modify, syndicate and
sublicense your content in any way and in any medium
throughout the world. Twitter can use your images however, whenever and wherever it chooses without getting
additional permission from you, without compensating
you in any way and without even letting you know.

You cant eliminate the risks, so use the suggestions

in this guide to develop a social media strategy that
will maximize your potential for reward.

You also grant Twitter permission to make your content

available to Twitters partners and third-party providers
for the syndication, broadcast, distribution or publication of such Content on other media and services.
Twitters evolving Developer Rules of the Road exhorts its partners and providers to respect user contentTweets may be used in advertisements, not as advertisements. A close read of all the documents linked
to Twitters TOS indicates that Twitters Partners and
Third-Party Providers can associate advertising with
your content but cant pull your images out of your feed
and use them in a completely unrelated ad or product.
OTHER COMMERCIAL USES OF YOUR IMAGES

At the same time, Twitter encourages the commercial

use of the feed itselfincluding your images. Data
mining of the Twitter Firehose used to be limited to
helping brands track references to their products and
services. Today, Twitter and its partners are actively
seeking new ways to monetize this data. CNNs use of
the Twitter feed as a news wire service like Reuters or
AP represents just the beginning of this new trend.
Unpaid commercial use of your images has the very real
potential to devalue your work and diminish your ability
to earn a living as a professional creator. It also opens the
door to some very serious potential liabilities.
Your Liability

Twitters TOS and supporting documents release Twitter from any liability arising out of the use of your con-

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tent by Twitter or any third party, including other users,

its partners and its third-party providers. However, as
Vic Perlman notes, You are still liable for any matters
arising out of the use of your content by Twitter and its
partnersuses over which you have no control.
And, while Twitter allows you to terminate your account
and use of Twitters services, Twitters right to continue
using your content and your liabilities in connection
such use dont expire.
Best Practices

You cant eliminate the risks, so use the suggestions in this

guide to develop a social media strategy that will maximize your potential for reward. Following these steps when
sharing images will also help minimize the downsides:
1. Get Releases

Since you cant prevent Twitter or its third party partners and providers from using your content commercially and you are warranting that you have all necessary rights to the content you share, tweeting images
for which you dont have signed releases is very risky.
For an in-depth explanation of privacy and publicity
rights along with recommended language for Model
and Property Releases, visit ASMPs Releases Tutorial.
2. Linking vs. Embedding Images

Embedding your imagery directly into your tweets can

add marketing value, but it increases the chances that
your work will be devalued and used in ways you, your
subjects and your clients may not like. Linking to work
thats housed on your website, blog or other channels
you own and control offers better protections. If you
choose to embed images in your tweets, make sure that
the marketing value you stand to gain makes up for the
economic value you're giving up.

3. Add Watermarks

Since Twitter requires that all uses of the Twitter feed

retain Twitters own branding and contextual elements
including the @username of the content originator,
watermarking for attribution may be redundant, but a
visible watermark could discourage third parties from
choosing your images for commercial purposes.
4. Register Your Copyrights

The ASMP strongly recommends that all creators register their works with the U.S. Copyright Office, ideally
before publication. Learn more about copyright registration by downloading the ASMP/PhotoShelter guide,
The Photographers Guide to Copyright and visiting
ASMPs Copyright Tutorial.
A final word about TOS

Like most other Social Media platforms, Twitter reserves the right to change its TOS at will so make
sure you stay on top of any changes and think through
their implications.
Parsing Terms of Service is never fun, and Twitters TOS,
which includes several linked documents, is particularly
complex and difficult to follow. ASMPs downloadable
guide, Know Your Rights on Social Media, can help you
understand the implications of the language they use. As
tempting as it may be to disregard any changes, you owe
it to your business to make a fully informed decision.

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Part VI

Twitter FAQ

elow weve compiled a list of FAQs to help address

specific questions you might have along the way.
Whats the follower:following ratio?

When you join Twitter youre not following anyone and

no one is following you. Its going to be a lot easier to
find accounts that you want to follow than it is to convince people youre worth following. This is why people
end up following more people than follow them. Its
suspicious however when an account is following hundreds of people and has only one or two followers. The
way to avoid this imbalance is to slowly begin following
people as you build your tweet library.
Check out some follow-to-following ratios that have
been produced over the years for guidance on building
a balanced ratio.
And be aware of the problem with following too many
Twitter accounts.
How should you use Direct Messages (DM)?

In the past you could only send a direct message to

someone who you followed and who followed you back.
Twitter has changed its direct messaging protocol however, and now users can opt in to allow people they dont
follow to send them messages. This can be good for
brands and businesses, because you can get private feedback. However, it can open you up to spam. In general,
be thoughtful when sending a direct message.

person mentioned will see in their streams. If you want

your tweet to show up for everyone to see, add that period before the mention. See example here.
Should you link your Twitter to Facebook?

Typically, neglecting one platform by filling it with the

posts from another can be a sign to users that youre
trying to take short cuts, and they will likely stop paying
attention to you. Each platform is used differently by
users, so flooding Facebook with your tweets is almost
guaranteed to annoy someone. However, if you blog frequently, automating sharing your posts to Twitter can be
a good idea. Blog titles are often bite-sized and under
140 characters, which is ideal for the platform.
Is there a right time to tweet?

There are many, many theories about what time garners

the most engagement or eyeballs on tweets. However,
as Rosh Sillars, put it in How Can Twitter Help Your
Business, theres no hard and fast rule because every
industry is different. You have to do tests to see when
your audience is engaging, and when your audience is interested in looking at your content. He adds that many
theories that tell you 2:00 pm on a Monday is the best
time to tweet create a flood of content that you probably
dont want to compete with anyway. Maybe 8:00 pm on
Thursday is really the best time to send your tweets with
last weeks sports image wrap-up.

Why do some people put a . before their tweets?

When you compose a tweet that begins with someones

Twitter username, Twitter treats it as a semi-private
conversation that only people who follow you and the

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Part VII

Twitter Glossary

heres a lot of jargon associated with Twitter. You

dont have to be an expert to use the platform,
but knowing a few of the most common terms is really
useful so youre not in the dark. Heres a roundup to
get you going:
Tweet: The 140-character posts you can share publicly

(or privately if you choose to do so in your settings. We

dont recommend this).

Retweet (RT): Retweeting is when you you recycle or

repost what someone else has tweeted to your own followers. There are a few ways to retweet someone. One
is by selecting retweet below that users tweet. When
you use this method the tweet will show up exactly as
it did on the original posters profile. Another option is
to retweet manually by copying the text out of someone elses tweet and drop it into your status update field.
If you do this its standard protocol to write RT in
your post as a citation. People typically like to manually
retweet when they want to add a bit of their own commentary. See example here.
Modified Tweet (MT): A Modified Tweet is when you
retweet but cant fit all the characters in your own tweet
and have to shorten or paraphrase the original tweet.
Hashtag: A Twitter hashtag is the use of the # symbol
connected to a word. This hashtag system is how Twitter organizes conversations. If you want to see who is
interested in landscape photography, for example, you
would add that as a hashtag to your tweet (#landscape
#photography). These hashtags become a live stream
that anyone can search for, add to, comment on, or follow. This system is very popular and is used by many

other social platforms (Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest,

Google+, etc.).
You can follow hashtag conversations on Twitter by
typing one into the search window of your Twitter
dashboard, or you can use Twitter managing software
(Hootsuite or Tweetdeck, for example) to set up a column that will funnel only tweets using that hashtag.
Its very common for photo events or workshops to create a unique hashtag to generate buzz as the event grows
closer, and to give people a stream to add to when they
attend in person. Adding to an industry event hashtag
is a great way to meet people and let others know how
youre participating.
Example: Check out this hashtag stream from PDNs
Photo Plus Expo 2013 #PPE2013 or the one used by
the Wedding & Portrait Photography Conference &
Expo: #WPPI2014.
@Reply: When someone directs a tweet @YourUserName, they are trying to have a conversation with you.
Twitter allows you to reply by clicking on the @reply
button, and will auto generate that users handle in your
tweet so they will be alerted when youve responded.
These conversations are public and anyone can see them.
See example here.
@Mention: An @mention is a Tweet from another user

that contains your @username within the body of the

tweet. So technically, an @reply is also an @mention.
You can see all of your @mentions in a single stream
by clicking @connect on your top navigation and then
Mentions on the left. See example here.

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Direct Message (DM): This function allows you to send a

private message to someone on Twitter (that is private and

no one else can see). However, this option is in general only
available to people you follow, and who follow you back.

Recently Twitter changed its policy allowing those who

want to receive messages from users they do not follow
to send them messages. This is a good feature for businesses and brands who may not follow all of their followers, but who would like to get direct feedback from
customers without it being public.
Favoriting: Favoriting someone elses tweet by hitting

Favorite indicates to the user that you like their message. Favoriting a tweet also allows you to save this tweet
for later by going into your settings and clicking Favorites. You might favorite a tweet if someone says they really like your work, or a blog features your images, etc.

Trending Topics: These are hashtags that are most popular

and have been bumped to the top of Twitters radar. Youll

see trending topics on the left side of your dashboard.

Follow Friday (FF): A Twitter tradition or ritual to

suggest to your followers who you think they would be

interested in following. Its done by listing the Twitter
handles and tagging the post with a #FF hashtag. Note:
Follow Fridays were much more popular years ago. Today, you may not see #FF as frequently, but when you do,
youll know what it means.

Sentiment searches: This is a simple trick (albeit

rough and not always helpful) to let you see how people
are feeling about you or your work. Just type your username, @name plus :( or :) in the search bar at the top
of the Twitter dashboard to see if people are giving you
an emoticon thumbs up or thumbs down (aka, the
happy or frowny face). For more accurate readings on
sentiment you can try one of many dedicated services.

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Part VIII

Resources

Twitter Support Pages:

Promoted Tweets
Ads
Glossary
Using lists
Blog: Using promoted tweets and ads
Using ads
Twitter for small businesses
PhotoShelter Guides:

The Photographers' Social Media Handbook

Google Analytics for Photographers
The Photographer's Guide to Copyright
Blog Posts and Articles:

Guide: Know Your Rights on Social Media from ASMP

Blog: Answers to 11 questions youve been dying to ask about Twitter
Video: Twitter Finally Explains Twitter
Blog: 10 Quick Tips for Getting More Business Value Out of Twitter
Blog: 6 Tools For Twitter Sentiment Tracking
Blog: How Twitters New DM Will Impact Brand Marketing
Blog: Twitter Opens Advertising to All U.S. Users: Here's How it Works
Blog: Answers to 11 Questions You've Been Dying to Ask About Twitter
Blog: Twitter Cards Create Your Own Rich Media Tweets
Article: Twitter Allows Direct Messages From People You Don't Follow
Blog: 7 Twitter Tips For Photographers
Article: 31 Twitter Tips: How to use Twitter Tools and Twitter Best Practices For Business
Blog: 6 Ways to Schedule Tweets
Blog: Want a retweet? Include a photo
Blog: What is a hashtag?
Blog: How to find the best hashtags on Twitter
Blog: 5 Ways Your Business Should Use Twitter Hashtags
Blog: SEO impact of a url shortener
Guide: Introduction to Twitter

The Photographers Guide to Twitter

24

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