We examine two of the most popular social networking sites and see how modern professional photographers can get ahead by getting online

Social Networking Sites (or SNS) differ from traditional online forums in that they require the user to create their own profile and make connections with associates or friends. Many of you probably already use one in some capacity, but besides the online games of Scrabble and remembering people’s birthdays, the websites have great marketing potential for the professional photographer. We’ve examined two of the biggest – MySpace and Facebook – and spoken to photographers who use the sites.

MySpace

This behemoth of a website is practically impossible to avoid – chances are, if you’re online, you’re already aware of MySpace. Founded in 2003, the site offers users their own online “space”, from where they can connect with ‘friends’, write their own blog, join groups of like-minded users and post photos, music and videos. For sheer numbers, it can’t be beaten: last September MySpace claimed to have over 106 million individual accounts and is still the most popular networking site.
MySpace is famous for being popular with musicians, particularly unsigned artists, who can use it to post and sell music without a record contract. High-profile artists such as the Arctic Monkeys and Lily Allen owe their success, in part, to their MySpace profiles, where fans could follow their progress and listen to new tracks. For this reason the site is specifically an excellent resource for music photographers, who can connect with new bands, as well as more established artists, to build their contacts and their portfolio.