The social media landscape of 2025 looks nothing like it did just a few years ago. What was once a relatively straightforward ecosystem dominated by Instagram and Twitter (now renamed X) has fractured into a complex network of platforms, each with its own unique features, audiences and potential pitfalls.
At the same time, the way 'traditional' platforms actually work has changed beyond all recognition. For instance, as Sean McCormack bemoaned this July, in his article Social media is ruining photography, algorithmic changes mean that even people who choose to follow you on Instagram may no longer automatically see your content, especially if you're not willing to shift from images to shortform video.
For photographers seeking to showcase their work, build a following and potentially attract clients, that's been bad news all round. Typically, you'll have seen a drop off in followers, likes and engagements. So you're probably tempted to jump ship to another social media platform, or at least sign up and try it out. But which one?
In this article, we'll look at the new and not-so-new networks that are making the most noise right now, explore the pros and cons of each, and offer our own take on whether they're worth joining in 2025.
1. Threads: Meta's promising newcomer
When Threads was launched by Facebook's holding company Meta in 2023, it arrived with huge momentum, gaining 100 million users in just four days. At time of writing, it has 275 million monthly active users. And for photographers, it offers some compelling advantages.
The platform allows up to 500-character posts and supports sharing up to 10 images or videos in a single post, which is significantly more generous than Twitter, where you can only 280 characters for free accounts, although this jumps up to 25,000 characters for paying customers. Another plus is that Threads is tightly integrated with Facebook and Instagram (which is also owned by Meta). This means that if you're already an Insta user, it's quick and easy to sign up, and it's simple to invite your existing followers to join you on Threads.
However, this very integration also comes with significant drawbacks. Most strikingly, your Threads account is directly linked to your Instagram account, so you can't delete one without the other. Additionally, Meta's data collection practices remain aggressive, with the platform collecting extensive user data for potential advertising purposes, just like on Facebook and Instagram.
Threads has the same content rules as Instagram, which means no nudity, which might be too restrictive for some photographers. More broadly, Threads focuses more on text updates than Instagram, so it's less obviously the place to showcase images.
And in general, while are a lot of people have moved to Threads in the last year, my sense is that most of them are members in name only: there's not a huge amount of engagement or activity there as yet, although that obviously will vary from person to person, and community to community.
2. BlueSky: Like Twitter, but "kinder"
Bluesky was founded in 2019 as a research initiative at Twitter. The idea is a "decentralised" social platform where you own your data rather than the tech company doing so. That's an interesting idea, although technically it hasn't become a reality yet, so we'll put that to one side for now.
Bluesky became an independent company in 2021, and launched to the public in February 2023. It's now got over 20 million users by November 2024, and most users think of it as "Twitter like it used to be".
What do they mean by that? Well, since Elon Musk took over Twitter in 2022, it's become a more volatile platform than ever. While it remains a robust hub for real-time communication, its verification changes, content moderation shifts, and frequent policy updates have alienated many users.
At the heart of this is a philosophical conundrum. Musk has made strenuous efforts to reducing control over what people can and can't say on the platform, believing it should be a free marketplace of ideas. In practice, though, this means that it's near-impossible to have any sort of discussion without being menaced by trolls and everything descending into an unpleasant slanging match.
BlueSky feels like the polar opposite of that so far. Partly, because its owners have made strenuous efforts at content moderation, and kicking off anyone who's too offensive. And secondly, because the people who've joined BlueSky seem to be making a conscious and genuine effort to act in a more civilised way, for now at least. And thirdly because, given that most people have joined as a protest against Elon Musk, they tend to all have the same social and political views anyway.
Does that mean it's a good place for photographers to head? Well, if you like chatting and networking with people online, maybe. But ultimately, like Twitter, BlueSky is firmly based around text, and shortform text at that (the current limit is 300 characters). And while you can attach images to posts, that not really what it's for.
Combine that with its current limitations—no video, limited character count, and a much smaller user base than Threads—it's not the most obvious choice right now for photographers seeking visibility.
3. Cara: Artist-focused and against AI
Emerging in 2023 as a direct response to AI image scraping, Cara presents a unique proposition for photographers. It's specifically aimed at creatives such as artists, designers and photographers. And its strict anti-AI stance and commitment to protecting your intellectual property make it an attractive option for those concerned about their work being used without consent.
Cara offers a chronological feed and a community specifically designed for creatives. All the things that photographers say they miss about Instagram, where even though people have chosen to follow you, they might not see your posts because the algorithm has "decided" they're not interesting enough.
In that light, Cara sounds great. But there's a couple of potential drawbacks. Firstly, right now most of the people on Cara are artists rather than photographers. Secondly, precisely because Cara is aimed at creatives, it's not really of interest to the general public. And so there's a danger that Cara might become pretty inward looking; a case of creatives all stood in a circle back-slapping each other, but not actually connecting with anyone in the real world.
That said, while 50 comments saying "Great work!" may not be super-useful, you may well feel they're nice to see anyway. Plus, like on any social network, there are ways of framing posts to get more granulated feedback, should you need it.
Most importantly, by putting the needs of photographers before profit-driven AI, Cara has certainly tapped a nerve. TechCrunch reported in June that it had grown from 40,000 to 650,000 users within a week following outrage over Meta's predatory AI policies. And while that's still not a lot of people compared to rivals, we'd argue it's worth a punt just to show your support for a tech company trying to do the right thing.
4. LinkedIn: The professional's platform
Okay, LinkedIn is by no means a new social media platform. But if you haven't used it in a while, you should still checked it out. Because from where I'm standing, its culture has totally changed since it first launched in 2002.
I joined LinkedIn in about 2010, when it was basically a useful place to host your CV and little else. Despite explaining clearly that I was a writer and editor, I would constantly get invitations to the Middle East to discuss a role in the construction industry. Eventually, it got so annoying, I turned off notifications. For about a decade.
A couple of years ago, I realised things were different. I noticed that many of the people I used to follow on Twitter and Instagram had headed there, and were using it just like they'd used Twitter and Instagram. Why? I think because it was somewhere (a) people only posted about work stuff and (b) people were as civil and well behaved as they would be if they worked together in an office. Plus, unlike some of the upstarts I've listed above, there was no lack of numbers or engagement.
So although LinkedIn is by no means an image-led platform, I'd argue it's potentially a good choice for photographers in 2025. The platform's professional focus means fewer algorithm games and more genuine networking opportunities. And while it might not be visually dynamic, its serious tone and business-oriented audience can be invaluable for photographers seeking commercial work.
Conclusions
So… should you join a new social network, put more effort into the existing one, or just walk away from the whole thing?
Ultimately, the answer is going to be different for different people. For instance, I believe that in general, X is now a truly terrible platform for photographers. But that said, the book publishing industry still makes energetic use of it, and so if you have an interest in that sector, you want to be in on the action. Plus, of course, if you have half a million followers on any platform, you'd be mad to throw the baby out with the bathwater.
For most photographers, though, I'd suggest it's a good time to diversify your approach. In truth,
no single platform is likely to solve all your networking and visibility needs. So consider maintaining a presence on multiple networks, tailoring your content to each platform's strengths. At the same time, don't overreach yourself, otherwise you'll spend too much time and energy chasing ghosts.
Beyond that, whether you use one social platform, multiple platforms or just build your own website, the important thing is to create compelling, high-quality content that tells a story, regardless of the platform. And when you engage with others, engage authentically
Interaction matters more than follower count, so build genuine connections wherever you choose to share your work.
Finally remember: the social media landscape continues to evolve rapidly. What works today might not work tomorrow. And so keep trying new things, track your results, and be prepared to adapt.
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