Are Free Online Modeling Portfolios the Safest Option?

When searching the internet for a modeling agency to represent you or a place to display your online modeling portfolio it can be a very daunting and confusing endeavor. What should you look for when choosing paid or free modeling portfolio websites, a scouting service or portfolio hosting company?

Here are a few tips to make your search easier:

Check for a Quality Website

Pay attention to the quality of the company’s website. Does it look custom, or like something a guy in his basement whipped up? Does it have a multitude of spelling mistakes or tacky advertisements? Does the website look patched together or like a generic template?

A quality website says a lot about the company, especially in the modeling and fashion industries. We are a visual industry, so it’s important that we present ourselves in a way that reflects our profession.

Check Their Success Stories

Does the website show the company’s success stories? Are the models represented on their website models that they actually represent? Beware of modeling sites that only display photos of supermodels and photos of models they don’t represent. If the site has nothing but photos of Supermodels Gisele Bündchen, Kate Moss, and Karolina Kurkova, then you should know something is fishy. If they don’t have modeling success stories of their own then you should definitely run.

Free Websites Can Disguise Hidden Motives

If a website offers to post your photos for free it does not make it the best option.

The teen and young adult market is the most coveted age group of marketers, promoters and advertisers. They will do almost anything to get your email address and contact information. We know of several websites masquerading as modeling sites that have absolutely nothing to do with the modeling industry.

They post a list of casting notices (some real, many fake) and pretend to offer you a chance to audition and get cast in major productions. Wrong! The only thing they really want is your email address, photo and contact information so they can sell you other products, or worse, use your photos on their dating websites where they make their real money. It’s a lot faster for them to have you give them your photos and information than to scour the internet for photos of fresh young faces for their offshore dating sites.

We have seen numerous cases of new models who have posted their photos on a free site only to find out later that their modeling photos were stolen and used on offshore dating websites, or in advertisements for which they were never paid. Free websites have to make their money somehow. In the end it usually costs you much more in time and headaches trying to get rid of these people than it would if you had worked with a legitimate company.

Further, free modeling sites are often trolled by very dangerous characters posing as agents or clients in an effort to lure unsuspecting new models into, what can often be, life threatening situations.

Don’t Be Afraid to Pay a Reasonable Fee

It is true that you should never pay an agency to represent you. However, there is so much hype and bad advice floating around about modeling expenses that many people never succeed in their careers because they were afraid to spend a few dollars. We are not saying thousands or hundreds of dollars, just a few reasonable expenses that can help you get to your goal. Imagine if famous athletes hadn’t invested in such things as hockey and football equipment, tennis racquets, skis and snowboards, or hire the professional coaches necessary to fulfill their goals when they were first starting out. Without the proper equipment and guidance they never would have become successful and earn millions of dollars. It is the same with a modeling career, there are certain tools and professionals that you need on your team. Check out our article on modeling expenses

Do They Have a Best Cat Contest?

Yep, we’re serious. We recently checked out a modeling website that actually had a best cat photo contest. Are you kidding? There is no way that a professional modeling company that is truly serious in promoting your career would ever have a best cat photo contest! Now don’t get us wrong. We love cats, in fact, all of our staff have fur babies at home, and I personally have two very fluffy, very spoiled cats that live on my lap. But, come on! Ridiculous contests like “best teeth”, “best eyes” and “best pet cat” may be fun, but they will not attract legitimate modeling agents and scouts. These are not the people you want negotiating contracts for you that may be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Are They a Member of the Better Business Bureau?

The Better Business Bureau does an excellent job weeding out the good modeling companies from the bad. Most bad companies shy away from the in-depth investigation that the BBB would do on their company.

ModelScouts.com has been a Member of the BBB since 2003 and has maintained an A+ Rating with the Bureau. We were also awarded the BBB’s prestigious Torch Award for Ethical Business Practices.

Do They Post a Phone Number?

If they don’t post a phone number and they expect you, the agents, scouts and clients to contact them by email only, then you can be assured they are not reputable. It is essential for agents, clients and models to be able to contact the company by phone when necessary.

Can You Speak Directly to an Agent?

Because most modeling portfolio or casting websites only hire web developers and marketers, it is impossible for you to speak directly to a qualified agent. At ModelScouts we are all professional agents and scouts. Each of whom has a minimum of 35 years experience developing, managing and placing models with international modeling agencies.

Our staff has managed the careers of hundreds of fashion and commercial models, and we fully understand the various aspects of the modeling industry from contract negotiations, the relationships between international and mother agencies, travel arrangements, overseas accommodations, work visa’s in foreign countries, and more.

RELATED INFO:

Free Modeling Agencies (What Are They?)
Modeling Portfolios (Is a Professional Portfolio Required?)
How ModelScouts.com Can Help You Become a Model
ModelScouts.com Founder Named About.com Modeling Expert