With content curators the new web superheroes, demonstrating the value of text based content, the question becomes, “Are images still content?”

The answer is yes and no, depending on who you talk to. Many would say no, while I personally say it’s a secondary but powerful subdivision under copy content. And partially because of this fact – that it’s still content and content needs are at an all time and growing high – and because image marketing is here to stay, there are a different set of rules image-driven people need to focus on.

The first things that require focus are keywords and tagging. This goes for video content too. Whenever you’re posting up images, make sure you research and include a creative variety of keywords and phrases that touch on the subject, the details within the image and the niche groups that would be interested in your image.

After that, image developers and curators should become well versed in the best tools to display their image content. First of course there’s Pinterest. But Pinterest should be used as a marketing tool. You can’t exactly host all your images on Pinterest without each image linked back to your site.

So when you link back to your own portfolio, have you considered what that should look like? A great portfolio will be optimized for images and still infuse your own personality and style – which is essential to branding. You can go a traditional route like award winning OC interior designer Rejoy Geehan did. Rejoy understood the importance of keywords and web optimization, so she ditched her flash-based site that does nothing for images and went with WordPress (and included a blog: a must have for serious marketers).

Then there’s Jasmine Star, a self-taught local photographer that rose to the top not just because of great photos but really because of great branding. Check out her page and that of any routine photographer. You’ll notice content and video paired with images – all against a style that mirrors any popular women’s magazine.

Keep these tips if you’re in an image obsessed business, but remember that the first thing you need is a good online portfolio. However, you may not want to go the routine blog route where the free options aren’t ideal for images. On the other hand, you may not have the money to invest in graphic design. Here are some of the alternatives for any industry…

• Carbonmade: A few student photographers/designers I know have used Carbonmade with a lot of success and very few complaints. Carbonmade can be used for photography, fashion designers, graphic design and illustration, as well as art. Best of all, it’s free and you can personalize your portfolio and set up a personal URL with nothing to really figure out.
• Behance: Ideal for multimedia users, Behance neatly showcases portfolios in an online gallery that claims to get more traffic than Carbonmade. The site is also ideal for those looking to get work, with recruiters being able to post jobs and mine for creative talent. A Behance profile is free but your own personal portfolio will cost $11/month – which is a deal that gets you up and running quickly without complicated coding.
• Pinterest: If you’re really strapped for money, you can always use Pinterest. Something is better than nothing and Pinterest will let you access a lot of users, let them share within their network and let you integrate socially into yours. It’ll also be easy to create organization and setup is super simple. Make sure you use as many keywords and phrases as possible. If this becomes your primary portfolio, you’ll have to go a few steps further and use engaging copy per post.