Use Social Media to Reinforce Your Message

[by Thomas Werner]

So you have your Facebook account set-up, are adding business connections on LinkedIn, and are Tweeting from time to time. You spend “x” number of hours a week posting and building your base, you have “friended” and “connected” and “follow” your fellow photographers, favorite web sites, blogs and Facebook pages, personal gurus, and maybe even a client or two. Now what do you do next as you sit in front of your computer waiting for your efforts to turn in to new opportunities?

The first step is to be sure that you are doing more than just connecting and growing your number of contacts on each site. Spend a little time looking at the message that you are sending through each of these channels, does it match your business plan, your personal goals? Are you mixing friends with business, or are you reinforcing your brand and developing an online voice? Do prospective clients know who you are via your posts, updates and tweets? Are you connecting with your target audience? Do you need to create a separate page or social media identity for your business?

It is essential that you use social media to help clarify who you are, not to confuse your future clients. Align your use of social media with your other advertising and promotions, use it to reinforce your companies brand. Think twice about the images you post, the colors that you use and the links that you send. It can take a lot time and energy to help a client understand who you are as a person, and the kind of work and service that you deliver as a business. Social media should reinforce your message, not undermine your hard work, you do not want to give a client a reason to wonder if you are the right fit.

Thomas Werner is an Educator, Lecturer and Curator. Please see Thomas Werner Projects at Facebook.com for new projects and additional information.

Non-marketing Uses of Social Media

[by Blake Discher]

Most of us are now using Twitter and Facebook as marketing tools with varying degrees of dedication and success.  Did you know you can use social media to keep current about industry news or any other topic that interests you?

I remember at first being overwhelmed by the vast amount of “information” coming through my Twitter feed and someone recommended SocialOomph.   It’s great for filtering out the Tweets that are of no interest to you and best of all, there’s no need to have one eye on your feed as you sit at your computer doing other important tasks such as marketing or post work on your images.

To use it, create a free account at the site and then set up alerts to track keywords in the public Twitter stream. SocialOomph will monitor Twitter and periodically email you a digest of the tweets that contain those keywords.

I have alerts set up for the keywords “ASMP”, my Twitter ID “bdischer”, another of my companies “go-seo.com”, my blog “groozi.com” and several other keywords to help run my business.  On a personal level, because I have a few vintage Triumph sports cars, I also have alerts for “TR6” and “TR4”.

Even the free version of SocialOomph is a bit like Photoshop in that there are so many things it can do you could spend hours setting up all sorts of social media reporting.  At the very least, you should set up keyword tracking; it will help you to more efficiently manage the vast amount of information flowing on Twitter.

Blake Discher is an SEO expert, photographer, vintage sports car driver, and best of all, father of a six-year old boy. Check out Blake’s lifestream at http://www.blakedischer.com.

Hellooooo, Is Anyone Out There?

[by Judy Herrmann]

One of my goals this summer has been to really wrap my head around Social Media – partly for my own business needs and partly to increase my studio’s value to our clients by offering another area of expertise.

One point that crops up over and over (and over) again in nearly every Social Media activists’ activities is the idea that Social Media is a conversation; a dialogue, not a monologue. Some draw the analogy to a cocktail party – Social Media is where you tell a little about yourself, ask some questions, flirt a little and decide if you want to take the relationship to the next level. Others stress that it’s as important to comment on other people’s blogs and Facebook pages, to follow others on Twitter, to recommend others on LinkedIn, etc. as it is to keep your own blog, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitterverse updated.

In other words, Social Media is, well, Social.

So let’s start talking.

Right now, my favorite blog for learning about Social Media is Mark Steizner’s socialmediaexaminer.com, which includes posts from over 30 social media experts including Mari Smith, Chris Garrett, Denise Wakeman, Cindy King, Casey Hibbard and Jason Falls. Each of those experts also offers useful information through their respective SM (no ampersand!) outlets.

So, what’s your favorite resource? Who’s helping you figure out what to blog, tweet or post about? Or how to add all these posts (and comments) to your already crazy schedule? Or which technology to use and which to avoid?
C’mon, have a drink, grab a canapé and let’s build a great hot-list of the best Social Media resources out there together.

Judy Herrmann uses skills gained over 21 years as an award-winning photographer, small business owner and creative problem solver to help companies grow. Judy@HSstudio.com

Social Media

[by Rosh Sillars]

Imagine it is 1995. You are sitting across from a prospect with your portfolio laid out. She flips through the pages of your book and stops at one of your beautiful images. “Wow!” she says. “This is an incredible photograph.”

At this point, she might call a few people to her office to see your work. Chances are, they will not be available. Imagine if she could have pushed a button and sent a copy of that incredible picture along with a big endorsement to all her friends in her business and beyond? In 1995, that button wasn’t available.

Of course, as you leave her office you bump into a familiar face. It’s one of the many photographers you know who is also presenting work that day. The next question you ask yourself is how do you follow up on a regular basis without being a pest?

What about the clients that disappeared, lost their jobs or moved? Where did they go? How could you keep in touch for future opportunities?

What about competing with the photographers on the coasts who always seem to know the latest styles and equipment in 1995? Wouldn’t it be nice to have access to that information without waiting months for the photography magazines to publish? How about easily accessible, in-depth how-to information from the top professionals — anytime or place – with the option to ask follow-up questions?

What about the ability to share your images around the world without a large marketing budget, or the power to monitor the local or international markets for people in need of your service? None of this was possible in 1995.

This is 2010 and what I’ve described is what social media does for individuals and businesses. The magic buttons for people to share your portfolio with all their friends is available. The ability to have buyers subscribe to your latest images, purchase select images at 3:00 a.m. at your price or view your photographs passively at their leisure is a reality. Access to the newest information and the world is here.

Are these stupid and a waste of time?

Rosh Sillars is a media and corporate photographer, host of www.newmediaphotographer.com and co-author of the book Linked Photographer.

Social Media: Relax…

[by Thomas Werner]

Much has been made of social media and it’s importance in terms of building your market and creating greater visibility for yourself and your business. While I agree social media has become essential to a well-rounded marketing a program, I find the emphasis many have placed on this topic a little extreme.

While giving lectures I often hear people say they have been told to spend one hour a day on social media. That is an extraordinary amount of time to devote to what should become a consistent but casual interaction in which relationships are developed over the course of time. If you spend a couple of hours a week reaching out, creating new connections, and letting people know what you are doing via Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, you should find your network slowly growing and the benefits to yourself and your business growing as well.

Leave the five or seven hour a week to those who want to become online  “experts” in this field. Get out, create images, have lunch with an old client, find new ways to partner with an expanded network of creatives in your city.  Develop your marketing plan and relax when it comes to social media; grow your social network in a manner that you are comfortable with and your “friends” and “contacts” will be comfortable as well.

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