Social Network For Photographers

No matter how brilliant you are at photography, this will not take you anywhere if no one knows about you and your business. There are two ways to network:

1. do it yourself by investing your time & energy
2. pay someone to do it

Well most small businesses (not only photography ones) do not hire professional help for marketing & PR. We all try and do our best within our resources to do the best we can for our business. So here are some tips for you to get started:

Social Network
I cannot stress how important it is to build your social network. No I am not talking about Twitter and Facebook, but meeting people, getting in touch, keeping in touch with old contacts, reaching out and letting them know what you are up to. Go to seminars, conferences, etc which is related to your industry and meet like-minded people. Always always keep your business cards on you at all times, you never know who you meet. For us photographers, devices like the iPhone, iPod and iPad are heaven sent, these are not boys toys & gadgets (I tell this to my wife all the time!!!), they are work tools ideal to carry your portfolio to show off to anyone at anytime. Going out for lunch, drink, beer or coffee is really good for catching up on a casual level. As you network, you will know that some people are really good at networking and they know a lot of people. You will benefit immensely from getting to know this person well as he/she will introduce you to others.

So if you are an introvert, have problems with meeting people, being shy, not good in public, horrible at chit-chat and gossip, then find an extrovert who will help you get connected with others. Networking is not a nuisance or time wasting, it is an investment. Imagine if you could always find what you need in just 1 or may be 2 phone calls or emails! If you are well connected you probably can. By investing time building up your network, you save a lot of time when you need things to get done. If you know the right people, you will not waste any time buying leads or sending out random emails in the hope of finding a solution to your problem.

If you dont ask you dont get
If you need something and are asking someone for a favour or help, do not apologise. It may signal a lack of confidence and professionalism. There is nothing to be sorry about you are just seeing if anyone happens to be in a position to help you out. You are not making any kinds of demands or forcing anyone to do anything that they dont want to do!

If you are new to Social Networking, you may ask where do I start ? Social Networking over the years has evolved to become a great business networking tool as well. You need to have a strategy for an online and an offline network. Online networking is good in the way that most of it can be done for free! Using sites like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Myspace and many many more, you can truly reach a global audience and network with like minded people or those who may be interested in you, your service or products. At many of my seminars / workshops, I hear this a lot I do not have time for Twitter, Facebook is for kids and so Well all I would like to say to those is there is a big party going on out there and you are missing all the fun!

Do It Regularly
Dont give up after attending one event or meeting with one person thinking it was a waste of time. Networking works and does take time, sometimes even 6 months or so before someone even remembers your name. This is why organisations like BNI, Athena, etc regularly meet up. Even at silly oclock in the morning, people make the effort to go and attend weekly or monthly. The results will show and prove that making such efforts is fruitful in the long run.

Keep in touch
Dont get someones business card or email address and dont do anything with it. Find a way or a reason to stay in touch. If you know the persons birthday or wedding anniversary, you have a perfect excuse to keeping in touch. Send them a card with a voucher or invite them for a portrait session, etc.

Networking with Local Businesses
I rather network with a small local company than a big multi-national which is in Timbuktu! This is my personal view only. Local companies will give you referrals which are local to you. I spend less time traveling and have more time for my family.
So how does a photographer network with a company. First and foremost, if you want someone to recommend you, you need to build a trust worthy relationship and have them trust you with their clients. After all, they are sending referrals to you. I am not saying you need to be the best photographer in the world, just a good one with consistent results and your work needs to be well respected in your market place.