After seeing a blog post about how I use social media from Keith Evans of In Smart Company, and then seeing someone asking someone to like their page (face book reference for those who are not social media literate, but then if your not how are you even reading this haha) I decided to write this post.
Facebook, is there, to be used. To be sociable and to get people to like the work that you do. I may know you, I may know your company, but if I do not like the work, it has no relevance to me, or I don’t simply like it. I will not actually face book-like it.
Harsh I know. Take for instance my friend Joe, from KJ Photography props. She set up her page. I liked it. Because I am supporting her. She posted on her personal profile, used twitter and blog and now has her own esty shop. The more other photographers who networked saw her work and liked her the more it got people to buy her work etc. That is using social media to be good. To do well…and to grow your business. You will grow your business and get more clients by getting people who want your services.
What this is about are photographers who ask other photographers to like their page. That isn’t going to get you business. I like pages of photographers work I admire. Who I know personally (and well) and who are my competition. I generally, do not like other photographers pages, nor will I like if they ask me to. (or anyone else for that matter).
Photographers out there who keep asking people to like your page. Posting it in forums that are just for photographers and on face book groups just for photographers. You will not gain exposure to clients by doing this. You will not grow your business by doing this!
Do offers. Give referrals. Be Sociable!! Its called Social Media for a reason! I have a business card that just has my social media contacts on it. Its separate to my business card but I give them both together. Put them on the same one. Naturally and Organically grow your business.
If you are doing portraits, look on face book and the groups for “items wanted for sale in….” groups and post your work in there. Granted you may think that some of the clients in there are beneath you, but if you are growing a business pull the finger out and go searching for it! You have to make face book work for you and 50 other photographers liking your page isn’t going to do that!
Don’t be scared to run competitions (not by comments or likes though its against face book rules) don’t be scared to ask questions, get people interacting…just if you are a photographer remember who is your client base…its not photographers.
Yes I understand the need to get to so many “likes” so that you can reserve your name as I have. But…please be careful how to do this its better to get potential clients to see your work who will go “Ahhh have you seen xxxx-photographers work” rather than a bunch of photographers who wont tell anyone.
And if you want to read the blog post Keith wrote you can read it here...
Alternatively you too can like me on facebook
