Posts Tagged ‘conversation’

Sep
17

How to become part of the conversation

Saturday, September 17th, 2011

You want to be known for your good work. People tell you that if you work hard and produce creative work, you will be rewarded with fame and fortune.

They lied.

Based on my experience, only about 10 percent of creative people will build and enjoy the career most of us desire. Doing a good job will not get you to the top.

You have to do more.  You need to become part of the conversation within your industry.  You need to be the example.  Very few photographers, writers, and artists can accomplish this without outside promotion.  In many cases the famous people you talk about in your industry are also good at networking, marketing, and promotion.

How is this accomplished?

Go to industry events (local, regional or national). Talk to the people at the top.  Tell them your name. Ask a few questions, but don’t push your stuff on them.  Listen and then thank them for their time.

Go to more events. Say hello, again.

Develop relationships with people in your industry and people in the industries you serve.

Don’t expect others to discover you or give you opportunities. Even your best friend has no obligation to recommend you — especially if he doesn’t think you have what it takes.  Remember, people will refer you if they feel their recommendation will reap rewards (large or small).

Volunteer to speak at local events.  If you have the opportunity, speak at larger industry events. Learn to recognize and take advantage of public relations opportunities. Develop relationships with local reporters.

In the past, this would be the end of the story.

These days,  we can do everything listed above and more.  Social media lowers the barrier, allowing us to introduce ourselves to more industry leaders.  We can share our expertise with groups of people.  You can publish a blog and Tweet your latest creation to the world.

Unfortunately, many people forget the rules are the same. You need to build relationships with the same respect you would in face-to-face meetings.

Introduce yourself, listen, be respectful, and add value to the relationship. In the case of social media, you will have many more relationships to juggle.  As you build trust with more people, the conversation will grow.  As you share your story, work, earn supporters and become a supporter of others, your story will become a part of your industry story.

People will reference you, ask you to collaborate on projects, and consider you an expert in the field.

Even better, they will refer you.

Rosh

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Posted in business, marketing | 2 Comments »

May
29

Social media and customer service

Saturday, May 29th, 2010

A consultant contacted me today asking for guidance.  He is preparing a presentation on customer service and wondered if I would share some ideas on how social media supports customer service.

As a warm-up exercise, I’m sharing a few thoughts with the New Media Photographer community.  Feel free to add your ideas in the comments.

I believe the best customer service begins with great communication.  So, the question is, how can social media improve communication between a company and its customers?

Unfortunately, most companies don’t have the resources to staff a customer service center 24 hours a day.  This is where social media plays an important role. It can support customers around the clock at little or no cost.

What makes social media social is the ability to respond to the content creator.  This communication develops an extended community that supports customers.  Providing platforms, such as a forum where customers can ask and answer questions, is an excellent customer service resource.

Videos uploaded to YouTube are a good start when thinking about customer service. The best customer service videos respond to common questions, such as a DIY installation, product use or repairs.  Service companies should offer videos explaining what to expect when hiring their company

A wedding photographer, for example, could create a video explaining her workflow and what to expect before, during and after the wedding.

I’m amazed at the number of businesses that think customers intuitively know how to best use a product or service.  The more information a customer is armed with, the more satisfied he will be. This is assuming the company follows through with its end of the bargain.

Monitoring the social conversation is extremely valuable to a company.  The information provided by the public, if acted upon, can lead to improving products and customer service.

News travels fast in the social media. If a problem starts to develop, a solution or response can be made before the issue gains traction.

Phone conversations take time. A quick tweet can direct a customer to a solution.  Blogs and Facebook pages are excellent resources for customers to keep up on the latest company information.

Social media is a form of communication.  Quality communication through the social web will serve the customer as well as the company.

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Posted in blogging, business, podcast, social media | 7 Comments »

Dec
9

Who should be in your community?

Tuesday, December 9th, 2008

photo by Rosh Sillars

Much of the Internet business talk these days is about building a community around your blog, web site, product or service.

For a photographer, having a solid community of supporters “who care” about what you do increases your odds for success.  This is especially true in rough economic times. 

So, who should you target for your community? 

The question is: Who is your target audience? Who might care about what you do?  For photographers, the answer usually consists of business owners, brides, creative directors, new mothers, or marketing people among many others.

How do you attract these people?  The answer is easy – offer them desirable information.  The answer is hard – what information do they really need or want?

It is important to find a niche.  You can’t be all things to all people.  As much as you might feel like you are losing out on opportunities, your chances of success are much greater if you narrow your niche.  You can always expand or focus on additional niches in the future.

Your peers talk about your industry to others. If your work can become a positive part of the conversation, name recognition will increase.  Name recognition, even among your peers, will open doors.

For example: If you’re the known dog photographer in town, the cat photographers might recommend you if you are part of their conversation.  How do you become part of the conversation?  Create a community around a topic cat photographers would find engaging, entertaining or informative. Be supportive of the cat photography community.

As a photographer, you can offer resources to the people listed in the beginning of this post as well as designers, stylists, architects, real estate agents, and high school seniors. Unique photography styles or equipment techniques will often draw an audience. If you offer good content you will become part of the conversation.

What about your photography? I would recommend using your images as examples. You should always offer a complete “about page” with links to your specialties. But remember, creating community resources doesn’t replace a quality portfolio web site.

Make sure you are willing to commit to your growing community. You don’t want to develop a bad reputation. The last thing you want is to be a negative part of the conversation.

Rosh

 

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Posted in business, social media | No Comments »