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Networking is one of the most important things you can do for the success of your business as a photographer. The perks of a successful network range from learning from your peers, gaining referrals, collaborating to build portfolios, and even getting discounts on new gear. While networking may be one of the best things for your business, it isn’t always easy getting started. Let’s discuss some basic tips for successfully building your professional network.

Why?

Simply put – as a photographer, you are your brand. And while you are selling your work, you are ultimately selling yourself. People want to work with awesome people – and networking is the best way to truly show off who you are and what you’re about in the most cost-effective way possible. Beyond that, networking gives you the opportunity to learn from each other. Whether you’re tipped off about a new gadget or need advice about how to handle a certain situation with a client, exchanging ideas and information with people that do the same thing you do every day is extremely beneficial. Plus, not only can other photographers end up being a referral source, but working together truly does raise the bar for the photography industry as a whole.

How?

Go to seminars, conventions, and workshops. There is no better way to network than to physically be in a place surrounded by other photographers all learning together. Make sure to bring plenty of business cards and follow-up with those that you connected with afterward. Maybe call and invite them to grab a coffee, lunch, or drinks, or send them a handwritten note letting them know you enjoyed meeting them. Putting in the time and effort up front to develop these new relationships will pay off in spades later.

Perhaps the easiest and least-intimidating step of networking is connecting on social media. Figure out the photographers that you specifically want to target and start visiting and liking their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Tumblr, etc, – but be genuine about it. Remember that you are working to build a meaningful relationship that will be mutually beneficial, and simply throwing a bunch of “likes” and comments on their content will probably not get you the outcome you are hoping for. Show that you can provide value and meaningful contribution and above all – showcase your personality!

Join online forums, groups, and discussions. Not only is this a great opportunity to learn, but you will have the ability to provide advice and knowledge on different topics. Bonus tip: many forums allow you to have a link in your signature, so make sure to take advantage of this and link back to your website or portfolio.

Where?

Networking events can be tougher to find depending on where you live or if you are new to the industry, but here are some good first places to start:

• MeetUp.com for industry get-togethers
• Local Photography workshops
• Local Professional Photographers of America (PPA) groups
• Local business owner groups
• Local artist groups
• Facilitate a meet-up through social media and/or forum discussions

Much like a gym membership, when it comes to networking the best thing to remember is that you get out of it what you put into it. The more time you spend cultivating real relationships with people, the easier it will be to make new contacts and build your business.

Check out some more great resources on networking:

The Ultimate Guide for Photography Networking.

4 Reasons Why Networking is Critical to Going Pro

Social Networking for Photographers

Why It’s Important to Network with Other Photographers

Top Secrets to Better Networking

With so many social media outlets available today, it can sometimes become overwhelming to choose which ones you should be using to engage your audience and bring in new customers. It may seem like the best course of action is to ignore all the choices and just stick to one outlet. What many photographers do not realize, however, is that each platform offers opportunities for growth – whether this may be through brand recognition, followers, or potential customers is your choice! We have outlined the platforms we believe will give your photography business the biggest growth potential!

Instagram

With over 800 million monthly active users, Instagram has the power to become one of the most important means of outreach for your photography business worldwide. This platform offers you the chance to build a portable portfolio where you can showcase your work. This doesn’t mean that you have to post every picture from your shoot, but rather the one(s) you consider to be the best.

With its massive hashtag database, Instagram can help bring in clients that are looking for your type of work. By using specific hashtags, clients will be able to find you more easily. When used correctly, these hashtags can become similar to how SEO helps your webpage get views. In addition, creating a unique hashtag for your business can help create a viewing gallery for potential clients. For example, using #johnsmithphotography on your images and having your clients use it when they post your images on their profiles, will ultimately increase your brand’s recognition!

Facebook

Facebook is one of the first platforms that come to mind when talking about social media. Having 2.2 billion monthly active users makes it one of the most widely known social media platform.  It not easy to figure that this platform can be a very powerful tool to drive new customers to your business!

Instead of using your personal page to showcase your work, create a Facebook page that allows anyone to access your profile. With the use of analytics provided by Facebook, you’ll be able to measure the effectiveness of each post and activity on the account. Additionally, creating a page allows you to boost a post and create advertising campaigns. These two options allow you to choose your target audience (residing area, gender, age, etc.)!

Another great tool that Facebook offers is the creation of events. If, for example, you are giving a photography seminar and would like to invite your followers to attend, this tool helps you reach out to an audience, track the number of attendees, and keep the discussion streamlined all in one place!

Twitter

Twitter is oftentimes overlooked by many photographers. It requires time and energy to fit everything you are trying to communicate about a shoot into only 140 characters. However, this is a powerful form of expression. You do not need to give your audience an entire explanation of what the picture is about. Rather, allow your image to speak for itself. The saying holds true in this scenario: “A picture is worth a thousand words”.

Many photographers do not realize that when they share their work through Twitter, it can get picked up surprisingly fast. The environment surrounding this platform is very much based around retweets. When your followers love your work, they are very likely to retweet your posts.

To start promoting your business through Twitter, you can see the marketing tips they offer on their website!

YouTube & Vimeo

As with Twitter, YouTube and Vimeo are often ignored by photographers. Many argue that they are not videographers and do not have any content to upload. These video-based platforms are often relevant to the type of photography that you dedicate yourself to. If you are a Wedding Photographer, uploading samples of the “Wedding Day” videos you have created would be a great way to showcase your work to new clients.

If the type of photography you dedicate yourself to doesn’t require the use of videos, you can create video tutorials for your audience and peers. These types of videos create a sense of trust in your viewers that can easily translate into a client-based relationship. By creating a channel on YouTube or Vimeo, your audience will be able to more easily find you and find more videos created by you.

Pinterest

Pinterest is a content sharing service that allows members to “pin” images and videos to their pinboards. The main idea is to create a variety of categories that contain pins, resources, photos, and other information that the viewer finds interesting.

As a photographer, creating your own account that not only showcases your work but also has pins of the type of things you like, allows viewers to better connect with you in a personal way. Landscape photographer, Joshua Holko, shares his work from his projects in various boards that viewers are able to see and pin onto their own boards.

It’s also important to note that this social media platform is largely based on shares. Since photography is such a visual business, it can be a great tool for photographers to market both themselves and their business.

Snapchat

Similar to Twitter, Snapchat is often overlooked by professionals. However, Snapchat offers you and your business the ability to reach your followers organically. The video content you create for the platform is unfiltered, unedited, real and shared in real-time with your audience. Once a follower clicks into your Snapchat story, you have their undivided attention. In a world ruled by constant interruption and many outlets calling attention to your followers, this is a great resource to have on your side.

It’s important to note that Snapchat is a platform that should be used to share how you work rather than to display your work. For example, if you are on a photo shoot, you can record a quick ten-second video showing your audience what you are working on, what brand you’re working with, or even give a quick how-to tip. Audiences create a better connection with you when they feel the work is authentic and organic.

It’s important that as a photographer you choose the social media platform(s) you feel are the best to represent your business. Whether you choose to activate social accounts on all of the above-mentioned outlets or just one, remember to have your business goals in mind. Once you kick off new campaigns or themes through these platforms, maintain your business perspective, marketing efforts, target audience, and specific goals all in line. With this, you’ll be able to accurately measure your success.

Lou Bopp is a talented photographer, director, and producer that is currently based in New York City and St. Louis. Recently, Lou has worked to craft a new director’s reel. With years of experience in the field and wonderful insight, Lou details the struggles and successes of creating a great production below. 

To see more of Lou Bopp’s fantastic portfolio, visit his site at www.loubopp.com.

It’s all about the croissant.

My new director’s reel is long overdue. Creating fresh work and sharing it with prospective clients is vital. Curating said work is not the easiest – I would much rather be shooting. However, I work with awesome people and having others to bat around ideas with, from the perspective of great editors, makes a world of a difference. Ralph Waldo Emerson said it best, The field cannot be seen from within the field. 

When it comes to my directorial approach, whether I’m working off a creative brief, a board or run & gun, I’m always on the lookout for serendipitous moments. As I am often hired to shoot both motions & stills, I direct in a manner that compliments one another. The train of thought and overall conceptual vision are about the same. However, the implementation is a whole other ballgame. Screw it up, and you risk losing the brand message and the project becomes discombobulated. Finding the right DP is paramount and pivotal. Same with producers, location managers etceteras even the catering. Because at the end of the day, no matter how great the final piece is, the client may only remember a stale croissant. Great producers are key.

In this reel, you’ll see projects from Hershey Chocolate, The Aalsmeer Flower Auction in Holland, which is the busiest floral market in the world, Mississippi tourism, a disaster mitigation firm, CSpire, a telecommunications firm, a company called USG that probably made the ceiling tile that you’re sitting under, Traders Point Creamery, FM Global, a huge solar farm on the Mexico border and more.

I’d like to thank the awesome folks at rukus post who were instrumental in making this cut. I hope that you enjoy!