Free?
Recently there has been a lot of buzz about Chris Anderson’s new book “Free”. Malcolm Gladwell’s review of “Free” makes the point that even free comes at a cost. Most photographers can certainly attest to that. Marketing guru Seth Godin makes the point that the paradigm is changing and that all the whining in the world won’t bring back “the old days.” Mark Cuban chimes in as well to provide more perspective and perhaps the most balanced of the lot. While no one has a crystal ball to predict the future, this new paradigm of “free” has already changed the lives of photographers and all content creators.
It has been stated numerous times by others that “content” must be unique and such that it is not found anywhere else. The drop in what stock images are being licensed for can attest to that. In addition, technology changes means a photographer can no longer just be a technician.
Put these challenges together and I think that photographers need to position themselves as being more than just the content producer. Unless of course what you do is so unique or great that a buyer can go nowhere else. Certainly one way is to partner with others or position yourself further up the ladder or both. What I have learned so far about social media marketing is that really anyone can position themselves to whomever and however they want – at little or no cost. It’s free right? Well, to a certain extent. It is, or can be, a demand on one’s time and could be a waste of time if not done strategically.
Technology is and always has been a double edge sword – just like a bad economy. If one chooses to look in the rear view mirror and lament the past – they’ll drive by all the opportunities.
3 Responses to 'Free?'
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Great post Gail, and thank for the link to Mark Cuban’s comments. Gives new meaning to the term “freelancer” (in a positive way).
From Wikipedia:
The term was first used by Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832) in Ivanhoe to describe a “medieval mercenary warrior” or “free-lance”. It changed to a figurative noun around the 1860s and was recognized as a verb in 1903 by authorities in etymology such as the Oxford English Dictionary. Only in modern times has the term morphed from a noun (a freelance) into an adjective (a freelance journalist), a verb (a journalist who freelances) and an adverb (she worked freelance), and then the noun “freelancer.”
Kevin, that’s interesting. There are some days that I feel like a “medieval mercenary warrior”.
Gail
I really appreciate your last line.
Free really is never free. Social media is free, but it can be very expensive. Our time is valuable. So, how much does an hour of social media cost you?
As gail suggested – work strategically.
As you move forward ask yourself. How much does free or cheap photography really cost your prospects? Use your answers to earn new business.
Rosh