Thank You and Happy New Year!

[by Susan Carr]

Dear Friends,
I want to take a moment and thank you, our readers, for making this blog a success. We launched this endeavor nine months ago and our community has been growing steadily ever since. I also want to express my gratitude to our talented contributors for sharing their insights on all aspects of the photography business. Together we are building a valuable resource for the trade.

As we end 2009, please share your blog topic suggestions with us by posting a comment here. What do you want us to talk about? Tell us what what type of information really hits home and what doesn’t? Share your ideas and feedback with us as we plan for the New Year.

The SB blog team is going to take a short vacation to enjoy the holiday season returning on January 4th refreshed and ready for 2010!

Wishing you an enjoyable holiday and prosperous New Year,
Susan Carr, SB Blog Editor

Take a Look

[by Thomas Werner]

Some beautiful and interesting work. Take a look and allow yourself to see in a slightly different manner.

Action Trumps Inaction

[by Charles Gupton]

Although it’s against my perfectionist nature, I am finding that with today’s fast changing market conditions, I’m needing to make a huge number of decisions without first having all the information I’d like to have in hand.

However, as I look around, I’m seeing way too many people living in fear of making wrong decisions — a fear that even a small failure will be catastrophic. But I’m also seeing that time and again, the riskiest decision one can make is to do nothing. So, just make a decision and act on it.

Action trumps inaction.

Feeling Overwhelmed?

[by Leslie Burns-Dell'Acqua]

Sometimes, when you feel completely overwhelmed and out of control, a day off is not only a good idea, it is absolutely necessary. The piles of things to be done will still be there, but you’ll be in a better place to deal with them.

How I Learned to use Twitter without being Consumed

[by Charles Gupton]

At first blush, I found Twitter to be nothing but noise. Thousands of people (and companies) screaming “look at me, me, me!” A large number of them, when they run out of anything meaningful to say (which is fairly quickly) simply get a book of quotes and tweet their way through them.

I’ve started using it differently. As the first part of conversation, I’m mostly listening. By using particular tools (I use Hootsuite and Tweetdeck), you can group the people you’re following into different categories. I view it as pulling up a chair to join one table or another in a crowded bar rather than walking through and hearing nothing but meaningless snippets of dialogue. As a result, I’m learning what’s important to the people I want to know better. When I do speak, it can be to their needs, which are, after all, more important to them than mine.

One strategy I’ve found useful is to shine the spotlight on others using their “@twittername” and mention something good they’re doing to the Tweetterverse, as well as, taking the time to RT (re-tweet) the good posts I see. I see this as relational and not manipulative – who doesn’t enjoy getting a public pat on the back? I’m also using the direct message (DM) function to connect other people when I see that they can produce value for each other without my involvement. I see this act as a no-cost gift.

Using the advanced search feature at www.search.twitter.com, one can find people in a number of ways – including by certain words, names, places and even attitudes – that allow you to follow their thoughts on the things they value.

These are a couple of ways I am able to add meaning to the conversation without overtly drawing attention to myself or lurking in the shadows.

Did You Know?

[by Ed McDonald]

You can find a review of the top six (Facebook, Photobucket, Flickr, MySpace, YouTube and Twitter) Social Media Terms of Service agreements online at the ASMP website.  The report presents recommended best practices, considerations, common terms used, and hypothetical situations photographers may face when images are posted on social networking sites. Find this on the ASMP site by going to the home page left hand grey column down to “News” then fly-out to Social Media Terms of Service.

Blogs and Your Business

[by Jay Kinghorn]

About six months ago I began blogging regularly and I can safely say it has become one of my best business planning tools. When establishing an audience online, you are constantly striving to provide that audience with meaningful, thoughtful, useful information. In turn, you’re committing yourself to thinking deeply about your craft and staying ahead of the information curve. This thought process is incredibly valuable as it helps you clearly articulate what your business’ role is in your field and the value you bring to your clients.

Perhaps more important, it helps you constantly see your business from the client’s perspective, which can only help you provide better, more targeted services.

It’s helpful to answer these questions when planning your blog presence and the unique content you’ll bring to your clients.
- What information does my audience need?
- How can I provide that information?
- What is my true expertise and how can I use it to help clients?

If you haven’t already answered these questions about your business, then this is a better time than ever to start.

Some of the practices I employ when writing blogs:

1) Passing on an interesting news article or link: Don’t just recycle it and send it out just as it came in. Instead, reference the article and put it in a context that applies to my readers and what it means to them professionally.

2) Original works: Try to address challenges you know your audience faces. If you are writing about something of interest to you, tie in why it’s important to your readers.

3) Blog often. There are so many blogs out there. Don’t just expect your readers to stay with you just because you’re there. They will stay only if you regularly provide interesting, useful information.

4) Gather data on the success of your blog posts through analytics. This will give you insight into what your readers find interesting and helpful.

Writing your blog thoughtfully and with your clients in mind will reap big rewards. You’ll be able to clearly articulate your business purpose and produce better better work for your clients, because you’ll have a better handle on what your clients need and want.

For a great recent article on blog posts, read this from problogger.

Got Google Goggles?

[by Rosh Sillars]

For those still in doubt about the growing importance of social media, please consider the following ideas.

Approximately 80 percent of people with Internet access use search engines to find or review products and services. Google, the No. 1 search engine, recently announced that social media activity would be displayed along with the traditional site links in search results.

This means up-to-the-minute posts on blogs and popular social media platforms such as Twitter will be prominently displayed. This action, along with similar upgrades from the search engine Bing, will draw a larger audience to social media platforms and communities.

What about the offline world?

As smart phones continue to grow in popularity and applications become more powerful, social media will continue to impact traditionally offline businesses.

Smart phone applications such as Yelp allow users to photograph a row of businesses along a city street and within moments, obtain business names, social media ratings and reviews.

Google just released Google Goggles, a smart phone application that lets users photograph an object such as a book, logo, business card or landmark in order to obtain information about that object.

Additionally, Google Goggles can read easily accessible bar codes, which business owners can display in creative ways, such as placing them on street-side windows, packaging or marketing materials, to share additional information for smart phone users about their products or services.

People will continue to seek guidance and opinions from social media communities they trust. This includes searching for and hiring a photographer.

Social Media – Conversation or Bullhorn?

[by Charles Gupton]

For more than a year now, I’ve been wading into and through the murky waters of social media (SM). I have found the process challenging at best with a lot of frustrations in the process. All though I’ve learned a tremendous amount along the way, I still have a long way to go.

However, as I’ve slogged through, I’ve had more than a few “Aha” moments I’d like to share. Because all of the SM platforms are simply tools, each person using them is going to shape something different that fits his/her particular needs. I would love to have your feedback as to how you’re using these tools to shape your business and add value to the community.

First, I’ve come to see that all social media is either about conversation or the process of laying the groundwork for relationships so that one can have a conversation. Although many folks use SM as a bullhorn to shout their message, I believe we’ve reached such a level of noise that most people are just tuning most of it out. When I started exploring, I signed on to more than a dozen sites trying to figure out what the “buzz” was about. All I got was overwhelmed.

My second “Aha” came when I decided to pick one area at a time and explore it before moving to the next. Trying to get a better understanding of what other people used, how they used them and why, I forced myself to stop, reassess and develop a plan. I chose to begin with my blog.

Many people don’t see blogging as social media, per se. But I see it as a public commitment to have a voice and to contribute value to my community as it develops. Because I started with no readers, it was a means of developing my voice to prepare me for deeper involvement in public conversation. A successful blog requires consistency and if I was going to show a conversational partner that I was committed to being at the table, it seemed a good place to start with my own contribution. Now it’s up to my readers to decided if I’m giving enough return on their attention to come back and talk.

Although there are countless resources for what and how to blog to gain a large number of readers, the first question I asked is “What do I hope to accomplish? ” I doubt that my thoughts will ever attract a large following. However, I decided early on that my desire is to be more relational with people I already have a connection with while also allowing for potential clients to get a feel for who they might be investing their time with.

Because most of us serve different roles in various social and business circles, I saw my blog as a means of presenting my thoughts as I connected with people in the ones I’m involved with. I don’t receive many comments on my blog but get a surprising amount of feedback when I see folks at community activities or meetings. That’s where the conversation occurs.

Are You Thinking About a Video Camera Purchase?

[by Gail Mooney]

Before you decide on which video camera to buy, work backwards and make sure your editing software and platform will be compatible.  Check out these compatibility charts from Adobe and Apple.

Blu-ray Discs for Backup

[by Peter Krogh]

Consider Blu-ray disks as an way to backup your files. The dpBestflow project recommends that write-once media, such as CD, DVD or Blu-ray disk can provide needed protection for your valuable images. Many people feel that DVD is just too small, at 4 GB, to be worth the hassle. Blu-ray can hold 23 GB. Burners cost less than $200, and discs can be found for as little as $3 each. Read more here.

What About Flickr?

[by Thomas Werner]

Art buyers and art directors look for photos in the places they are most familiar and comfortable with. Put your photos up on Flickr, a large number of art buyers and photo researchers look for, and purchase, images there.

Insurance?

[by Leslie Burns-Dell'Acqua]

When was the last time you updated your insurance? I mean sat down with your agent and looked to see what you really need, and planned for the future, too? Don’t keep putting it off.

It is Quick Tip Week …

[by Paul Bartholomew]

With so many online accounts these days we become very vulnerable to hackers. I had my blog hacked this past year and decided on an easy solution. I created a much longer password that’s easy to remember by combining two passwords together. So far it’s been working.

Great Idea for Your Holiday Promo

[by Leslie Burns-Dell'Acqua]

As we head into the holidays, photographers are trying to think of holiday promos. I have the perfect solution: next year plan ahead and decide what to do in, say, July or August.

Sorry. I know that sounds harsh, but the reality is, if you haven’t planned out your promo by now, you are throwing something together and it will likely not be very successful. If you are lucky, you may get a little bump in web activity, but it is unlikely that you’ll get the payoff you could get from a well planned promo.

The pressure to think up something this late is an extra roadblock you just do not need. Also, if you do come up with a good idea, the short time frame for execution is another hurdle. So often, when you make last-minute promo plans, you will get so busy with work-work (not a bad thing in many ways, of course) that you won’t have the time to execute your promo plan correctly.

So, here is what I suggest: if you don’t have a promo ready to go, take the ideas you are getting now and write them in your calendar as a tickler to pop up in July of next year. Instead, make this holiday one where you just give and don’t try to make anything marketing-ish out of it. Contribute to your favorite (non-religious) charity and shoot your list an email letting them know that is what you are doing this year. Thank your clients for making such gifting possible.

In fact, you can make that your traditional promo for each year instead of spending on self-promotion. Not to toot my own horn, but this is what my company does every year. I  buy a big pile of toys (mostly games) and contribute them to Toys for Tots. Doing so helps those who would otherwise not have a very happy holiday season and, honestly, the response I get from my list is always incredibly positive. No one misses getting another holiday promo.

But doing a great holiday promo can be fun, your targets can love it, and it can help your business. So next year, plan on doing something fabulous. Maybe a motion photography holiday “card.” Maybe have a party for your local targets where you also can gather contributions for the local food bank. Maybe make great t-shirts or develop a holiday app. But if you don’t have plans yet this year, don’t panic, and help others instead.

Three tips for Holiday Promos & Gifts

[by Judy Herrmann]

1) Don’t get lost in the “Holiday” shuffle – this time of year, everyone’s getting way too much stuff from way too many people.  Do something simple for the Holiday-with-a-capital-H season then pick a different date to show your clients how much you value and appreciate them.  You can use a smaller holiday or even just pick a random date.  A thank you gift when you’re not expecting it or another box in the pile of stuff on your desk in December, which would you remember more?

2) Research gift policies before sending – many corporations, educational institutions and government agencies have strict policies prohibiting employees from accepting anything worth more than $25.00.  Be sure that your clients can accept your gift before placing them in the awkward position of having to send it back.

3) Make it personal – if all you’re sending is a preprinted card with your name scrawled somewhere, well, all I can say is when I get those cards, I don’t think “Wow, this person really values their relationship with me.”  Instead, address the envelope by hand, write a personalized message, pick an image you know they’ll really love – do something to let them know they matter enough for you to spend a moment thinking about what matters to them.

Make it Personal or It Isn’t a Gift

[by Thomas Werner]

When giving a gift to client don’t give something that is too expensive and don’t give something that is a self promotion. Expensive may make a client nervous, and self promotion really isn’t a gift.

Try a small ten or twelve dollar book of photography. It feels more personal, can be tailored to each client’s personal taste, and relates to your business without saying “business.”  The goal is to say thank you and connect in a way that your self promotion does not.

Good luck, and the best to all over the holidays!

Navigating the Gift-giving Minefield

[by Charles Gupton]

This time of the year between Thanksgiving and Christmas draws our attention to not only giving thanks for the rich blessings in our lives, but saying “thank you” to people who’ve helped us make progress in our lives during the year. But it can be a very awkward time because of the potential implications that can accompany the gift-giving process. Where company guidelines don’t set clear boundaries, what seems like a simple act of saying “I appreciate you!” can become a minefield.

While reading “The Five Love Languages” by Gary Chapman many years ago, I quickly realized that understanding how to show someone that they are appreciated had implications far beyond trying to improve my own marriage. The premise of the book is that everybody has a primary means of “hearing” that they are loved or appreciated, and that they tend to use their primary language as they communicate their feelings to others, as well.  The five languages are:
•    Words of affirmation
•    Receiving gifts
•    Acts of service
•    Quality time
•    Physical touch

Although it takes some observation, learning how to communicate to the people around us that they are appreciated can help build a deeper, trusting relationship with them. For example, if a client you want to say “thanks” to values quality time with her spouse, she may appreciate a gift card to a quiet restaurant more than a beautiful vase of flowers or a signed print. For someone who values acts of service, a gift of ten hours from an errand service would probably mean more than a case of wine.

This may seem to be a no-brainer, but in our rush to get something done, we often look at the solution based on what we value rather than what the receiver might deem most significant. What do you think?