One of the most important functions I perform as a business owner is paying attention to the societal trends that affect my business.  Every decision I make – from the visual approach I take to producing new imagery to the prospective clients I target and the income streams I pursue – is colored by my analysis of the Political, Economic, Social and Technological (PEST) factors that will affect the outcome.

A couple items from my current PEST analysis:

• The Attention Deficit:
  As Tom Kennedy points out in his excellent ASMP Seminar, Understanding the Changing Media Landscape, we used to live in a world where businesses could use blunt force to imprint their messages on their target audiences.  Media outlets were limited and audiences congregated around advertising driven sources like broadcast television and print magazines.  Today, however, distribution channels abound and audience attention has become the most precious commodity out there. This observation has me thinking hard about how I can increase the share of attention my prospects are willing to give my business by offering a wider range of services that will help them capture the attention of their audiences.

• The Social Disconnect:
  Talk to anyone pitching companies on social media and you’ll hear words like Authenticity, Engagement, Dialogue, and Transparency yet the images these companies use frequently haven’t kept pace with this new approach to building a customer base (or readership).   For me, this translates directly into an opportunity to help organizations bring their visual communications into alignment with their social media and branding goals.

If you’ve never conducted a formal PEST analysis, it’s a very worthwhile exercise.  In a nutshell, it gives you a framework to examine what’s happening in the world around you and how it might affect you and your business. As illustrated above, the conclusions you come to may be long-term and abstract or immediate and concrete. Either way, though, they will always be useful.

For most of us, there’s no need to do a formal PEST analysis very often – once a year or any time you’re thinking about diversifying your business should suffice.  But if you take the time to really familiarize yourself with the process, it becomes pretty easy to start looking at every piece of information that crosses your path a little more strategically.  From there, your ability to anticipate and respond to trends will improve dramatically.

You’ll find a list of the factors I use when performing a formal PEST analysis at http://2goodthings.com/the-pest-analysis.

Judy Herrmann of Herrmann + Starke uses her understanding of societal trends and business to help people grow businesses through distinctive imagery, seminars, consultations and her blog, 2goodthings.com.

“There are no short cuts to any place worth going.” –Beverly Sills

One of the gifts of the internet can also be one of its curses.

Every minute of every day, we’re exposed to amazing achievements–all of which, because of context, seem to have sprung fully formed, like Venus on the half-shell.

The truth, of course, is usually quite different. Scratch the surface of a killer portfolio or Pulitzer prize-winning book or dazzling TED talk and you’ll usually find years, if not decades, of missteps, wrong turns, or just plain hard work of the head-down variety.

More often than not these days, I trust my path and am spurred on to work harder when I see some great thing put out in the world. But on those days when I’m feeling a little frustrated or fragile, I look to this simple line from Beverly Sills, which I have set as my desktop wallpaper.

And then I get back to pushing my particular boulder up my particular hill.

Colleen Wainwright is flying to many cities as part of her ASMP chapter tour, a constant reminder that there are, indeed, no short cuts to great places.

Time spent online with social media must have a clear goal–otherwise it’s just a time suck.

Do you start your day with a cup of coffee and a check-in to your social media feeds?
Does reading the overnight updates on FaceBook, Twitter, and LinkedIn make you feel secure that you’ve not missed something important?

But…are you able to limit your check-in time to 15 min.? Unless they’re on an assignment, few people I know have the discipline to keep from “falling down the rabbit hole” of the online world. They get seduced by following one interesting link after another.
After another.
After another.

The next time you discover you’ve lost an hour or two diving deep into a twitter stream or by following links you find on FaceBook, be careful you don’t succumb to the rationalization that you’ve spent your time doing “internet research.” What kind of “research” are you really doing?

Are you using social media strategically? Is your goal to get followers?  Or to personally and powerfully connect with a client who can give you an assignment?

I’ve interviewed SO many photo buyers who, in theory, like following social media. However, the day-to-day reality and the time demands of their jobs, leaves most of them too overwhelmed to pay more than glancing attention to social media.

Because clients still primarily hire people they know and like, getting to “know” you “virtually” via social media is never as valuable is getting known by someone in person. Those are the kind of relationships that lead to real dollars.

The value of face-to-face will never diminish. Research has shown that humans have a limited capacity for the number of relationships (around 150) that will create a powerful sense of connection and reciprocity. Most people really do give repeat assignments to the people they like and connect with.

If you think it’s impossible to get appointments these days, you might want think harder. People attend conferences, meet-ups, and networking events. Your clients attend them. Time spent online in ‘real’ research will have a much bigger pay-off when you meet them face to face.

Are you thinking strategically when you’re using social media? Or only tactically? A tactic has to be tied to a strategy and a strategy has to connected to a measurable goal. Is getting a lot of followers your ultimate goal? Or is getting an assignment your real goal? There are many paths to getting hired. Make sure the minutes you spend with social media are clearly tied to your strategy and your tactics support your sales goals.

Carolyn Potts, international photography marketing consultant, speaker and former photo rep, actually uses social media but she spends most of her time showing her clients how to get more work. Find her at www.cpotts.com , http://bit.ly/FaceBookPottsConsulting and http://carolynpotts.net

Social media platforms allow possibilities for connection that we could not have conceived of just a few years ago. The opportunity to be “friends” with a prospective client opens up a new way of getting to know that person, and provides a rich resource of information to help in developing a better business relationship.

But often I witness folks using an “old school” approach to marketing that doesn’t work in the new world of social media. They use the access and connections that social media can allow to push their message onto a social media-generated “community” without really investing the time and effort to be a part of that community.

The power of any community comes from the investment of time and resources each member is wiling to make. Shouting down from above, hoping to get someone’s attention, is no more effective in the world of social media communities than it is in traditional communities.

Whether it’s a social-networking community online or a community built in traditional ways, you only reap the benefits of community from making an investment in the lives of others.

If you’re going to see social media as a part of the marketing strategy for your business, the key to success is still in building relationships. Your business contacts who are also now your Facebook or LinkedIn connections don’t want to find your marketing messages cluttering up their inboxes any more than they want an annoying telemarketer’s call interrupting a quiet dinner at home.

Everyone likes to do business with people they like and share common interests with. Social media provides a way for you to connect on multiple levels with your business clients in a way that can be very beneficial. But it’s all about being “of” the community, not “above” it.

Based in Raleigh, N.C., Charles Gupton photographs real people, really well. He loves listening to others’ stories and relishes the challenge of telling those stories visually. He is, after 30 years in this business, more excited than ever about creating images that communicate, while also ensuring that his subjects and clients come away with a remarkable experience. cg@charlesguptonphoto.com , www.charlesguptonphoto.com , www.charlesgupton.com

I wish I had the guts to post a publicly disseminated list of the All Time Best Photography Twitter Accounts to Avoid!  I guess I wouldn’t win many friends, but then, I’d have less junk in my TweetDeck photo-trunk.  I just about had it this week when a photography branded account that I follow robustly on Twitter posted a link to a story about “What’s Really inside a Hot Dog?”

Now wait a King Cotton-pickin’ second!  Let’s argue for a moment about what’s supposed to be in your photography business branded Twitter account…vs. which parts of the movie “Babe” made it into your Memorial Day meal.

#Togs…you have to drive traffic.  And to get the traffic you want, you need to brand your updates to your account offering.  Do your clients want to know anything more than your expertise, your story, and your individual unique knowledge?   While there is nothing wrong about tweeting a hotdog…please tell us how to light it for that perfect food shot, how you devoured one during your last production at Oscar Mayer, or grilled one to perfection while on vacation with your very photogenic family.

Your Twitter account is a portfolio of you behind the scenes in your business.  If you’re not sharing what you love, why does anyone else want to read it?  Certainly, some Twitter accounts are silly, unreasonable, and off-the-wall…within their brand right of doing so.  You’re a “hotdog” of a photographer, so tell us about that!  Make us want to know more.  It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there, so #togs…don’t be Twittering about what’s in ‘em.

Shannon Fagan made the three tour stop for ASMP’s SB3 in LA, Chicago, and Philadelphia.  He has been known to tweet about fish tacos, deep dish pizza, and cheese steak….

An important part of social media is managing your brand.  Your brand is your reputation. Google has a few features that will help you manage the reputation of your brand.

The first thing you should do is open a Google alerts account or use the newly released Me on the Web section of the Google dashboard: https://www.google.com/dashboard/.  These tools alert you when someone has mentioned you on a website, blog, or open social media sites such as Twitter.

Google has options and information to support you in case an unwanted web page or image is indexed by the search engine. You’ll want to go to: https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/removals. You need to be logged in to a Google account to access this information.

Conduct a vanity search – commonly known as Googling yourself – and see what you find.  For a more social angle, search topsy.com and  at the free social monitoring system, socialmention.com.

You never know what you might find.  Often the surprising results are not what negative things people are saying about you, but the positive comments.

To keep it social, take a moment to thank them.

Rosh Sillars is a photographer and marketing consultant for http://www.synecticsmedia.com.

Apple recently unveiled that Twitter would be tightly woven throughout the next version of their iOS.  IF you didn’t spot this trend, let me put it a new way: welcome to the tipping point.  Apple is about to make Twitter a default method for sharing news, photos, and information with your contacts.  Your phone will literally scan your address book and attempt to integrate Twitter throughout.

Now, some of you already use Twitter…which means you probably fall into three camps. You either love it, don’t know how to use it, or haven’t gotten past the confusing gibberish to even start.  Let me offer some advice to those who aren’t already benefiting.

Twitter Screen Grab

Start by Following. Click the Who to Follow button and then look through recommended users as well as search for people you know.  Choose 50 people or brands that interest you and read them for two weeks.  See what they talk about and what information you’re finding out that you’d likely have missed if you had to search actively for it.

Complete Your Bio. Make sure you upload a photo and add a descriptive bio.  You can also include your homepage which will serve as an inbound link to your site. You are missing opportunities when you don’t introduce yourself properly.

Start Posting. Many on Twitter are simply lurkers.  Make sure you get involved. Post updates whenever you add new blog post to your site.  Try posting quick tips or observations about photography. Share good news and accomplishments with others.  You can also include links to useful articles relevant to your interests.  The important thing here is to periodically engage others and comment.

Don’t Obsess. Twitter is not your email inbox.  You do not need to read every tweet that comes in (however be sure to click on the @Mentions and Messages buttons to see tweets about and to you.)  You should also not log in and send out too many tweets at once.

Go Mobile. Put a native Twitter application on your mobile pone.  You’ll find Twitter a pleasant companion that lets you keep in touch with your friends and interests.  The phone applications make it easy to share photos and video as well as streamline the posting and browsing process.

Switch Your View. You might enjoy your Twitter feed more if you use a helper application.  Look at things like Flipboard for iPad or Pulse for Android which turn your Twitter feed into a virtual magazine.

Like all new things, Twitter takes a while to learn and even longer to master.  But it does a great job of keeping you informed of important industry news and can lead to a passive intimacy with your clients and fans.  This excuse to keep in touch means that you stay in people’s minds…which of course improves your chance of referrals and repeat hires.

Richard Harrington is the founder of RHED Pixel,  a visual communications company in Washington, D.C.  You can read Rich’s blog at www.RichardHarringtonBlog.com as well as follow him on Twitter @rhedpixel

I hear it all the time from people who question the value of social media: “Have you ever made any money by being on Facebook or Twitter?” They are generally people who don’t quite understand the value of social media because they either expect an instant pay off or they are not willing to “share” – or both.

The key to getting the most out of social media is to share with others – not to sell – but to share and interact.  Out of that comes relationships and out of relationships come good things.  But social media is also a great tool for  “branding” oneself – for lack of a better way of putting it.  I know when I write a blog or post something on Facebook, I’m not only sharing my knowledge with others, but I’m sharing a bit of myself.  Just like when I first become friends with someone in the “real” world – it takes time to form a meaningful friendship – the same is true with social media.

The other question people have in regards to social media to ask for a concrete example of how social media has helped my business.  I will answer that question with a real case scenario of how I have utilized it for my current multi-platform documentary project Opening Our Eyes:

• Last Spring my daughter and I embarked on a 99-day journey around the globe to film people who were making a positive difference in the world. We used Facebook to find subjects on six continents for our film. Our request for subject suggestions went viral and before we knew it, we had more subjects than we could possibly cover in a 5-year period – let alone in 99 days.

• As we journeyed around the globe, we wrote a blog and uploaded podcasts and photos as people followed our travels vicariously.  We were building an audience for our film.

• When we returned from our trip, we launched a tease for the project on Kickstarter.com, a crowdfunding site.  We raised over $10,000, which enabled us to hire a professional editor.  We sent people links to our Kickstarter site via our blog, Facebook and Twitter and once again it went viral as people passed them along.

• I uploaded the trailer for the film on Vimeo and within less than two months time, it has been played in over 102 countries.  That’s more than half the countries in the world.

• People have connected with me from all parts of the world as awareness of this project has spread.  They have donated their time, their services, their talents, their money and their good wishes to our project because they believed in it and they wanted to be a part of it.  That collaboration alone has brought great value to this project, as well as to everyone’s life that has become a part of it.

When I started in this business over 30 years ago – I could only dream that this would be possible.  Social media has made it possible and “real”.  That is all the proof that I need.

Gail Mooney – creating storytelling still and motion imagery for new media http://www.kellymooney.com

What with all the noise on the Web, it can be tough to keep current with updates to social media platforms. Here are a few worthy of noting:

Linkedin has updated its company search.  Now you can search companies based on criteria such as location, how close companies are to your network, or keywords related to the business.

Facebook has updated all pages for personalities, brands and businesses to look more like personal pages.  You can now use iFrames to customize the page as well as comment on other people’s pages using your brand name.

HootSuite has updated its analytics to make it easier to follow the online conversation about your brand and the reach of your messages.  You can even create custom social media reports. It’s very slick.

The newest version of Foursquare has been released.  Features worth noting are user or visitor recommendations and new merchant promotional opportunities.

What would you add to the list?

Rosh Sillars is the host of the http://www.newmediaphotographer.com blog and podcast, and co-author of the book “The Linked Photographer’s Guide to Online Marketing and Social Media.”

I honestly can’t remember why I joined Facebook.  I suspect it was because everyone else was doing it.  For someone who still doesn’t have a TV, iPhone or a GPS,  it was a big step.

That was a while back and since then I have found the social media site to be a great business tool.  While I’m not aware of having ever booked a job directly from Facebook, I am continually inspired, educated and pushed to new heights by the posts of my friends.  I can keep track of market trends, colleagues’ work and new projects by clients.  When I call a client who is also a ‘friend’, I can easily find recent activities or projects they have worked on to talk with them about.  In this way, Facebook is very valuable.  It keeps an open dialogue between myself, my clients and my colleagues.

All in all, Facebook can be a positive aspect of your business if you use it wisely.

Jenna Close and Jon Held run P2 Photography.  When not perusing status updates they shoot mainly for the alternative energy industry.  You can find Jenna at www.p2photography.net.