Photofocus

Copyright Scott Bourne 2008 - All Rights Reserved

More Tips on how Professional Photographers can use Twitter to Improve Their Business

I have already written about how photographers can use Twitter as a marketing tool. Here are some additional business uses of Twitter that professional photographers might find helpful.

1. Hiring – if you need an assistant, a receptionist, a retoucher, Twitter is a great place to get the word out. It’s fast, free and viral. Particularly in the current economy where jobs are scarce, people will RT (retweet) job postings. I posted a simple Tweet about needing a part time assistant and within five minutes had more than a dozen inquiries. Over a few days that turned to hundreds and I had to delete the Tweet because I had such great response.

2. Research – skimming for photo-related links, news and reviews is easy now that Twitter has a search tool. Since Twitter is real time, you can bet that if you’re following the right people, you’ll probably find out about the next new Nikon or Canon camera body on Twitter before you hear about it anywhere else.

3. Research Part II – poll other photographers for advice. See what they are working on. Ask what tools and techniques they are using.

4. Education – There are lots of photographers who use Twitter to share tips. Whether it’s how to get the most out of a Lensbaby, or how to book models in return for prints or how to select a lens, I’ve seen a great deal of free educational material on Twitter. I try to provide some of that myself as a way of giving back to the Twitter community that enriches me too.

5. Networking – by paying close attention to Twitter, you can discern the relationships amongst certain photographers, vendors, photo associations and their audiences. By listening, you can find out who knows who and hope for a connection to someone you know. I’ve found that Twitter proves the old six-degrees of separation theory pretty well. If I look at someone’s stream on Twitter, it won’t be long before I know someone who knows them.

I hope you found this helpful. If you have an idea for a Twitter story that will resonate with photographers, send me email to photofocus@me.com. You can also follow me on Twitter.