Now that you have a Facebook Fan Page, blog and Twitter account, what’s next?
Blogging
While you are asleep, your online store front is always open – 24/7. How sweet is that!
Your blog is an extension of you. The goal is to elicit your personality and style through words. It sounds easier said than done. It’s like the difference between a best-selling novel versus a dusty archived book. Here are some effective blogging techniques.
A blog also allows you to expound on ideas and encourage feedback through comments. Especially if you are a wedding vendor, comments is a form of social proof that can give brides more assurance in quality.
Twitter is a fantastic way to drive traffic to your blog. It is a form of free exposure. However, as time goes on (and you might have realized this too), Twitter will lose value because of the constant noise. Let’s be honest, who reads every tweet anyway?
Here are a few rules that I bear in mind about Twitter:
- It’s not supposed to be a chat room for friends, so if someone doesn’t follow you it’s not because they’re not your friend – don’t take it personally
- It’s not to promote yourself [only], so retweet others and share cool finds
- It’s to access excerpts of information such as news – linked to elaborated versions (blog posts)
- It’s a good way to promote transparency – I like you for you and am interested in what you’re up to
There is a lot more that goes on with Twitter – such as how to track effectiveness of tweets and etc. – but chew on the aforementioned for now. I can elaborate in other posts.
I find Facebook one of the most powerful social networking platforms. I feel that if you’re trying to target brides, then Facebook trumps Twitter many folds.
- Facebook is a news feed that allows for pictures, videos and notifications. Twitter is just a news feed.
- Facebook allows for comments and “like” buttons that notify all users on the same stream. Twitter only allows for @replies @mentions.
- Facebook allows for long notes or ideas. Twitter allows for 140 characters (which arguably is advantageous too to keep things concise).
- Facebook allows for large photo galleries. Twitter does not.
- Facebook allows for tagging of people in images and text. Twitter does not.
There is a whole slew of other reasons, but the last one is the one I like the most. Here’s my workflow –
- Befriend bride / groom on Facebook
- Shoot engagement / wedding (put up same day edit)
- Upload entire SDE gallery and tag them
- Friends and wedding party will tag themselves
- Add them as friends – since they’re all about the same age, they’re automatically potential clients
- Create dialogue and become real friends; don’t stay behind an online wall
- Shoot more weddings
Like I mentioned above, I don’t read all of the tweets in my feed. However, I never miss a notification on Facebook because it lingers there. Therefore if you tag clients [and their friends offer positive comments (social proof)], it never goes unnoticed.
Conclusion
I might have missed other valuable reasons for social media of which I encourage you to share :) Sharing is caring! How do you all use social media? And does everything I said make sense? Don’t be shy to say that I don’t.
Love you all xoxoxooxooxooxoooox,
Lawrence Chan
P.S. So if you liked the article and want to share it click – Twitter / Facebook.
P.P.S. I want to give a shout out to some dear friends of mine – Bob and Dawn Davis. They are hosting two workshops on May 6-7 in San Francisco AND May 13-14 in Orange County.
Bob is a master of light (Canon’s Explorer of Light) and Dawn is a phenomenal album designer and business manager. Learn from them as I have (even through casual coffee meets).
P.P.P.S. I just got the Jack LaLanne Power Juicer Deluxe and wow! Going to pee like a race horse. Sub-P.S.this is a form of transparency :) Now you know that I love fresh juice!
P.P.P.P.S.
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great article, but I’m most curious about your juicer! ;) I just saw the info-mercial for it the other day. Does it really work as well as it claims?
Oh it’s goooood! Juiced pounds of juice in minutes! So far no complaints.
Great article bro. Lot of gold nuggets here that hopefully people will pick up on. Thanks for putting it together in a cohesive article/blog. You rock!
Nuggets eh? You give me too much credit.
As always, you hit the nail on the head Lawrence! Great post.
As always, you hit the nail on the head Lawrence! Great post.
Really useful post about how we can make good use of social media. I may already have said this to you, thanks for the free wifi lounge area at WPPI for AT&T 3G reception SUC KED bottom at the tradeshow!
Great article. I’m a portrait, not a wedding photographer but find blogs and Facebook to be very valuable. (I’m still trying to find a good way to use Twitter.) I have a Fan (like?) page for my business, but its not easy to friend people that way — they have to “like” your business. And, then its hard to tag photos. My personal account is just that — personal to my life and I don’t want to mix business and personal. How much personal information do you share in your Facebook account? What are your thoughts on that?
Well, Twitter does not need to be two-directional. You can use it to just get information. I find it particularly cool to read from CNN, USA Today, and other news companies through Twitter.
In terms of transparency, that is subjective. Transparencies offer insights into you and your life. Commonalities build bridges so that people can subscribe to the qualities that makes you, authentically you.
For example, if there are other owners of Jack LaLanne’s juicer, I’ve already created a common ground with them. Although it is nowhere close to be a community, it is already and undeniably one step closer.
The more connections your clients can make with you, the more likely you’ll be there photographer!
Sage advice from the master.
Awesome! Thanks for all of your sweeeeet articles!!!
Thanks for sharing such great information!
Good stuff here… Facebook is definitely a key to the success of our wedding photography biz!
Great post!!! I’ve been using FB for a while now personally, but just started a ‘fan page’. I’ve definitely gotten more business from FB and my church than anything.. word of mouth, er word of type, is definitely the best advertising!!
So, how in the world do you ‘same day edit’?? Do you mean that you pick your favorites and only edit a few, then upload them??
Thanks for a great blog!! You’re da’ bomb!! :-D
Word Of Type – I like that!
Yeah I pick out about 25 images before the ceremony and do a quick batch resize to a smaller resolution. Then I use a minor contrast action for all images and plug it into a 32″ television right in time before the grand entrance!
isn’t it bookface? :)
On Facebook, is it advantageous to have a “like” (since it is not “fan” anymore) page or what you would call a business page? Can a personal page that you use with your business accomplish the same goal?
I would also say that twitter is the best resource for trade information>>> Not as much a media to reach potential clients (my 2 cents.)
Thanks for the post:D
Yes, in fact I prefer personal pages rather than fan pages, but that’s arguable.
A personal page allows you to stream your clients’ feeds and respond to them whereas a professional page does not; one-directional only.
Great points~
few questions
1) do you think its bad to have your twitter account linked to facebook, makes it easier for me but some times with retweets not sure if good showing up on FB
2) everyone is saying seperate the personal and create a fan page but have had some issues in fan page, people saying that cant make comments
what do you recommend?
thanks
Great points~
few questions
1) do you think its bad to have your twitter account linked to facebook, makes it easier for me but some times with retweets not sure if good showing up on FB
2) everyone is saying seperate the personal and create a fan page but have had some issues in fan page, people saying that cant make comments
what do you recommend?
thanks
That’s relative to how often you tweet and how relevant your tweets are ;)
You gave me a new thinking as far as posting pics on my facebook! Totally doing it now! :)
You gave me a new thinking as far as posting pics on my facebook! Totally doing it now! :)
REALLY great article! thank you for sharing this with us. def. very useful. :)
Great info,well thought out, even I get it. Thank God for Dawn otherwise I’m all thumbs when it comes to social media. I’m more a coffee meet guy. I love connecting with people in person. I guess, I’m old school that way. But I’m embracing all forms of social media and believe it’s vital to our industry.
Oh yea! I love to juice, apples, carrots, 1 celery stalk and a few chunks of pineapple with a dash of protein. Powering up for our West Coast workshops.
Let your Light shine,
Bob and Dawn
Ah I never thought of putting protein in it! Power up!
I still think personal and business sites/feeds should be separate. There are many ways to make your business site more personal (so you can connect with your potential clients), but you don’t want to make anything too personal. I mean, future clients don’t need to know that your marriage just broke up, that your ex was arrested for drunk driving with the kids in the car, your latest sexual exploits, or that you went out partying all night with your college roommate.
If your business is mostly weddings, you can share links to great ideas that you’d personally use. If you’re a children’s portrait photographer, you can highlight the latest cute thing your child did, products you find useful, and include images of your kids.
I think I’ve just seen too many “professionals” forget that they’re supposed to be professional and are instead confessional, you know? Every photographer is a representative of all photographers, and all photographers are representative of individual photographers. It’s a fraternity, if you will. We should all strive to put our best foot forward. It’s in everyone’s best interest.
awesome article Lawerence. I agreed with you 100% about social media/networking. Thank you for reminding and sharing with me (us). -johnlo
I agree with the twitter part! I think its a waste of time unless you are a celebrity. I have like over 3500 followers and when i rss feed to twitter you don’t get a bite. Facebook is much better as there is more of a social being on that platform. My tip for driving traffic is to have great work, excellent service and the rest will follow.!cheers
I wouldn’t exclude the service to celebrities. Many companies including Best Buy, Starbucks and etc use it too.
Try changing your titles to something compelling ;)
I am a firm believer, in FB and recently the blog.. Thanks for the link to how to make a blog more successful. I need help on that. I’m great with photos, not so good with words.
Facebook has tripled my indoor natural light studio business. I’ve been doing almost the exact things described above..and tagging the kids parents in the photos and the word has spread like wild fire.. I also take in another step further I post the link to there on-line ordering gallery on their page (after asking for permission of coarse) and my sales have also gone up! :)
Great article with many useful information in this digital society.
It is right to the point; thus, you nail it Lawrence. You give me a new aura and great guide for my blog. I has been off for almost a year with it.
Again, thanks for the reminders.
Good stuff as usual Lawrence. I shall RT now to share with others. :-)
Great stuff Lawrence! I love how you use the techniques for blogging that you give in your presentation. It really makes the content easier to read and skim through. =)
Thanks Kenny!
Skim?! Should read it thoroughly and multiple timed :P just kidding buddy
These are valuable information. I agree with your Twitter Etiquette guide. Also, Facebook is indeed very powerful. Thanks for sharing!
lawrence – i love getting your email in my inbox! and then coming over to your blog. and every time i read it i ALWAYS get SOMETHING from it. you rock!
AND..in your post today i see your twitter screen shot..and one of my tweets in there.. nice. ;)
like the twitter notes and fbook notes..always good to remember those!
thanks for what you for the community! :)
lawrence – i love getting your email in my inbox! and then coming over to your blog. and every time i read it i ALWAYS get SOMETHING from it. you rock!
AND..in your post today i see your twitter screen shot..and one of my tweets in there.. nice. ;)
like the twitter notes and fbook notes..always good to remember those!
thanks for what you for the community! :)
OK…so about the RACEHORSE thing……LOL…..just kidding. Hey, if you ever want to go to the races in southern Cal…my dad used to be a jockey and is a trainer now. So if you like the races and would like to photograph up close just let us know. Dad could probably get you into the jocks room and definitely the paddock (where the jockeys mount the horses) ect. and any other place you would like to go…Turf Club. If you are into the horse world, you could meet trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Mike Smith. If you are allergic to horses, best to skip this field trip! Blessings,
Cheri
That sounds like fun! I might take you up on that offer :) We’re FB buddies so I’ll know where to find you.
You make is sound so simple to implement, but I find that keeping up with all the social media thing is very time consuming – do employ someone to manage this aspect of your business?
Due to the push for transparency, only you can do it for yourself. Unless you hire someone who knows you completely, then ghost writers are plausible. However, once you get the hang of it, it’s no biggie.
Thanks for the great information. I’m just starting my business and blogs like this is what helps me get informed on what to do you! Your posts are awesome! Keep up the good work and thanks for helping out guys like me out there .
Thanks for the great post LC! I have been putting off my blog for so long but I bought my URL yesterday and now today the template…yes! yes! the Tofurios template of course! When I finally get it up and running I would love your feedback. I will do my best to implement transparency and simply being real. It will be hard for me to be diligent about it but I realize that the whole point of making social media work is being willing to spend time in it. Thanks again man.
I use Facebook much the same. It has been a very successful marketing tool for my photography business! My workflow is slightly different though.
I post the best 10-20 shots from each shoot on my photo blog and then I upload about half of them to my Facebook fan page. I link to the blog in the FB photo gallery description and mention that there are more photos on the blog. This get more traffic to my photo blog and ultimately more traffic to my photography website. It also helps add backlinks to my blog and my website which helps out in search engines. If you post all of it to Facebook then it gives people no reason to go beyond facebook when it comes to your photography. Its got to be a sort of well though out teaser to entice them into your website.
And yes, the juicer is incredibly amazing! Apple cucumber juice is the best in my opinion, and its so easy and quick to make and clean up…
Thanks for the great article Lawrence!
- Joshua
[...] free social media marketing [...]
Hi thanks for your reply, could you expand on answer to my second question posted earlier? would love your thoughts on FB fan page,
thanks!
People can comment on fan pages, but I have reservations about that too. The only perk about a fan page that I can see is that it allows for more than 4000 friends.
Thanks for that Facebook workflow! Will need to try that out on next weddings! :)
Thanks for that Facebook workflow! Will need to try that out on next weddings! :)
[...] 5. Make comparisons – readers always enjoy reading different perspectives on what the writer perceives as “better” or “best.” For example, my post on “Blogging vs. Twitter vs. Facebook”. [...]
Hi Lawrence! I know this is really random and you have probably never had anyone ask you this question before. I am a freshman in college and I am writing about blogging and I found that this article of yours is very useful and I would like to use it in my paper. I was wondering if you could give me your last name too? I am going to put your name in my paper as a direct quote when you say, ” A blog also allows you to expound on ideas and encourage feedback through comments.” says Lawrence ________. If you have any other questions please email me at: brendango77@yahoo.com
[...] know that many find social media to be time consuming, repetitive (Facebook vs. Twitter vs. blogging…), or useless. I assure you that it is [...]
Blog provides brief and precise information about the topic. And in twitter we can only write few lines about the blog or the content which we would like to share. However as per my point of view blogs and twitter works in parallel to each other. In blog, describe the whole topic in brief and promote it on twitter.
now u need a real juicer….the vitamix…jack lalane is for beginners..(although good and i loved jack)….and u are not a beginner…check it out…great article too!!!