My thought for the day, and you may be offended, but if this irritates me, it probably also irritates others. And take this post for what it is, ideas to make your business stronger.
Do you have a fan page? And what are you doing with it? And if you have one, is it because you have over 5000 friends? If that is the case, then move along, as it is the only way to reach more then 5000 people. But if you have 225 friends on your personal page, and the same 225 friends on your fan page, please keep reading.
Are you posting exclusive content to your fan page? Or are you just copying and pasting info to 2 pages so all of your friends get that info duplicated? Remember that most fan pages are run by businesses, web sites, or PR/assistants for famous people. They have relevant info, that looks professional. Info that is geared towards their target market. Not stuff like "I'm going to Subway for lunch".
Are you posting original work, or are you posting the same shots that all your other friends who were in the same class or at the same shoot out took that day? Is their work better? Are they linking to it on your fan page? As a client, can I go see their better work since it is linked on your page? Will your phone ring after I see that they are better?
The shots on your fan page need to be edited tightly. Not 60 shots from the same shoot/lighting set-up/same outfit/same model. It needs to be your best work. If it is shot's from your Grandmother's 90th b-day party, put that stuff on your PERSONAL Facebook page, or in a flickr set.
Are you updating regularly? Keeping it fresh? Or if I go there, will I notice that it has been inactive since January?
Are clients seeing it, or is it just your friends who are also in the same line of work? If it is just your friends, how many of them are family members who of course love your work, or fellow photographers that you may be in competition with? What if I, as a client, go to your page, and I see some really cool avatar of someone else's, so I leave your page and head over to theirs? Or if someone says "it was great shooting with you, and you should see my stuff, here's the link at ...", maybe I as a client will go and leave your page to head over to their website?
Does your fan page link back to your personal page? And if so, do you want your clients to know that you were out clubbing until 4am last night? Or that your boyfriend cheated on you with your sister? Or that you really hate living in your moms basement? Or that you really thought your last client was a horrible human being? Or that you are pissed because you shot a whole wedding and forgot that you were on ISO 3200 from the day before?
Most every fan page I go to has the exact same people as your personal page on it. Unless your name is Joe McNally, David duChemin, Scott Kelby, or Chase Jarvis. They have valid reasons for a fan page, and again, it is more about the 5000 person limit, and providing professional info, not stuff like "my cat peed on my Macbook".
If you are using it to attract new clients, are you showing the work you want to produce? If you want to shoot weddings, you need to pull the bird and landscape pictures down. If you want to shoot children and families, the pictures of 1/2 naked models should come down too. Don't confuse your target market.
And how are you attracting new clients/fans? By asking your friends to rave about you? Are all your friends fellow photographers? If you really want to attract new people to your fan page, you need to ADVERTISE your fan page by paying Facebook. Facebook will then create ads to draw people in, and you can decide what demographic will see that ad.
If you are going to have a fan page for your business, that page should have a separate identity. Update it with work you are producing professionally. Don't make it personal, make it business oriented. Talk about your latest gig, offer specials, promote the business, talk about photography, but always cater to your target market. And treat it as a separate entity.
Is it just a vanity page? Are you just using it to showcase pictures of your family? What kind of clients are you trying to attract? People who want to buy pictures of your children? If you are using images of friends/family, or paid models, don't announce that. And again, edit the set tightly.
Unless you are really willing to put in the time and effort to produce a fan page that has exclusive, relevant content, that is separate from your personal site, why bother?
Do you also have a website? If not, why not? Do you really think your free Facebook fan page will make up for not having a web site? Do you think that looks more professional? If you are at the grocery store, and hear a conversation about someone needing a photographer, where do you send them?
Now with all that said, many of you are friends on my Facebook page. However, that is my PERSONAL page. As such, I can post pictures of my kids, and random stuff I do. I don't have a "fan page". I have a website, and a blog for clients to see, and of course, Faded and Blurred. Now F&B does have a fan page, but it is actually producing new content and information, and bolstering the website. It also is trying to reach other photographers, not new clients looking to produce work. I always refer clients to my website.
Sound off below. Have I missed the mark, am I way off? if so let ME know I'm wrong below, if it bothers you, and you also wonder why people have these fan pages, let THEM know below. And if you want me to critique your fan page, please leave the link in the comments.
Agree. Having a fan page but post every picture you take from an event does not serve it right. It should be used to show your best images from an event and should detail useful information you did at the event to capture that moment. Useful information your fan would find interesting or benefiting from.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Frank.... people have been inviting all their friends to fan their page -- but that doesn't mean ANYTHING these days. They're just eyeballs, not the ones that count...
ReplyDeleteYour right Corey. At which point, it is just a vanity page. A place for people to stroke your ego, but they aren't pulling out their check books...
ReplyDeleteRight on about this one Frank. I resisted even getting a FB account (my family kept bugging me about it). I post my 365 project and family stuff on there. I have smugMug and looking for something better. But thanks for post. Maria_heaven_224
ReplyDeleteSound advice Frank.
ReplyDeletei'm going to subway for lunch...
ReplyDeleteoh wait
:)
I'd say that I agree with 99% of your post Frank. I'm one of those guys who is still trying to find my niche in the photography world. At the same time I hate to "pigeon hole" me as a "wedding", "portrait" or "sports" photographer. Can't I be all of them? My fan page is a way for me to display my work to friends, family and potential clients. I do keep it to business and update with photos that are relevant to the types of shoots that I'd like to do more of. Like most of us out there 99% of my business is from family, friends, friends of friends and former clients (I guess I could have just said "referrals", lol). So when I throw up a gallery from a baseball game I shot and the next post is a portrait session, aunt so and so, who visits cause she supports my work, says "oh, I know you shoot sports, but you can do portraits? Timmy's highschool needs portraits of the team and just lost their photographer for prom! I didn't know you could do that! Let me get you a number." (actual scenario... hopefully I can get the gig.) I have been able to cross-market some of my business, simply by putting up work that isn't "exactly" what I want to direct my business at.
ReplyDeleteI guess I'll end with a question for Frank or anyone, what would you say the right balance of diversity and focus in a website or a portfolio?
I think that my site pushes past the appropriate level of diversity. It has too many different things that I shoot. But for now, I like it that way. :)
Thanks everyone!
ReplyDeleteRobert, diversity is great, but here are my thoughts. If you are shooting different things, you need different sites. When people look at someone's site that has multiple genres, they tend to think "Jack of all Trades". When I go to a site that is focused, I feel much more comfortable knowing that they are focused on what style they are presenting. Portraits and weddings go hand in hand, but throw in sports and some other things, and it get's confusing to potential clients.
I whole heartedly agree that you should shoot whatever you want,and many photogs do. But at the high end, they seperate out their business. Seperate sites, seperate target markets, seperate marketing strategies
Great post! I don't have a fan page and I don't want one, but I also don't have a website. This was a great reminder that I need to get on the ball and ask Jeffery for help with a website. =)
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