Using Facebook to Market your Photo Business, Part 1

Now that the internet is deeply imbedded in the world’s conscience, it has opened the floodgates for business opportunities in the global scale. Gone are the major barriers of geography and distance, of language and cultures. The internet has brought people closer together and has kept us connected in ways we could only imagine not too long ago. Facebook is arguably the current most popular online social networking media in the world. It is not only used to keep in touch with family and friends but also to promote and market various businesses. If you have a photography business, using Facebook’s features can greatly work to your advantage just make sure you always link back to your blog or photo website as part of your promotion.

Have a fan page and keep it updated – self-promotion is a very effective way to get your name and business known to a wide audience and you can do that by having a fan page. You can have your family, friends, clients and people with similar interests as your fans. As others notice your page in their friends’ wall, they will visit and might decide to also be a fan of yours. There are many ways you can make your fan page attractive. A big come-on would be your profile picture. You can have a picture of yourself or your business logo, or even combine the two. The image should represent your skills as a photographer. Keep this page active by posting regularly and updating your fans with what you are up to in terms of your photo business. You can post links to your blog or your website, show your latest photos, invite people to attend certain events, and the like. However, don’t post too often (such as several times a day) because too many messages can irritate your fans who might consider removing themselves off your fan list.

Fill up the info section – Facebook has an information page where you can include pertinent details about your photo business. Your potential and current clients will be sure to stop by this info tab to find out more about you, such as your website address, your blog site, your online portfolio site with www.PhotoStockPlus.com, and if you have other networking or photo sites such as Twitter or Flickr. The info page is what you would normally see when you use search engines so try to keep the details informative and concise. However, also try to keep the tone light and fun to attract prospective clients.

Use photo albums to show your sample work – it is only natural that you show off your photos in the photo album section. This is where everyone can see samples of your work, so upload and maintain a small portfolio bu talways link back to your main online gallery. Albums can be categorized so make use of this feature to keep your photos in order. Some people assume that online images are free to be used without permission and might copy your work for their own needs without your permission and knowledge. To lessen the chances that your images can be used, never upload the full resolution of your photographs. Resize the image to make it smaller but still good when viewed, such as a pixel size of 800 or less on the wider side. Also, use the ‘save for web’ option when saving your photo after post processing.

Having photos in Facebook means that you can receive comments from fans and others who are visiting your account. These comments can greatly boost your popularity and also be a venue for receiving feedback. Having a healthy interaction between you and your fans or other commentators is a fantastic way to personalize your business. They can ask you questions which you can readily answer and it is this immediate connection between people, no matter where they are, that makes Facebook the perfect avenue for promoting your photo business.