What are you doing?

Twitter (www.twitter.com) is soooooooo much more than simply answering that question. So I thought I would help out my photography friends and take you through a crash-course on how to get the most out of Twitter.

This series will cover the following five reasons why Photographers should use Twitter:

I. Network with other Photographers and those in the Photography industry
II. Extend your Photography Brand
III. Research and Surveys (Yes, this relates to Photographers!)
IV. Showcase your portfolio to potential clients
V. Keep up with current trends in the Photography industry

I. Network with other Photographers and those in the Photography industry

So you joined Twitter and have no idea on how to find your photography friends, or interesting people to follow – for example: Ryan Swigert (cough, cough). No worries! Here are three ways to find photographers and other friends on Twitter:

1. Twitter > Find People

Simply log into Twitter. Then in the upper right corner, you will see “Find People”. Once you click on “Find People”, you will see the following four options:
1. Find on Twitter: This allows you to type in a person’s name to see if they are already on Twitter. You can also type in industry and job titles, such as “photography”, and “photographer” in the form field.
2. Find on other networks: This allows you to see if any of your contacts from Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail, or MSN are already on Twitter.
3. Invite by email: This allows you to invite friends via email address to join Twitter.
4. Suggested users: This options shows you some popular Twitter accounts, i.e. JetBlue Airways, Al Gore, and Tony Robbins. Granted, these are not related to photography, but you might find these accounts interesting to follow.

2. Twitter Directories

Here are a couple of Twitter directories that you can use to search for fellow Photographers:
Twellow
Just Tweet It
Note: You may also find it beneficial to add yourself to these directories so that other Photographers can find you.

3. Mr. Tweet

I could have put Mr. Tweet in the Twitter Directories section, but I think it warrants its own category. Mr. Tweet is a website and service that finds Twitter users for you. They customize the list they provide based on your interests and the people that you are already following.

I know this is a ton to take in all at once, but I’m always here to help you. If you have any questions or feel overwhelmed, simply contact me and we’ll get through it together! There is so much more that I will be sharing with you in regards to how Twitter can help you and your Photography business. In the meantime, start finding people to follow on Twitter using the above methods.

The next part in this series will cover how to use Twitter to Extend Your Photography Brand.

PS Please follow me on Twitter: @darkroomRYAN

Filed under: Marketing, branding, Marketing, photographer, Photography, twitter