facebook/senior edicate?

[abril1127]

Would it be immoral to send friend requests to a local senior group on facebook? I really don't have any senior clients and want some.

[toverman]

Immoral? What do you plan to do with them if they agree to the friending??

My experience –*and it's not a rollicking success story yet –*is that I friend people I know or have worked with one or two at a time. For example, the last senior I photographed, I asked (and received) friendings with her and her mom. That way, when I posted a few preview images from the session, I could tag them with the senior and they were catapulted before their groups of friends. Call it digital word-of-mouth ... I think it's most effective when there are specific, meaningful targets rather than going after an entire group. But YMMV.

[keripayne]

I have 2 pages: one personal and one business. So I have no issue with friending high school kids on my business page. I found my senior reps that way! I thought, at first, that there was no way the kids would accept my friend request, but apparently they don't care who they accept! Lol. If I had only a personal page I wouldn't do it, but I think it's a great way to reach the kids. In fact, my seniors would rather send me FB emails and texts rather than regular email and phone calls. Facebook is awesome! Best marketing tool EVER!

[keripayne]

Oh and I definitely think it helps to be female!! No "creepy old man" factor.

[janikphoto]

Is this high school seniors or senior citizens? Friending either group would be odd for me, but hey... everyone is different.

[toverman]

Originally Posted by keripayne

Oh and I definitely think it helps to be female!! No "creepy old man" factor.

I have to disagree. Those photographing seniors or anyone else for the right reasons don't have a problem, male or female. I'm a family man, "old" but hopefully not creepy, and always photograph seniors with at least one parent in tow.

[S-Man]

I think you're wrong Todd. Being a man has it's disadvantages. The parents and students are automatically creep'd out by a man with a camera, regardless of age. I'm not very old, and one of the girls I'm supposed to shoot said her mom was creeped out because a man is going to be taking pictures of her daughter. I just shook my head and laughed. I think the mom was a little comforted after viewing the website and blog and stuff.

Males are at an automatic disadvantage.

But back on topic. You can even post on people's wall specials you're running or whatever so that their friends see it.

[AllenAyres]

I seriously detest being spammed on Facebook, I wouldn't accept a friend request from someone I know is there to sell me something. Others will tho. :p

The best thing in my opinion is to build a business page, show good to great work and people will find you. Friend all those who you work with, upload their photos and tag them/encourage them to upload the photos. Watermark *all* your images - not to where it ruins the image but to where if they crop it out they crop out something meaningful to the image.

For those I know who are on facebook, I upload/tag them but also provide facebook-sized images with my watermark on them. Facebook tends to mangle photos when uploaded and not pre-resized.

As far as 'creeping' someone out, I haven't run into that yet. Possibly it helps my business name isn't my name, so when they find my work they see I'm not Beavis with a camera

[S-Man]

LoL "Beavis with a camera". Classic.

I don't condone or recommend spamming either. The kids whose walls I did post on were first asked if it was OK to do so. They all said "Go for it".

[keripayne]

Yeah, I don't update my Facebook status all that much. Maybe only once or twice a month if I have something important to say. I figure that's the quickest way to have people "hide" you. I DO have my blog posts set to notify on Facebook though, and then, of course, all the pictures I upload and tag.

I think being a man would DEFINITELY be a detriment if you were on FB looking for Senior Reps, and contacting the seniors for that reason. Of course, once you had a few on your site of people that the kids knew, it probably wouldn't matter what gender you are.

[srwatters]

My first suggestion would be to run spell check on all of your posts before hitting the send button... Please excuse my OCD behavior, but your clientele and peers will consider you more professional with proper spelling and grammar... Most browsers now have a built in spell checker or you can add a plug-in that will flag words as you type.

Etiquette not "edicate".
"I really don't have any senior clients and want some." - consider rephrasing, not really a complete sentence.

[bryanlindsey]

Originally Posted by srwatters

My first suggestion would be to run spell check on all of your posts before hitting the send button... Etiquette not "edicate".

+1

I have no comment on the OP, but few people will take you seriously with a spelling error as big as that one...

[toverman]

Reading some of the industry magazines such as Professional Photographer and Rangefinder, there are many features on successful MALE high school senior photographers whose work is fashion-oriented and (gasp) sexy. I do concede that a Guy With Camera can be creepy, but I don't believe that males are inherently creepy (I haven't run into this as an issue yet, either). Those who are professionals act in a professional manner. If we're talking about Craigslist photographers, I contend that there are an equal number of creepy Gals With Cameras out there.

Girls comprise most of the senior market, but we can't leave out the guys entirely. I think in the case of boys, most who do NOT want their photographs taken, a male photographer has a distinct advantage. Those of us who were teen-age boys can relate on a more primal level and emphasize the coolness of the experience and depict that time in their lives with greater authenticity. What's worse than not wanting to have your photo taken when you're a guy in that situation? Having a woman take the photos; awkward!

I'd emphasize and concur with subsequent posters that any type of solicitation is most effective when it involves someone you know or have worked with. Provide a great experience and stunning images, deliver more customer service than they ever expected, and it's a natural progression to receive access to their friends network (online and in the real world). Otherwise, trying to break into a network is too obvious and borders on spamming ... something that can turn off teens in a heartbeat. They're already marketed to a lot.

I am not trying to change anyone's mind, but am enjoying the thread. As a professional wordsmith, I agree with Scott's comment but do not believe that software alone can cure writing or photographic gaffes.

[sldi]

For the senior crowd the word might really be "EdIcaTe".

[abril1127]

EEk, ya that's a bad error. My bad.