Two years ago now I had the idea of creating this forum. Today it’s a reality. For so long now I have been pushing in one direction; production of the site. Like an oil tanker, slowly moving in one direction as an unstoppable force. However, now that the site is built I feel that I can breathe a bit, but I am also realizing that I now need to change directions. I need to promote.
An oil tanker doesn’t just stop and turn on a dime though. Switching from production mode to promotion mode is going to take a bit of doing. I actually need to learn how to promote the site, as I have no idea on how to do that effectively. So, I’ve decided to no longer be an oil tanker. Instead, I’m going to think more like a humming bird.
The forum is not a free site, and while the cost of access is minimal, that cost is still going to make things much harder for this site to really thrive. The cost is a necessary evil for a site like this. I know I need to promote the site in order for it to work, and I am also aware that I know very little about large scale product promotion. The Oil Tanker in me would hunker down and start reading books and get seriously educated on the subject, and I still may do just that. However, I know it would take months, and perhaps even a year or more for me alone to really get the ball rolling, and I don’t have that kind of time. Nor do the members of the site.
The humming bird can stop on a dime and change directions. It thinks three dimensionally. Because I want to get things rolling fast, I have hired a PR Firm to promote the PPBF! This will allow me to stop on a dime and change my momentum immediately! This PR frim has surely already made all the mistakes that I am sure to make if I had decided to promote the site myself. I think it’s a smart move, and I’m glad I am investing in the idea.
I owe it to the paying members of the site to make this community all it can be, and I’m committed to doing just that. The PPBF is a place where portrait and wedding photographers can better themselves, and I want to see that grow.
We’ve set goals, and they start next week. I am so excited! Change is good, and I’m ready for it.
Wedding and portrait photographers, join the PPBF today!
Aric C. Hoek BFA, CPP, AuthorPPBF Administrator
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Houston Wedding Photographer, Aric Hoek
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Setting up a forum is slightly tough, cos you need to have a regular poster to keep your forum alive. And yes your right you need to work hard in promoting your forum and don’t forget to give your forum member a fresh ideas.
Good luck with this new venture. The begining of a professional portal is not so difficult as to the maintenance and the business model you are using to maintain it. There are so many options out there that it is difficult avoid information overload through the web, phone, magazines, mail, seminar, organizations, workshops, etc. In the end the cream of the crop either in marketing or content will prevail and the others will go the same way the came in.
You are off to a good start.
Much more cost effective then hiring a PR firm would probably be to take advantage of the countless pro photographers you already know, entice them with a free month or two to help build up content in the site, and create evangelists.
No one likes to be sold via nearly spam-like Twitter posts. Lots of people LOVE to be early adopters and talk up things that they love.
You’re of course always welcome to visit the monthly photographer meetups we have on the First Thursdays here in Houston every month — along with all of the other local events — and meet 30-50 people who would love to hear from you about this forum.
So many *free* things you can do if you get involved with the community – speaking with them instead of just at them – to promote this. The list is loooooong. Might want to read Designing for Community by Powazek if you’re looking for a book with lots of tips on this sort of thing. A few years old, but FULL of brilliance when it comes to community building!
Hi Christine,
Thank you so much for the advice. I have done some of the things you recommend.
I first did two free eBook giveaways which brought in about 400 people.
I am very active in the photographic community here in Houston as well, as I am on the board of Directors for the Professional Photographers Guild of Houston.
I would love to come to one of the Thursday meetings. How do I learn more about them?
Oh, and I am also holding an open house on November 2nd here at the studio.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=297060500318&index=1
While I certainly agree with Christine somewhat. I think she is missing the boat here in terms of what you want PPBF to be. Her monthly meetings are great places to network here in town – but PPBF needs to be a national/international meeting of the minds. Not just local.
If our main goal is to -privately- talk business, it’s little counter intuitive to have 30-50 of your competitors doing and knowing and reading the same thing. We need a mixed bag. And it’s hard to do face to face networking for PPBF when that’s the goal.
Aric – her Thursday meet up details are on her blog.