adrienne i brand
Social Media
"We don't have a choice on whether we do social media, the question is how well we do it."
-Erik Qualman | Author, Socialnomics
In 2005, I created the "Long Island Photography Meetup." What started with five members grew to over 350 active photographers and was eventually featured in Newsday, Long Island's premier newspaper. I oversaw the creation of all events including location shoots, workshops and galleries, and created a cohesive brand identity as well as a sponsorship program and collateral to offset the cost of operation.
The foundation of the group was the neatly organized, regularly updated forum, where different channels provided specific genres of photographic information – from welcoming new members, to technology discussions, to buying and selling equipment. There was even a section on how to use the Meetup forum site as well as an area where members could post questions for others to answer.
By the time Social Media came into play, I was well-versed with the importance of organization, regular upkeep and most of all: Community Management. Upon meeting the CEO of Meetup in a presentation at BBDO New York, I introduced myself as the organizer of LIPM and he replied, "Ahh... the Long Island Photography Meetup!"
One of the biggest lessons I took from creating the Long Island Photography Meetup was this: