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.
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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.
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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!"
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One of the biggest lessons I took from creating the Long Island Photography Meetup was this:
