Our blog is intended to inspire and educate others about all aspects of documentary photography. For photographers, documentary filmmakers, and creative storytellers, that mission also encompasses the teaching of those business skills necessary to thrive in the competitive creative marketplace.

Each post in this series will discuss ways to expand your client list, gain more proficiency, utilize new tools, or level up your marketing. Topics covered here are discussed more thoroughly during our Mentoring and Business Skills workshops. Contact our offices here to learn more about these programs.

There are more social media platform vying for our attention every day. Most photographers flock to Instagram with its entertaining platform and easy way to visually showcase your portfolio of images. However, LinkedIn is where business-focused creatives should focus their time if they want to make professional business connections.  

For the saavy creative storyteller, LinkedIn provides the stage to merge your creativity and business acumen to help your career in ways far superior to other social platform. It is an indispensable tool for photographers with an entrepreneurial spirit but it requires maintenance and focus to maintain a quality profile. 

If you want to connect with editors and marketing directors, you need to use the same tools those professionals use to network and that’s all happening on LinkedIn.

To get you started, we have put 10 short, actionable tips together to help you harness the power of LinkedIn and get noticed by more potential clients, collaborators, and editors.

1. Optimize Your Profile:

Of course, you want to use a professional headshot. But also make sure you write a compelling bio that mentions your professional experience, skills, and what makes you unique.

2. Portfolios:

While you can’t put a huge selection of your work on here like you can with Instagram, you can link to your best work within your profile. If you put URLs to your website and post updates on your feed, this will allow your connections and viewers to see a visual representation of what you offer as a professional. 

3. Ask for Recommendations:

Testimonials are great on a website but, in our skeptical age, people can wonder if those are simply made up. Instead, you can boost your credibility by having clients or colleagues vouch for your skills in the Recommendations. These come from verified accounts and are a great way for others to learn about you, your skills, and your work ethic. 

4. Engage with Content:

Social media needs to be a two-way street. Just passively liking posts doesn’t create engagement. Try to comment, share, and interact with posts and updates of the editors and other photographers with whom you’d like to network. Making a connection is more accessible by taking the extra time. 

5. Mindful Connection Requests:

Having tons of connections is not the end goal. You want to find a network on LinkedIn that is valuable to your career. Don’t just connect with someone just to have more followers. Instead, find people you believe you can support with your work or are interested in learning more about from your interactions. When you are asking to connect with someone, be sure to add a personalized note when sending connection requests explaining why you’d like to connect. 

6. Share Original Content:

Instead of just re-posting other people’s content, consider creating behind-the-scenes stories, sharing your most recent blog posts, or writing a LinkedIn original article about trends in the industry. 

7. Make It Personal:

When you are asking to connect with someone, be sure to add a personalized note when sending connection requests explaining why you’d like to connect. Join photography-related groups and participate in discussions by adding your expertise. Your experience can also help others grow. 

8. Routine Check-ins:

With so many platforms to check, it’s hard to keep track of what you are posting and where sometimes. Therefore, dedicate a specific time and day of the week to login, respond to messages, and post your latest work.

9. Use LinkedIn Analytics:

This is one of the most overlooked tools on the platform. You can use this free data to track who views your profile and see which posts got the most traction. Use this data to keep pushing the content your audience enjoys and networking with those who are interested in your work. 

10. Seek Collaborations:

LinkedIn can also be a great place to find a mentor or create a niche peer group. Maybe you decide to reach out to senior professionals for guidance. You can start a Group for people who want to do joint projects or have the same interests. There’s more to do here than just scroll so have fun with it! 

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Before we close out, we should add a quick note about LinkedIn Premium versus the free account.

While LinkedIn’s basic version offers a foundation for professional networking, you may want to consider the upgrade to LinkedIn Premium to access some of it enhanced features. 

• The free platform allows you to create a profile, connect with colleagues, share updates, and explore job opportunities. 

• LinkedIn Premium offers advanced tools like seeing exactly who has viewed your profile, detailed post analytics, refined search capabilities, and best of all: access to LinkedIn Learning courses. 

• There are also different versions of Premium, such as Premium Career and Premium Business, that cater to specific needs. 

These tiers make it helpful for those seeking advanced networking capabilities, detailed insights, or streamlined job search or business tools. But it isn’t always necessary if you can’t afford an added expense right now. Until you are ready for that investment, optimize your time on the platform and make it a part of your weekly routine. 

As you dive more deeply into this networking tool, we hope it leads to successful partnerships, an expanded client base, and compelling creative opportunities.

Don’t forget to continue to revisit this blog for more career insights and business skill solutions tailored for documentary storytellers and creative professionals.