We live in a society where being seen and noticed online is vital. I am old enough to remember if you wanted a job, you had to go to the Job Centre and apply for work. However, the world has moved on significantly.
People now promote themselves by being seen online and use resources such as LinkedIn to secure employment. LinkedIn has employers, employees and prospective employees all on the same platform. I have used LinkedIn in the past to gain employment in social care and keep informed of what is occurring locally in terms of funding for third sector charities and how this may help service users and myself. Whatever the sector, social care or photography, the same applies.
I have started to add photographers and photographic businesses in my area to my LinkedIn profile. According to Why Photographers Shouldn’t Ignore LinkedIn | Fstoppers
"LinkedIn is not just a platform for jobseekers; it is a powerful networking and marketing channel for entrepreneurs, such as photographers. If you ever serve other businesses with your photography, then LinkedIn is a great place online to find and connect with the right people in your niche. As they say, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know
It has over 900 million members and, according to the company’s statistics, three new members sign up every second. Even actors like Ryan Renolds are on there! Sure, it has fewer members compared to Facebook or Instagram, but they could be the right members for your business"
"In case you’re completely new to it or hardly ever log in, here is a breakdown of what LinkedIn offers in 2023:
- A free profile with a banner and a profile image
- A showcase for your experience, skills, and education
- List which professional services you offer and a link to your website
- Post images, videos, and text, create polls, organize events, and write newsletters
- Option to have a “creator" profile
- Courses on the paid subscription"
The objectives of LinkedIn are
"The aim of your posts should be to get the right people to stop and view your profile, and of course, direct them to your photography website. Regular updates of photography work are a must, and creating text content can help you to connect with your audience on a deeper level. If you write a blog on your website, LinkedIn is the perfect place to get traffic and eyeballs to your content on your homepage"
Once you have a base of followers on your profile, you can "display on your profile that you offer services. Currently, you can choose from the likes of “commercial photography,” “food photography,” and “event photography.” You can also tell potential customers about your pricing and where you operate. Completing this section of the profile can help to get you discovered, as the search function on the website lets members search for specific services".
Experience has taught me in any field of work that being too forward gets you nowhere. Sending your services as soon as you connect will result in them ignoring your request. The best thing to do is build a rapport over time and be in for the long game. According to the website above " I tend to stay away from pitching my services to someone as soon as I’ve connected with them, as it rarely works. The better way is to build a rapport and then sell in a much softer way"
LinkedIn has 810 million uses globally. It is available in 25 languages. Other interesting facts available here....(1) 37 LinkedIn Statistics You Need To Know In 2022 | LinkedIn
A typical job photography job on LinkedIn looks like below.
According to this advert, the job is full time at entry level. The organization is large with more the 200 employees. Based on this information, a further search on the internet to find out more about them would be advisable. What sort of photography do they do? What is their mission statement? What do other businesses say about them? etc. It also says this job is popular with 318 applicants applying for this position so far. This means that using LinkedIn as a recruitment platform is advantageous for employers and prospective employees. However, all this exposure means there is a lot of competition for employment. This means your content needs to be eye catching, professional and stand out from the other competition.
In terms of my expectations in the future and the kind of work I want to do, I had a talk with a tutor recently and we spoke about me considering work in museums and galleries as a curator. I have began to form an interest in reenactment of battles and taking still life images of items to form a narrative. This is clear through working with Slinkachu and my recent assignment concerning empire.
Exploring the notion of Empire past and present.
In researching the success of LinkedIn and its ability to create jobs for photographers-I cannot find these statistics. However, statistics exist of all the creative industries experiencing a boom in the current climate. According to the Gov website.
"
- Jobs in the Creative Industries have increased three times faster than the UK average
- Diversity in the Creative Industries workplace up by almost 45 per cent - more than double that of wider jobs market
- Creative Industries now generating almost £10m an hour for the UK economy.
However, statistics exist of the number of photographers, audio visual and broadcasting equipment operators are currently in the UK. According to Photographers and audio-visual operators in the UK 2022 | Statista
" There were estimated to be approximately 73,300 photographers and audio-visual operators working in the United Kingdom as of 2022, compared with 65,500 in 2010, an increase of around 7,800"
The stats show an increase of photographers etc. since 2010 of 7.800. This shows the creative industries are doing well.
The best way to get a foot in this particular sector of employment according to Is LinkedIn Overlooked by Photographers? Six Tips to Get More Out of It | Fstoppers is join groups which will expand your opportunities. " If you are a travel photographer, join groups like Travel and Hospitality, Tourism, and Travel Bloggers. You have to get creative and join the groups that will have discussions you can participate in but also have people who might need your skills. Some groups you can freely join, others you might have to ask. In addition, if you join groups that have people not in your network that you want to speak with, you can bypass the first-degree messaging rules"
In my case, I want to work in museums or galleries so joining groups which are of an historical nature such as one I joined recently on LinkedIn called "Medieval and Renaissance Art, Antiques, Architecture, Archaeology and History and Museum and Art Gallery Exhibitions & Events"
As well as joining relevant groups, it is important to use hashtags as a way your work can be linked to a certain niche subject. LinkedIn uses hashtags and algorithms like any social networking platform-so it is important to use them. The perfect profile is important also. The following is relevant when it comes to profiles
"Getting as much info as possible filled out on your profile should be simple, but close to half of all profiles never do. Considering that LinkedIn’s algorithms give a lot of weight to complete profiles, this is the easiest way to get ahead of the crowd. Create a detailed headline with lots of keywords,' don't just put "Photographer." Instead, try something like "Freelance Photographer and Owner of XYZ Studios Specializing in Editorial and Commercial Photography." Add and remove sections to emphasize your strong points. Do you have a blog? Then add a publications section with links to your most read articles. Awards and Honors? Add that section. There are sections for all kinds of info that you might not think of adding, but will help get you to 100 percent: interests, volunteering, certifications, courses you’ve taken, and projects you’ve worked on. All these things may seem unimportant, but could just be what gives you an edge over another photographer with a similar skill set. Often, the person who gets the job when equally qualified is the one that has something in common with the person doing the hiring. Create a gallery of your work. LinkedIn may not be Instagram, but they still have several great ways to add visual info to your profile. You can place images in just about every section that is relevant, so take advantage of it. You can also add links, video, and more"
As I have stated, my LinkedIn account has been completely rehashed and updated. I have followed the advice above of adding myself to groups that are relevant to my interests and aspirations. I have also added photographers from all around the UK. I have used numerous photos that explore my technical abilities in light painting and appropriation on Adobe. Also, still life, nature and hopefully, portrait photography. I hope that this shows I understand many genres of photography and demonstrates my flexibility.
My LinkedIn profile.
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