The social media landscape is ever-changing. New social networks and tools burst onto the scene. Old ones fade away. Mainstays adapt to take on new looks and functions. Photographers should approach their social media strategy as a brand or small business. We know – you don’t have time to manage an account on every social network while tending to current clients and finding new ones. So how about focusing on one at a time?

Twitter is a great place to start. According to Small Business Sense, there are more than 750 million users on Twitter. 70 percent of small businesses tweet, and 42 percent of consumers learn about products and services via Twitter. For any photographer who ignores this type of volume to hide behind an “old school” persona, you’re ignoring a world of opportunity. The same goes for those who are on Twitter but haven’t tweeted in a month or, even worse, still have the infamous egg as their profile image; it’s time to hatch out of your Twitter shell.

Here are five reasons photographers should make a conscious effort to build their Twitter presence:.

1. It shows that you’re with the times.

Professional photographers are always up on the latest technology when it comes to gear and equipment. Being the tech savvy individual you are, jumping on the social media bandwagon is a breeze. When you’re active on Twitter, it adds to your credibility and immediately strengthens your brand. At the most basic level, you’re showing your colleagues, partners and clients that you’re in tune with the way content is distributed and shared in the information age.

 2. It’s a forum for sharing your work.

What if you could have a global exhibition of your work running 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with no cost required?

You can. Consider Twitter a sponsor venue that allows you to continuously showcase your photography without any of the legwork that goes into putting on a gallery exhibition. This by no means replaces the value of your actual shows, but it’s a great outlet to utilize on the side.

 3. It’s a powerful marketing tool.

Once you get in the groove of sharing your work and engaging with like-minded people, you’ll (slowly but surely) start to gain followers – and then you’re in business. Let’s say after a few weeks of tweeting you’ve managed to attract a very humble 50 followers. One day, one of your followers retweets one of your posts to their 150 followers. Your reach just grew by 150 people, instantly.

You gain a few new followers from that quick shot of exposure, and one of them has a larger following of 500. You thank them for following, make the connection, and they later retweet one of your posts to their 500 followers, two of whom retweet to their combined 1,000 followers. You can see how the ball gets rolling quickly, and that’s without putting in any type of strategy or research whatsoever (tweeting at people, joining in conversations, offering promotions, picking certain days and times to tweet, etc.).

Twitter is arguably the most powerful marketing tool out there for photographers, and it’s free. The best part? Your audience wants you to market to them – they’re following you to see, support and share your work.

4. It’s a brand builder by default.

By sharing your thoughts and perspectives on Twitter, you’re establishing a recognizable brand. The same goes for every time you connect with someone new. You’re developing your brand voice and associating with professionals, fans and enthusiasts alike. You’re positioning yourself as a thought leader in the photography community.

5. It’s fun.

Once you get past the “talking to an empty room” feeling, tweeting is fun. It’s as casual or as serious as you want it to be, and you’ll get that fuzzy feeling of excitement every time you see that you have a new follower or interaction. Most importantly, you’ll quickly realize that Twitter is a valuable tool for building your photography business.

So what are you waiting for? Tweet us at @DuggalNYC with your thoughts, questions, or just to say hello. See you there!