JH: That’s partially true. I will conceivably be shooting less but producing more. I’m making my business more web 2.0 centric. For me, that means migrating my role from photographer to publisher, production to education, stills-only to multi-media content, word-of-mouth to word-of-mouse, narrow marketing to viewing the world as my oyster and from stock-only income to a wide range of products and services, including photo tours, international shootouts, webinars, blogsites, eBooks, and consulting, all of which is geared to this new connected generation of customers: photographers, producers and storytellers.

Viral Makeover
The amazing thing about virally making-over your core business is, while painstakingly tedious, once in place, it allows you the luxury of focusing on what you’re best at. And perhaps shooting the sort of pictures that brought you to the dance in the first place. Plunging into a photographic makeover of your business (so it’s more web 2.0 savvy and compliant) means taking all of those experiences, brand equity, good will, personas that you have painstakingly, over time, developed offline and creating the same – online.

I’m starting to be convinced that survivability no longer depends on ‘offline’ value only. You need both. Off and online equity and value. Working in concert with each other. Invest the time now and the rewards will not only be immediate, but potentially lucrative. It’s time for photographers to makeover their brand and business.

MT: You earlier suggested that photographers develop multiple online personas. What do you mean?

JH: I didn’t suggest multiple personalities. Since that would be detrimental to your personal branding (you definitely want your brand identity to move with you onto the web). What I’m talking about is developing multiple “persona” in each of the communities you’re a part of. It’s sort of akin to the concept of “deportalization”. That is, instead of relying on an attraction strategy to your portal (website), you instead develop micro-sites or micro-pages or micro-personas in different online communities. You go where the customers are. And develop those unique personas in each of the communities you participate it. The short-term intent, of course, is to develop relationships in these communities. Then, over time, after you have established a reputation as a content expert, migrate these relationships over to your blogsite where you can monetize their participation. And continue giving unrivaled content value! Thus building a much-needed viral fan base.

MT: So you are bringing your web 2.0 story to photographers and users alike?

JH: Yes, exactly. I’m going to start this conversation with pro photographers. Then assimilate serious hobbyists into the fold. Then, eventually…customers. The epicenter of my plans will be an optimized WordPress blogsite (Thesis). Some of the content will be free. Some of it available through a member-only subscription. We have spent way too long, as an industry, talking to each other. Rather than to the customers that buys and uses our products and services. It’s time to change all that. Customers are now in charge.

We need our customer base to be front and center of all our plans. And not just lip service or pseudo listening, but really listening. Asking the right questions, then altering our strategy and tactics to accommodate customer need. It’s time to fall over backwards and give customers what they want and are asking for. Leveraging Internet tools, techniques, & technologies makes this process so much easier! My strategy will be to involve creator and customer alike. An absolute necessity if we, as an industry, are going to survive.

MT: What do you say to photographers who are understandably anxious about making such dramatic changes in their business?

JH: I say…I feel your pain. Really. I’m in the same boat. But this is no time to freak out.

A lot of photographers seem to focus more on the risks of making these changes. But I would argue that the risks of not making-over your business is far, far greater.

The rules have changed almost overnight. A totally different mind set to shooting and selling photography is required. Whether it’s assignment or stock, advertising or editorial, portraiture or wedding – it doesn’t really matter. Those that are nimble and agile enough to make these changes…will flourish. Those that don’t, won’t, or can’t…flirt with obsolescence.

And while this industry metamorphoses, at break-neck speed, retooling and redefining your brand and business will not and should not happen as rapidly.

Take a deep breath. One step at a time here.

Make a goal to set aside one hour a day for your makeover. Dive in. Join a few online forums. RSS feed a few sites. Read a few books. Set up profile pages in FaceBook, LinkedIn, Flickr, Twitter. Develop multiple online personas. Join the conversation that is going on all around you.

I think you will be surprised at not only how easy it is, but how exhilarating it is as well. The process itself could be enough to kick start your thinking in a whole new direction, as it has done for me. Doing things in the same old way, will generally net you the same old results. Change your tune. Walk to the beat of a new drummer.

MT: It sounds like your company rebrand for the web has less to do with the ‘physical’ stuff (i.e. stationary, letterhead, etc.) and more to do with the ‘web 2.0’ stuff (i.e. platforms, plug-ins, applications)?

JH: You’re exactly correct. When people talk about rebranding and rebuilding, they most naturally, but naively, think of physical properties like logos and marks, taglines, business cards, stationary pack, collateral and such. And while these external elements are undoubtedly important, collectively, they represent a much smaller piece of the pie to your total studio makeover strategy. Especially when you’re talking about an online makeover. What I’m talking about here is a total, head to toe, virtual makeover. From design to capture, to delivery, marketing & PR, workflow, training, administration, and everything in between. A makeover that will not only redefine who you are but how you engage today’s moving target of customers. This makeover is no longer a nicety but a necessity. A pre-requisite to succeeding in a globally competitive, flat-world, open-brand, 21st century photo economy. By all means, brand yourself offline through all the traditional properties! But don’t stop there. Take it a step further. Bring your offline brand value – online.

MT: Are you talking about a career change for photographers?

JH: Not a career change. But a career remodeling, refurbishing, reconditioning. Making your photo business more web 2.0 compliant. Learn to blog. Learn how to engage on social network sites like FaceBook, MySpace, and LinkedIn. Learn to shoot digital cinema (RED, Sony HD, Panasonic HVX200, Canon 5D, Nikon D90). Learn how to create multi-media products. Learn presentation-authoring tools like PowerPoint, KeyNote, and Articulate Presenter. Learn recession marketing.

Don’t fight the technology. Embrace it. Go with it. Be a friend to it. Pick and choose the tools, technologies and applications that specifically work with your brand and business. Then do it better than any of your competitors. Become a content authority in your niche. Give more than you take. Solve customer problems. Give up control…to get control. Build that new customer base…one person at a time.

MT: You would think that a 55-year old photographer, who has enjoyed a successful career, wouldn’t be much interested in all this web 2.0 talk.

JH: Not me. I love this stuff. I wish all this had been around when I started my career. This is one of the most exciting times in history to be alive as a professional photographer. The opportunities supersede the challenges.

I’m like a kid in a candy store, learning, exploring, testing, and experimenting.

The tools that are currently available to the savvy shooter and marketer are absolutely mind blowing. Exciting ways to organize, display, aggregate, deliver, and merchandise photos. Wow, wow and wow!

I have truly never been more mesmerized by the enormity of possibilities that exist today for connected and wired shooters. It’s all right in front of you for the taking. An opportunity of a lifetime to reinvent and redefine yourself. Drive sales. Improve customer satisfaction. Reduce overhead costs. Generate leads. Experiment in niches. Optimize social network exposure. Build brand equity.

If you learn these processes and platforms…you will be rewarded. I promise.