MacTribe: What exactly do you mean by “web 2.0” as it relates to photography?

Jack: Following the dot.com crash of 2001, the web had to get real, get down from its ivory tower, strip down to the basics and move from monologue to dialogue. From consumption-only to co-creation (crowd sourcing and user-generated content), from individuality to community, from closed brands to open brands. From passive consumers to active consumers, from traditional buyers to new media buyers (i.e. bloggers, soho users, podcasters, presentation pros, etc.). And it hasn’t been an evolution but a revolution, an overnight phenomena. Web 2.0, as it specifically relates to the photography community, has more to do with who we are than what we know: how we relate to communities and groups, how we service and retain our top customers, how we create value. How we separate ourselves from the competition, how we virally market and position ourselves among web 2.0 peers, colleagues, associates and customers, how we join this online conversation with complete honesty, transparency and authenticity. Again, not to sound too esoteric, but making-over your photo business means getting connected in a hurry. It means using all the right web tools, applications, and plug-ins to develop the new “online you”. Web 2.0, for photographers, means blogging, tweeting, participating in forums, using wikis, podcasting, flickring, video blogging, social networking, attending meet-ups and a lot more.

MacTribe: Can you give us a few sample ideas of how a photographer can make their business more web 2.0 friendly?

Jack: Sure. I’d love to. Let me first set the stage by saying that, generally speaking, blogs are replacing websites. Virtual portfolios are replacing traditional, analog portfolios. Email marketing is replacing direct mail marketing. Web is replacing print. The social web, meet-ups, event marketing and co-working are replacing traditional reps and re-sellers. Skype, iChat and AIM are all communication tools replacing the telephone. Webinars, teleseminars and e-learning environments are replacing live training and demos. Studios-on-demand and virtual assistants are quickly replacing physical studios (once a necessity). “Small is the New Big” (thank you, Seth Godin). Outsourcing is replacing insourcing. Photography is changing…big time. Like I mentioned earlier…develop your own blog. Start commenting on other blogs. Join a discussion group or community in your area of expertise. Get familiar (and quickly) with FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter. Through the social web, maybe develop a customer advisory group to help you determine whether what you’re shooting is relevant, price appropriate, valued. Again, the key here is to engage in this online, global conversation. Don’t shun it…engage! Like it or not, customers who buy your products and services are now in charge. Talk to them. Find the intersections between your experiences and their need and budget. When it comes to web 2.0, if you’re not a part of the solution, you become a part of the problem.

None of this, as I mentioned earlier, will happen overnight. However, the good news is that if you become aggressive with your plans, you should start seeing immediate dividends for your efforts. And, within 8-12 months, you could conceivably be a type of ‘guru’ in your own niche.

MacTribe: Who are the photographic “movers and shakers” in web 2.0?

Jack: Unfortunately, there are not a lot of them. But that is changing every day. The sites that I follow and am just now starting to pay attention to are:

prophotoresource.com (Cris Mitchell is the publisher)

photographymentor.com (Online photography school and social network by Robert Evans)

thebschool.com (Changing the way photographers connect)

chasejarvis.com (Chase has a big hand on the pulse of Web 2.0)

askdane.com (Dane Sanders is a wedding shooter but reveals wisdom way beyond weddings. See also fasttrackphotographer.com)

MacTribe: What do you say to those who feel all this social web stuff is a big waste of time with minimal returns?

Jack: To some, that is all it is. But smart marketers don’t see it as a time suck , they see it as a time investment. Web 2.0 is a participatory experience. There is no such thing as spectator value here. To really leverage the awesome power of web 2.0 you need to be an integral part of the conversation. For some, it’s nothing more than a waste of time. For others, it is a dream come true. Where else can you build a following, a fan base, a tribe, so quickly and efficiently? And where else, after you provide ongoing content value, can you turn these groupies into raving fans, advocates and evangelists for your cause, your product, your service? Web 2.0 provides a dream platform to tell your story, connect with customers, and build a brand with legs and longevity.

MacTribe: MT understands that you read business books like most photographers take pictures. What books would you suggest that photographers read to get in sync with web 2.0?

Jack: Here are a few books that I’ve read and re-read. None of them are specifically addressing the photography industry, per se. But it shouldn’t be too hard to connect the dots:

“Small is the New Big” by Seth Godin

“Tribes” by Seth Godin

“Reality Check” by Kay Kawasaki

“Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day” by Dave Evans and Susan Bratton

“Groundswell” by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff

“Open Brand” by Kelly Mooney and Nita Rollins

“The Brand Called You” by Peter Montoya

“Book Yourself Solid” by Michael Port and Tim Sanders

MacTribe: Can you tell our readers what podcasts and services JackHollingsworth.com is planning on launching in the fall of 2009?

Jack: One: we’ll have a killer, optimized WordPress blogsite. Two: we’ve planned several member/subscription sites for those that want to take what we are talking about here further. Three: we have a new aggressive webinar program in the works. Four: we’re offering seven international photo tours and shoot outs for those that want to be on the road with us. Five : we’ll be launching a new micro -collection called “Jack and the Beanstalk” for tribe members that want licensing options for their imagery. Add merchandise, eBooks, white papers, tutorials and the list goes on and on. Even though the economy is struggling and probably will be for another 24-36 months, I do see very clearly where I need to be—and not only that but where we, collectively as photographers need to be—to not just survive, but thrive, and leave an online legacy that will be talked about for years to come!

MacTribe: Of all the things you are working on, what excites you the most?

Jack: Without hesitation…online video. It’s literally exploding. Truly revolutionary. People are watching 100 million videos a day on YouTube. Web users are now downloading 8 billion videos per month. Over 70% of the U.S. population now has high-speed internet. The convergence of stills and video (called VSLR or web cinema or digital cinema) from both artist and manufacturer is moving at amazing speed and producing amazing results. If, as a still photographer, you are not thinking about incorporating VSLR into your bag of products and services, think again. It’s a must!!