I want to touch on a little Facebook etiquette. Its not written anywhere and Facebook being such an emerging marketing tool, there are just some things we either do not think about, or doing so in my opinion in an unethical way. As true professionals, I believe we should hold ourselves to very high ideals.

I have my personal facebook page and I use that mainly for personal stuff. I post a lot on there. On my business page, it is 100% business. I post 1-2x's a day max to keep it active, yet not be annoying. I want interaction. I want interaction with people who want to hire me at some point the most though lol. I comment on other photographers photos when I really like them, and others comment on mine. Which, I love.

This brings me to the point of this huge post. My pet peeve. When another photographer posts on my page AS THEIR BUSINESS PAGE LOOKING FOR BUSINESS COVERTLY. This is marketing on my advertising. Like walking into my studio, commenting on my photos on the wall and handing the client a business card of your own. Even worse, when they post a link to their page and say "Like me and I'll like you back!"

I don't think its something usually done on purpose(sometimes it is, often it is not) But, its something to think about. If you are a regular personal account you are posting as YOU. If you are a page, you are posting as your business, with the ability to go right back to your BUSINESS PAGE.

Its food for thought and often we don't think of something until its brought to ones attention. I find it very disrespectful. I will pull those posts from my page fairly often depending on my mood and what I think the motive is behind it. I had one person yell at me(figuratively speaking) via email and say she was taught to do that sort of marketing on a forum. Nice tactic. Probably why it is such a pet peeve of mine. Note the pun lol

This just happens to me so often, and its just so terribly RUDE that it is something to be cognizant of.

http://www.rocktheshotforum.com/2011/09/16/facebook-etiquette-for-photographers/

Julie,
the problem with broad-reach, "free" media is that there are no rules. It's kinda like stealing images off of websites: if you can do it than it's OK to do it. We tend to assume that all people who are in business understand fundamental business ethics. And we are reminded just how wrong we are almost every day.

Perhaps it's time for those Social Media gurus to add ethics into their seminars and forums. That, of course, would pre-suppose that they actually know what they are. Hate to be so negative but that sort of behavior is not surprising. On the other hand, cross-promotion of symbiotic businesses on your Facebook pages is actually a pretty good idea so where do you draw the line?

Jim

Of course there are rules. They don't have to be laws made by the government to be rules. I wouldn't walk up to a stranger and say 'you smell'. Why, because its RUDE. I am protected by free speech to be able to do so, but, that doesn't mean it is OK.

Its a good idea ONLY if it is mutually agreed upon. Would you be ok with me coming onto your facebook announcing I was going to be in FL for the dog show circuit and to give me a call if they wanted candids? OF COURSE NOT. I wouldn't do it because a) its incredibly unethical and b) its beyond rude.

This is not rocket science. This shouldn't NEED teaching, but, it obviously does.

Unfortunately there are some forums out there promoting this as a great way to market.

Julie,
has anybody mentioned that you tend to argue with yourself? What you think is rude and unethical may not be seen that way by others who do not have your background, both business and personal. And the fact that folks are using your business' Facebook page to promote their own "businesses" proves that:
a. they simply don't get it
b. they simply think it's OK
or
c. they've been told that it's OK.

So, obviously, the rules DO need to be posted and understood and folks have to agree to them.

Now, if you were coming to FL and wanted to shoot ring candids I would expect you to email me so I could join you. If I announce on my Facebook page that I'm available for ring candids, it is because I've already discussed it with the Show Chairs/Vendor Chairs and we've come to an agreement. Sometimes that means I have to pay a reduced vendor fee. I'm probably the only one taking candids that has approached it this way. And I don't shoot on spec. I only shoot clients. I don't assume to have rights I don't have and I know you don't either. And as difficult as it is to get consensus on the etiquette of that, it is doubly difficult in a medium that has very little history behind it and, generally-speaking, no rules. Rude is very much within the accepted genre of Facebook, Twitter, etc.

This is not rocket science but the folks involved are not rocket scientists. This is the digital age. Whatever I can do is OK simply because I can do it. I understand and respect your frustration. And I think there will have to be some education involved so folks can, in fact, learn what is and is not appropriate. Oh, and I can tell you that you smell because I'm an honest and candid person . That's how some very rude people see themselves.

Jim

As a rule, I can argue both sides of most subjects. This one though, I just fall on the *its rude* and really ballsy. Shooting ringside candids can fall into a gray area, marketing yourself on someone else's business page is pretty clear. You are using their fan base to better yourself without doing the hard work.

The only reason we know not to go up to people and say rude things is that we've been told to. Kids do it when they haven't encountered a given situation. And it is facebook that makes the rules for their site. You can delete or block people and businesses that do it, and tell them you think it's rude, but it may or may not stop them from spamming other pages.
Oni

I think the that it's a lot like real life... Peer pressure plays a big role in governing how people act in general. I personally see a lot more community governance on Google+ than I have seen on FB.

Unfortunately, the people promoting how to build fan pages are the very ones encouraging the behavior of posting on other's pages. Personally, I think there is a place for posting as a business, but that is when offering valuable info or content to another page that could be a customer. It really really looks unprofessional to post on a competitor's page.

Sure, if I bought actions from a photographer, its GOOD practice to go to that page and say "I love your awesome actions" as your page. That shows that real photographers use and love them

To post "I love your pictures like me back" well, that is just not right. If your page is named XYZ photograph I shoot dogs, kids and everything and clicking on that name takes you to their page, that is covert marketing using someone else's fan base and its rude.

Just because the internet was invented, does not excuse one of common courtesy. I mean really, would you walk into someone's studio and put your cards on their wall portraits and leave? Would you put a sign on their front window? Of course not. What is the difference of doing that and posting on someone's business page?

Yall remind me of our Congress. Even when you agree, it seems to be contentious.

Can we start a list? If people are not rude but simply uneducated then it might help.

Julie's peeve is my number one: Don't post to other Photographers business Page with your business page identity. In my opinion it is also bad form to post to their personal page as your business identity.

I'd like to add another one: Don't tag another Photographer with one of your photos unless they are in the photo.

Any others?

I get tagged sooooo much, I have set it up where I have to approve any tags and if I don't want it on the wall at all, I don't approve it. I don't think people know when I don't.