In October, Lou Caltabiano and Luka Horvat joined the Client Outreach department. Along with the rest of the team, they added 518 companies and 1,007 people to our database and updated 1,884 companies and 2,940 people. They also sent out over 674 emails to producers, creative directors, marketing managers, and photo editors worldwide.
In October, I shifted my Client Outreach efforts to focus on connecting with independent producers and production companies. I aimed to explore opportunities to collaborate and support each other’s projects, share our capabilities, learn more about their interests and the types of projects they produce, and offer help with photographer and crew recommendations when needed. Craig and I connected with the Photo Project Manager at EDF (Environmental Defense Fund). We shared our capabilities and heard more about EDF’s expanding photo/video needs in the US and abroad. Bryan, Marianne, and I also had a call with the team at (add)ventures, who specialize in virtual production. We discussed their facilities and capabilities, shared our production capabilities, and discussed possible opportunities to work together. I also made photographer recommendations to an integrated producer at McCann for a celebrity portraiture/sports project in Miami.
My current Client Outreach role entails updating and connecting with people who work at brands – especially producers or people in production roles. Notable October client projects included recommending photographers for a project with Deutsch, a capabilities call with Power Home Remodeling, a call with (add)ventures, and Andrew and I having a capabilities call with the producer Leah Mara.
In October, we connected with VMLY&R to discuss a social media campaign for a non-profit. We had a creative call with Edelman to discuss an upcoming project for an internet retailer. We recommended photographers to one of our environmental non-profits and bid on a project to document reforestation. Also, we are also continuing to work on new projects for New Balance.
I was previously in the Parent Companies role but transitioned to the Verticals (Companies) role in mid-October.
I compiled lists of companies in niche markets that are relevant to specific types of photographers. Also, I made sure that each company record was updated. This helps Wonderful Machine to easily build useful lists of clients for our photographers.
I updated records for Haymarket Medical Network, Ferrero USA, GE Renewable Energy, News Corp, National Geographic, The Swatch Group, Salon Magazine, Dazed Media, Davler Media, Omnicom Group, TBWA Worldwide, and others.
Lastly, I built a list of 78 companies for Automotive: Car Parts. This will be useful for Auto/Vehicles and Industrial photographers. Companies included Atonium, Aptiv, Lear Corporation, BorgWarner, Motus, AB Dynamics, AAMCO, Martinrea, and others.
In October, my focus was on updating profiles and contacts for our Client Companies and People. Client people will sometimes need to be linked to a new company if they have since changed jobs. My responsibilities included verifying and updating every detail within our data records and on our website. Regularly updating these links is crucial to ensure we have the most accurate and up-to-date information. After making updates, I send the client an email offering information about our services and recommending a fitting Member Photographer. We’re always assessing if these companies align with our Member Photographers so we can provide them with the best opportunities.
My role during October was the OOO (Out of Office) Replies role. This involves checking all the OOO replies that Wonderful Machine gets after sending out our newsletter. Often, an email reply is automatically sent because the recipient is on vacation, maternity leave, or they no longer work at that company. In this role, we track that information and to update our database to keep it as accurate as possible. We review and reconcile all of the information that appears in the OOO emails, including the email address it’s coming from (which may be different from the one we sent it to), the name (which may be different if the person has gotten married recently, the phone numbers, addresses, websites, titles, etc.). Sometimes the emails will share information about a colleague who is covering for them while they’re away, and we evaluate if that person is important to us and add them to our records if we don’t have them yet.
In October, my role was adding and updating Industries. I went through all industries that we keep track of in LinkedIn to check for new valuable prospects. While doing that, I evaluated the target number of companies that we want to keep track of for each industry and evaluated if we should stop keeping track of any of the smallest of those companies.
In October, I was working on adding companies from a specific vertical market into Daylite.
About halfway through the month, I switched to another role directly related to the previous one. In this new role, I established at least one significant connection for all the companies in that Vertical that we have in our database. This makes our list complete and we can start recommending photographers to these companies as potential clients.
This month, I operated in the People Without Companies role. I like to think of it as acting as a “data shepherd” and tending to some lost contacts. Over the last decade of gathering data, there have been times when we delete a company data record while keeping some of their people, who are then “orphaned.” I look at each of those people to see who they’re currently working for and to consider adding that company. For some contacts, it’s as simple as connecting them to their current place of work. For others it requires a deeper search to find updated LinkedIn profiles, websites, and important information. Once the contact has been updated, I take a moment to send an email to promote a member photographer who matches up with their needs.
In October, I progressed into the Client Outreach department. I moved quickly from updating the oldest profiles on our website and their corresponding data entries to working on data records for Publications, Agencies, and Brands. Going through data records is like working on a fun puzzle. For example, sometimes we have a magazine without a person’s name attached to the data entry. So finding an individual to connect the dots is an interesting way to maneuver through the industry.
Halfway through October, I began working in our Client Outreach department. I started with updating the oldest profiles on our website. Here, my task was to keep our client information up to date on our website. Next, I was worked in the role of Companies (Publications). Currently, I am in Companies (Agencies) role where I evaluate and update Companies’ profiles.
My primary Client Outreach responsibilities in October began with Publications, then transitioned to Agencies, and eventually to Brands.
Towards the end of the month, I began the process of contacting the people that work for publications. I loved the opportunity to provide photographer suggestions to publications. I also came across trouble-shooting efforts for our members while working in this role. Also, I notified one member that his website was down, two members that their Instagram links were not working on their websites, and another that a page on his website was not working. I received great responses from all of these photographers as these links can be crucial in acquiring clients and new work.
In October, my focus shifted from updating Client People associated with Agencies to those associated with Brands. When reviewing their data record, my initial step involves examining their LinkedIn profile to ascertain their current employment status. If the person remains employed at the same company, I then review the company’s data record, especially if it hasn’t been recently reviewed. In the case of the person transitioning to a new company, I search for the corresponding company record in our database. If the company is not already there, I evaluate if they are a good fit for us. Following this assessment, I update the person’s information accordingly. Once their data record reflects the latest details, I reach out via email to introduce our capabilities and showcase one of our Member Photographers who aligns well with the client’s needs.
In October, I was mainly focused on the role of People (Publications as well as Agencies),
but also some Companies (Brands). I started the month updating companies that needed to have their information verified or changed. As the month progressed, my focus shifted more towards verifying all important information about the people who worked at these companies. This includes making sure we have the right person to contact at each company in our database. This is usually someone from either the creative department or an art buyer. I make sure all their contact information is correct and contact them to recommend a few appropriate photographers from our database. I would then make sure that the company they worked for was also up to date.
Have questions about how we promote our photographers? Check out our Membership page. Want to know how you can get the most out of your Wonderful Machine membership? Check out our Jumpstart page or just reach out!