Get Started
Welcome!
We’re delighted you’ve joined us and look forward to supporting you on your journey in the rapidly growing field of photo organizing and management.
New Member Quick Start
From our many years of experience we know that members who complete the following steps followed by our New Member Roadmap are the most successful. We encourage you to jump in and get started!
1. Set up your directory profile
This is one of the most significant benefits of membership – a unique and individual marketing page. Besides your company and contact information, you can customize it with a cover image and photo albums of your work. This profile page will be featured in the Member Directory, enabling other Members to contact you or hire you for work. Once you become a Certified member, your listing will become visible in the Public Directory.
To edit your listing, click the button above to go to your profile page and then click the gear icon to make changes. Once you’re done making changes, click Update Profile to save changes.
2. Join our private Facebook Group
This is the place for all social interactions such as congrats, success stories, articles for re-posting, and various heads-up of interest to the membership.
3. Register for New Member Orientation
Join us for a look at all the benefits of membership in The Photo Managers. We’ll look at the three main elements of Training, Connection, and Credibility. There will be plenty of time for Q&A and networking.
This is perfect if you are a new member or have been around a while and want a refresher. Member Orientations are held monthly and you’re welcome to attend as many as you’d like.
4. Visit the Resource Library
In addition to the essential photo management documents organized by category, we’ve also located direct links to past webinars and open mic Monday recordings here as well. In particular, please be sure to review “The Photo Managers™ Best Practices” and “Code of Ethics” documents. you’ll find them in the Resource Library.
Photo management is a rapidly expanding field and technology and workflows change frequently. Along with the Forum, the Resource Library is where you’ll want to come back to — again and again.
5. Check out the Member Hub page
Each time you login, you’ll be directed to the Member Hub page. Check in often for the most up-to-date information about upcoming events, training, announcements, hot topics in the Forum, member shout-outs and more.
New Member Road Map
The Photo Managers New Member Road Map is designed to provide support and resources for your journey to becoming a successful photo manager. Set aside time each week to complete the activities in the road map. By accessing all the benefits of membership in The Photo Managers, you’ll get the best return on your investment. We recommend spreading these tasks over three weeks but choose the timeline that works best for you.
Week 1 — Engage
Our research shows that the sooner you are engaged in our community the more supported you’ll feel and the more successful you’ll be! Join the private Facebook group and introduce yourself! Familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines and other downloads in the Document Library, plus register for an upcoming training webinar.
Most importantly, take time to envision and write down your goals with due dates. For example, I will achieve what by when? And don’t forget to include your why. Let this guide your priorities as you set up your business.
“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”
— Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Week 2 — Learn
Spend time in the Training Vault, home to our collection of free webinars by experienced photo managers and other industry experts.
Then begin the 12-Week Business Discovery Course, included with your membership, with the goal to help you start your business and get your first client.
Now that you have engaged with the community, updated your calendar, and familiarized yourself with our Facebook Group and the Photo Management and Business Essentials, you are ready to begin our Professional Certification Course.
The Certification Course is included with your membership and we encourage every member to make a plan to become certified.
Here are the advantages of obtaining your certification:
- You’ll be able to market yourself as such – a real advantage for attracting new customers.
- You’ll be listed in our Public Directory, reaching people all over the world who may be seeking to hire a Certified Photo Manager
- You’ll gain confidence knowing that you are well versed in the best standards in the industry.
Once you complete The Photo Managers certification course, we’ll then be able to publish your Certified Photo Manager directory listing. Only Certified Photo Manager profiles will be available to the public. The Photo Managers is investing in new ways to drive prospective clients to our members, so in effect we are “endorsing you.” For this reason, only Certified members are visible to the public. All members, certified or not, are visible internally to other members.
It’s never too soon to start planning to attend The Photo Managers annual conference. The in-person connections with colleagues and industry partners are invaluable and combined with meaningful educational sessions (from basic to advanced), it’s a trip worth planning for. If you can’t join us in-person, we would love to have you with us virtually!
“My first conference in 2019 was true confirmation of the decision to join The Photo Managers four weeks earlier. What an amazing group of people and an abundance of information. If you’re new – don’t wait to jump right in.” – Toni
Another popular event you won’t want to miss is Profitability LIVE, a 3-day online event focused on increasing profits and growing your photo organizing business.
Week 3 — Prepare
Time to start putting all this learning to work! Practice your photo management skills by starting in our your own photo collection (unless it’s already organized!).
Enlist a friend or colleague to role play an initial client meeting using the Client Needs Assessment form, then write up a sample plan of action.
As you consider what products and services to recommend, check out the The Photo Managers Partners. These companies are industry leaders and trusted and highly rated by hundreds of professional photo managers. In return, they offer our members generous discounts and resources.
An added advantage of your membership is access to our more technical and advanced training in the form of workshops and online video courses. Please take a look at our current course lineup and set a goal to complete at least one course in your first six months of membership. We are adding new courses all the time, so please be sure to check back often.
Congratulations!
Congratulations on completing the New Member Roadmap! The Photo Managers is committed to your success, providing comprehensive and diverse learning opportunities and community support. Refer back to this roadmap as needed and post your questions in the Facebook Group. Your Photo Manager colleagues are here for you every step of your journey!