Are LF suppliers lazy or stupid?

[Michael E]

A friend had an online shop selling DSLRs and lenses. She was very active on fora and I supported her with practical knowledge. A few things I have learned (not all of them might apply to the US):

Many fora and boards do not welcome dealers or manufacturers, many of them specifically stating so in their rules. They want to be a place for equals sharing a common love, not a place for free advertisement. There usually are exceptions for contributors who are willing to offer valuable advice, personal views and in general act as members of the community. For these individuals, it is a fair practice to disclose their affiliation (signature, etc.).

That is another sore point in the relationship between community and corporation: It is a common practice (as far as I know) to use a forum under a pseudonym, monitoring and influencing the members without their knowledge ("viral marketing").

Using social media to connect with (potential) customers, if you want to do it right, takes a lot of time. Big companies have employees who do nothing else. Small businesses usually don't have the resources, they often rely on extra commitment or personal interest of staff members.

[John Kasaian]

Maybe we aren't as valuable to them as we think we are. How much revenue does anyone think we really represent? I, personally, don't spend much money anymore on camera gear and when I do I'm buying used and trying to get a bargain. I buy way more film and processing than gear. Maybe they are smarter than we look.

)
Brian, we are a different demographic! When I assembled my kit from nothing I needed quite a bit of stuff even though a lot came from studios converting to digital. These days, film, paper, chemicals, mounting supplies and services (cla's etc...) are what I'm most likely to spend $$ on. For some just starting out it is a different world---inexpensive used gear is more rare and while new lenses are now made from rare, unobtainium glass (for most hobbyists) there is still a need for filters, cable releases, lens boards, cassettes, tripods, packs, etc... and that's not including a traditional dark room stuff if that is the row one wants to hoe.

[Jac@stafford.net]

Maybe we aren't as valuable to them as we think we are [...]

Let's consider the site's international scope. It is strictly English. The site does not reach further. How many other LF enterprises reach, for example, the Asian market?
.

[jnantz]

i was under the impression "house rules"
said that dealers were not permitted to advertise here,
not permitted to sell things in the classifieds
and not do more than once in a blue moon make an announcement.

[Peter Lewin]

While I cannot guess how manufacturers choose their online platforms, Keith Canham posts regularly on Facebook. I belong to three FB groups which overlap in interests: Large Format Photography (which I believe was started by Steve Simmons of View Camera), the Large Format Photographer's Society, and the Large Format Darkroom. I don't remember specifically which one Keith posts to, but his posts, both on custom film orders and camera manufacturer, appear regularly in my stream.

[Oren Grad]

i was under the impression "house rules"
said that dealers were not permitted to advertise here,
not permitted to sell things in the classifieds
and not do more than once in a blue moon make an announcement.

Forum guidelines now allow FS postings by retail establishments with no more than $1 million in annual revenues, subject to the same rules as everybody else. New product announcements are allowed with prior approval - not a "blue moon" rule per se.

Vendors who are comfortable earning their visibility through a steady, low-key presence responding to technical questions about their products and otherwise contributing to our collective knowledge are welcome here. Those who want to use discussion boards as platforms for aggressive promotion need to look elsewhere.

Forum participation can be a big time-sink and at times requires a thick skin. Speaking for myself, although I'm happy to see vendors here if they are OK working within our guidelines, I can certainly understand those who prefer to use other channels to communicate, and I don't hold it against them.

In addition to his company website, Keith Canham has his own Facebook page - that's his most active web presence at this point and his main venue for announcements on special film orders.

[jnantz]

hi oren

thanks for setting me straight regarding the guidelines &c ..

good to know !

[Drew Bedo]

Lessee . . .Styeve Simmons was a rtegular poster some yearsd ago.

[jnantz]

Lessee . . .Styeve Simmons was a rtegular poster some yearsd ago.

hi drew

from what i remember that was when the vc magazine was suffering for poor editing and poor image reproduction
and jorge g. used to regularly drag the publisher through the mud and pick fights with him, and the publisher
would then fight back ... it wasn't pretty.

i've made announcements of things i have for sale before ( for 7? years ) and explained how they worked &c and
i received trollish mail, nasty in-thread comments and was bothered by people, often.
i eventually decided outreach to online photography "communities" wasn't really worth it. maybe other "suppliers" have decided the same.

[BrianShaw]

Ahhh, what memories!