The Linguist

28 The Linguist Vol/59 No/6 2020 thelinguist.uberflip.com OPINION & COMMENT How a hobby can illustrate commitment to and expertise in your specialist field – this time looking at photography During a crisis, a hobby can do more than help with mental wellbeing: if it matches one of your specialisms, it could be harnessed as a marketing tool to make you stand out. As a translator specialising in art, I use my photography to show art clients that, beyond a genuine interest in visual arts, I am also very active in their field. By mentioning some of your activities on LinkedIn and other social media platforms, you demonstrate that your expertise goes beyond terminology, and that contributes to gaining clients' trust. There are various ways you can portray yourself as being active in your clients' area of work. As art is my main specialism, my website must display pictures. Being a photographer means copyright isn't an issue, but producing photos that were relevant to my work and didn't clash with my green logo was a challenge. I decided on a street art theme to reflect my place of residence: Bristol, a major UK art hub and a city well- known as a street art Mecca (Banksy, Upfest). This geographical link lets clients know that I am in a good place to keep abreast of the arts and be part of the art community. After updating my website with close-up shots of a piece of graffiti (based on a yoga photo shoot I had done previously; pictured), I wrote a short blog post about the website's new look and shared it on LinkedIn. This prompted some of my contacts to look at my website, and their 'likes' and comments on LinkedIn meant that my post was automatically showing in their contacts' feeds. A hobby can offer less direct, but no less pertinent, ways of gaining exposure for your business. In June, the online newspaper Bristol 24/7 published my 'Rainbow City' project, a series of abstract compositions of brightly coloured houses around Bristol. Even if the primary focus of an article is on your hobby, a little information about you makes the piece more interesting and relatable; this is where you can refer to your profession and include contact information. The article mentioned that I was a translator and gave my website. I cross-posted on my translation blog to illustrate my hands-on experience and present myself as a translator who shares her clients' passion for visual arts. On LinkedIn, this generated 'likes' and congratulations from art clients and contacts. Business opportunities may also come your way while engaging with your hobby. During lockdown, I entered a few photography competitions. Most are open to international artists, so their websites are translated into English, sometimes to poor standards. In one case, I contacted a competition organiser in France to offer my translation services; they are keeping my details on file for the future. Joining a membership organisation related to your hobby shows commitment to and knowledge of your field. I mention my Royal Photographic Society (RPS) membership in my marketing communications, and am keen to apply for one of their distinctions, so LRPS may follow MCIL and CL after my name. Regularly updating your contacts on your activities is advisable too. About twice a year, I email existing and potential clients about my latest translation projects and a little peripheral news. This summer, I mentioned that some of my photos had been selected for group exhibitions abroad. As I work with art galleries and exhibition catalogue publishers, this piqued my clients' interest, and some contacts asked for more information and links to my photographic work. Such exchanges strengthen my business profile with potential clients and my relations with existing ones. Don't be shy about citing your main activities to direct clients. It is a chance to get in touch and an excellent way to ensure they keep you in mind as the best person for the job next time they need a linguist. All work and play KARINE LEROUX Karine Leroux MCIL CL is the founder of Linguistic Alchemy. TL © KARINE LEROUX

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