Are you not actively blogging and posting photos from your recent photo sessions on a blog? 

Well, you should be.  Let me tell you why…

Today I am going to share with you the top 7 reasons why your photography business needs to be blogging.

  1. SEO – Although my WordPress blog may not look as pretty as my portfolio website, it absolutely crushes it on web traffic and visitors every single month.  If you don’t need extra business potentially coming to you from online traffic than perhaps this is a moot point for you, but for the rest of us, more traffic is never a bad thing.  The HTML structures within WordPress blogs in particular are great for search engine optimization.
    Why wordpress blogs are best for SEO
    flash vs html sites for SEO

  2. Perception – If your business has a blog that is actively updated, your blog viewers and potential clients can easily get an idea of how busy you are with photo shoots and create the perception to the viewer that you are “in-demand”.  On the flip-side however, if you have a blog and you simply never update it, it can hurt you by making it seem as if you don’t have much business.  Even if you aren’t updating the blog for other reasons.
  3. Personality – Having a formal website is nice for showing off your best work and having a nice about page and other pertinent info to a potential client, but posting blog posts will really let your own personality shine through.  Showcasing your personality and who “you” really are is important because it’s one of the only ways to separate yourself from the other photographers.  “You” are unique and people are more likely to book a photographer if they are someone who they feel that they “know”, “like” and “trust”.
    photography business needs to be blogging

  4. Easy to Manage – Technology has advanced so far that the days of needing to hire someone to create a website are long gone.  Today, blogging is easier than ever before and only requires you to hit the “add new post” button, add a title, write your text and hit publish!
    How to Write a Blog Post wordpress

  5. Engaging – Within each post you write you are able to engage with your readers in the comment section of a post.  This helps establish a personal connection which as mentioned above, is never a bad thing in a service based business such as photography.
  6. Social Media Integration – Within WordPress there are literally thousands of different plugins (many are free) that make it easy to add social media integration into your blog.  A couple of my favorites are the Facebook Comments and Pinterest “Pin it” plugins which make it easy for viewers to interact and at the same time promote your work through social media.  Isn’t that awesome?
    social media integration for wordpress blogs

  7. Low Cost – Starting a blog is not only easy but it’s also very cheap!  All you need is a domain name and a web host.  My favorite web hosting company is Bluehost, who I’ve used for all my sites from day 1.  Bluehost has web hosting for as little as $4.95 a month and a domain name, if you don’t already have one, will set you back about $8-$12 a year.

A few months ago I conducted a survey to get feedback from any past brides or grooms to get insight into what things were most important to them when selecting their wedding photographer.  Here are a few responses to the question: What was your perception from a photographers blogging frequency?

That the photographers were busy which is good! And that the couples all really liked their photos, really good![/quote]
I like to see photographers that are regularly posting new work, it shows that they are busy and gives me a better idea of their style and what they are all about[/quote]
I prefer more posts that show a range of photos, not just a few favorites they picked to put in their portfolio[/quote]

Here are some helpful resources & even discounts, for getting setup with a blog:

  • ProPhoto Blogs – WordPress blog themes designed for photographers.  Use code: CHUM6844 for $10 off any purchase
  • Bluehost – Affordable & reliable web hosting for your website or blog. Click here to sign up for Bluehost.
  • WordPress Plugin Directory – Go here to add functionality (like social media integration) to your blog without having to know HTML code.
  • Blogstomp – This software makes it super easy to create different groupings of photos, add your logo/watermark and more, check out my video demo of Blogstomp right here.

Those are my top reasons why everyone should have a blog for their photography business.   Sure, blogging takes up some more of your time, but that is simply a cost of marketing and promoting your business.

OK, I’ve said enough, now your turn.

  • Are you a blog “lover” or “hater”?
  • If you already have a blog, what could you do differently to use it more effectively?

Let me know the answers to those questions or any comments at all you may have in the comment section below – as always I love hearing from you!

Talk soon!
Cole

Affiliate disclaimer – I am an affiliate of ProPhoto & Bluehost as they are companies whose products I currently use and standby.  If you purchase any of their products through my links above I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you, the consumer.

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