You’ve heard that you should be blogging if you’re a photographer. You’ve seen more and more shooters with blogs. Heck, you’ve probably even started one yourself!
Do you know why that blog is so critical, and the most important things you need to do to make sure it’s worth the time? Well, let’s figure it out! So, you might already have a blog, or you might be considering one. Before we dive in, a quick shout out to our awesome reader Erin, who suggested this topic. Either way, let’s start off by talking about the reasons why blogging is so important for photographers.
Photography is a service, and a personal one at that. Your clients are letting you into their lives, and trusting you with some pretty big moments. The more you can give them reason to feel comfortable with hiring you, the better. A blog is a perfect tool for doing just that. It gives you the opportunity to show who you are, why you are a photographer, and what value you can provide to a prospective client.
It gives them a look into your motivations and how you treat your clients—info that will be important to their decision. And, of course, it lets them see your latest and greatest work! When you are just getting started (as in, during you first 5 – 10 years as a shooter) you are probably going to be improving your work at a very rapid rate. Portfolio sites have a tendency to get stagnant, and many photographers neglect to update them regularly. .
When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.Ansel Adams
A blog ensures that prospective clients are seeing your newest (and likely best) images. That ensures that they are familiar with your current shooting style, which also has a tendency to evolve! Blogs are also better for SEO than portfolio sites, since they have frequent updates and lots of tasty content.
Another benefit is that blogs are a really great way for your clients to share the images you took of them! People love seeing their own photos on their photographer’s blog, and will share the link with all their family and friends. Um….hello awesome word-of-mouth marketing!! Your clients might even ask you if they’ll make the blog, they’re so excited to be featured. Take the time to make great posts for your clients, share why you enjoyed working with them, and they’ll love the experience, and spread the word about you. Win-win!! At the core, a blog is going to let you start establishing your personal brand. You can get your unique voice across thanks to the narrative style of a blog.