So, what can you do to not only showcase your professional work, but also show people who you are, why you do what you do, and why they should consider your services?

Have you ever considered blogging? Here’s a look at how having a blog can build your brand and grow your photography business, and some tips on best blogging practices.

A photography blog can support and promote your website

There seems to be a never-ending race among photographers to see who can create the flashiest website with the sleekest graphics to showcase their work.

The internet has become a visual community, but long-lasting success cannot be achieved with graphics alone. Search engine rankings and customer engagement are driven by quality web content.

A wedding photography blog

A well-designed photography blog will not only better promote your work, it will help you make a personal connection with your audience.

And as Google has made very clear, good content that real people want to read is the key to improving search rankings.

A photography blog creates value for your customers

Photography Concentrate features a very informative article on how photographers can blog successfully. This article stresses the importance of making your audience feel comfortable in hiring you, since they’re probably trusting you with some important moments in their lives.

So, the first requirement for a successful blog must be to understand your audience. 

This article details some important things a blog can do that allow you to connect better with your customers: 

  • Show who you are, why you are a photographer, and what value you provide.

  • Showcase your latest projects.

  • Improve search rankings with consistently updated content.

  • Allow clients to share their own photos.

  • Establish your brand.

  • Acquire new customers.

Starting a photography blog without a clear understanding of your audience and a well-defined purpose will make things difficult for you and uninteresting for those who visit your website.

In order to have a positive outcome, you must create value in every post you write.

Photography blogs that work

Duo Photography’s attractive and inviting website is a great example of an effective photography blog. It not only features the professional work of the photographer, it’s just a fun place to visit.

Since the business’ focus is family photos, the blog is filled with ideas and tips for family activities in addition to cute photos from recent shoots.

It’s a great example of how many post ideas are out there that can keep your blog filled with relevant and useful information, including topical stories, behind-the-scenes glimpses of photo shoots, human-interest pieces, and frequently asked questions.

A wide variety of content helps keep the website traffic flowing and can even attract customers who didn’t think they were in the market for photography services.

The Symbol Photography website and blog are on the simpler side, but the execution is flawless.

The simplicity of the design allows the photos to be the center of attention, exactly as they should be. The well-designed blog on the site highlights the following characteristics of an effective photography blog:

  • It’s personal – Not only does the blog display fantastic wedding photos, the photographer provides some background on the couples and the shoots that makes a personal connection with the audience.

  • It’s different – Instead of simply posting a few of the best photographs, the blog writer highlights fun shoots that are shareable and relevant. 

  • The blog is “home base”. By providing engaging content with social sharing links, the blog is actually the home base for all social media activities. All tweets, pins or shares will increase blog traffic and improve search rankings for the entire website.

Another photographer with an effective blog is Craig Parry, a self-taught landscape photographer who won the International Landscape Photographer of the Year Award in 2014.

A quick visit to the Craig Parry Photography website makes it clear how the blog helps promote his work. He not only displays amazing images, he is always delivering quality information to communicate and engage with his audience. 

Just because you have a photography blog doesn’t mean you have to write about your photography all the time.

There are many great blogging ideas waiting for you to put your personal stamp on them.

By focusing on some critical elements of blogging as well as your strengths and interests, you can showcase your expertise and promote your portfolio while making lasting connections with your audience.

Should you use a free blogging service platform?

An interesting article at the CMBlog, published by Summit View Communications, outlines some helpful tips for creating a more effective photography blog, one of which is hosting your own blog versus using a free blogging platform. 

People who spend a lot of time online are familiar sites like Blogger and WordPress, where anyone with any random thought can start a blog.

Using one of them to promote yourself as an artist is kind of like opening your photography studio in a gas station.

It’s just not a very professional atmosphere. A self-hosted blogging platform, on the other hand, has:

  • Customization options and the flexibility to add features and themes.

  • The ability to sell advertising.

  • The possibility of running multiple blogs from the same installation.

Finding a hosting company for your blog and filling it with useful information created by yourself or professional blog writers gives you the best chance for success.

It builds trust and credibility and lets potential customers (and search engines) know exactly who you are.

Should you hire a blog writing service to fill your blog?

Writing quality blog content that people and search engines demand requires a certain level of skill in writing and the time, patience, and commitment to get the job done.

Many photographers understand the importance of blogging, but just don’t have the time to write engaging articles on a consistent basis.

Sure, anyone can write a post, but not all posts are quality web content that people will appreciate and search engines will promote. 

If you have the time and expertise to consistently write articles that will attract the attention of your audience, you are very fortunate. If not, you may want to rely on professional blog writers. There are many professional blog writing services available online.

If you decide to outsource your content writing, don’t choose a writing service based on price alone. You should choose professional blog writers who are enthusiastic about your project and will deliver original quality content tailored to the unique needs of your audience.

Keep your blog and website together

If your blog and website are separate, you are confusing your audience and losing search ranking potential. There is really no reason to purchase two domain names and register them separately.

By incorporating your blog within your website, you are providing useful information in one place and also improving your chances of being ranked higher in the search.

Google likes it when they send someone to a website or blog and that person has a good user experience, meaning they find what they’re looking for and the content keeps them on the site.

The days of the five-page website loaded with only photos are long gone. People and search engines require that new content be added to a website on a regular basis. Otherwise, it will be forgotten.

If you are presenting only photos, your site looks just like all the other photography sites. The best way to stand out above the crowd is to have a well-designed blog with your portfolio, where you can post fresh content and manage it easily. When you provide useful information that people are searching for, you can rest assured that Google will send people your way.