Is blogging dead in 2023?
While I consider myself a fairly consistent blogger (I blog about 70 times per year), I’ve wondered this myself as we enter the golden age of apps like TikTok, Twitch, and YouTube. Does blogging have any value for a small business owner, and maybe more specifically for photographers, in 2023?
I might be biased, but I say a resounding YES! And I say this emphatic “yes” because of some simple (yet compelling) reasons:
Content from my blog STILL drives TONS of traffic to my website (especially when I’m consistently sharing and keywording images from my sessions), which is great for my SEO rankings on Google. Google likes activity, and they reward websites with “good” activity with higher rankings (meaning that when someone searches for you, your website/blog post will pop up on or closer to that coveted first page of Google!)
Blogging is an easy way for me to answer frequent questions that clients have for me, and in turn, allows me to serve my clients better. When they email me, I simply send them the blog post I’ve already written instead of typing out that answer again and again and again. Plus - answering your clients questions positions you as an expert in your field. Imagine someone Googling “where should I have my senior photos taken in (insert your town)?” and YOUR blog post pops up with some beautiful images from your favorite locations. Do you think that person is going to trust that you are an expert and that you know what you’re doing? Of course! And that puts them in a great position to want to invest in your services and experience. Score!
For me, those are two awesome reasons to continue blogging, even into 2023 and beyond. And I believe that anyone can “up” their rankings on Google by consistently posting to their blog, even beginning in 2023. It’s not too late to start!
One of the most difficult things about having a blog can be the age old question of “but what do I write?” As someone who has been blogging for 10 years, trust me, I GET IT. I feel like I’ve written so so many blog posts throughout the years that I barely have any content left to write about. But then I get a question from a client or photograph a wedding at a new venue, and suddenly, I have an idea for content!
In this particular blog post, I’d love to share some ideas with you for blog posts that will actually help you rank on Google and that will help you serve your clients well. Because you need those inquiries… and you need to take care of those clients who have already trusted you with their memories and money!
First up, I’m going to share some blog post ideas specifically for Wedding Photographers.
UNIQUE BLOG POST IDEAS FOR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS:
Highlight the best images from every wedding you photograph. Yes, every single one. Chances are, you’re most likely editing some sneak peeks for your client, so go the extra mile and throw those sneak peeks in a blog post - but don’t forget to keyword those images (that’s the secret sauce!). This one is such good low hanging fruit, too, because these blog posts basically write themselves. Share the images, share a list of what vendors were involved in the wedding day, and even a little bit about the flow of the day itself (people love reading about the behind the scenes of a wedding day!). If you really want to go crazy - share a little bit about the couple’s story, too!
Highlight your favorite venues in their own blog posts. Are there any places you LOVE shooting weddings at? Consider featuring those venues in their own blog post! Couples tend to book their venue before their wedding photographer anyways, so being able to offer professional insight about a wedding venue positions you as an expert, and could give you an upper-hand on other photographers who haven’t photographed events there before.
Why should your client do/not do a first look? List out the pros and cons of a first look between a bride and groom. How will it help their wedding day flow better or worse?
How you handle rain on a client’s wedding day. Do you bring umbrellas with you? Are you an off camera lighting aficionado who could make any indoor space look amazing? What types of locations do you look for to use during a wedding while it’s raining?
Share a sample wedding day timeline - you could even do this for different “types” of wedding days (i.e., with a first look, without a first look, 8 hours of wedding coverage, 10 hours of wedding coverage, with a reception exit, without a reception exit, etc.)
Share your favorite vendors. You could do multiple blog posts with different vendor categories: florists, makeup artists, DJ’s, etc.). Don’t forget to link to their websites, too!
Think about the most difficult parts of the day from the client perspective, and offer a solution from your expertise. For example, ways to not keep your guests waiting too long during cocktail hour photos, how to work through family formals quickly, etc.
Why should your client consider having engagement photos done? Are there any benefits of them getting to work with you beforehand?
How can they prepare for their engagement photos? Is there anything they should do beforehand that will help them show up more prepared?
Share your favorite locations for taking engagement photos.
Are there any details you want your client to have ready for you when you arrive on their wedding day? Most of the time bridal detail photos are the first thing a photographer photographs - what should they have ready for you? (Tip: you can also make a blog post listing groom detail photo ideas!)
How can your client maximize their portrait time on their wedding day? This would be a good place to talk about sneaking out of the reception for those beautiful golden hour photos!
If you offer albums, create a blog post featuring some of your sample albums. Show them what options you have available! Cover materials, page designs, sizes, etc.
Write about a challenge you experienced on a wedding day, and how you overcame it. This, again, will position you as an expert in your field! Wedding days are FULL of problems that need to be solved quickly by professionals.
Share your favorite locations for taking wedding photos. If you photograph weddings in a city, you might have some locations you prefer over others. Share why you love those spots so you can begin to steer your clients towards those favorable locations!
Share a compilation of your favorite ___________ photos. What I mean by this is: if you LOVE photographing epic night photos, share a compilation blog post featuring your favorite epic night shots. If you love taking wedding couples out for golden hour photos, share a blog post featuring your favorite golden hour photos. You could basically do this for every part of a wedding day!
At the end of the year, share your favorite wedding images from that particular year. It’s fun to do a little round up of the year prior! I try to choose at least one image from each wedding I photograph to share in my yearly round up blog post. I find that my clients enjoy seeing everything else I photographed that year, and I enjoy seeing and remembering all the hard work that went into that year!
I hope this list is helpful for giving you at least one idea for how you can get started writing your wedding photography blog! And remember - even if a blog post has been written before, it hasn’t been written from your unique perspective. YOUR clients want to hear from YOU! Happy writing!
