The Dreaded Blog Update: Keeping Your Blog Fresh and Interesting During Slow Season

Pretty much everyone knows that a blog for your photography business is essential. The biggest problem photographers have with their blogs is updating them regularly.

The blog is easy to keep up-to-date during your busy season, when there are weddings and sessions every weekend to post. But how about during the slow season? What can you blog about then? There are plenty of topics you can write about to keep your blog fresh and inspiring, without having it go dormant for 6 months and then starting up again with an apology post about how busy you've been, blah blah blah.

There are so many things you can write about on your blog, there's no reason to run out of ideas and content.

First, determine if you haven't already-is your blog strictly professional or do you prefer to mix in your personal life? Some great examples of those who do this well include Becker, Jessica Claire and Jasmine Star note that they still keep the posts appropriate for readers and potential clients; they don't bash bridezillas, other vendors or whine about their business, etc. The mood is kept mostly light and fun, highlighting their daily adventures in life. One of the reasons this works so well for them is that the illustrate their quirky personalities and zany adventures, and allow others to be drawn into their story. Travelling the work and getting paid to take “pretty pictures” is a dream job, and they perfectly illustrate how they are enjoying and living that dream each day. Their positive personalities shine through in every update. If that's not you, then stick to a more professional approach.

Besides recent images from sessions, what else can you post on your blog? Here are some great ideas for content when you are short on ideas. I recommend starting a list that you can add to whenever something pops in your head, so you always have a long list of topic ideas to select from. Here's a starter list to get you going:

• Preparing for a session-what a client can do to get the most from their session
• Products you have created for clients, to spark interest & new sales (photos of custom wall art, album sets, unique products, postcards, holiday cards, etc.
• What to wear to a session (engagement sessions, family sessions, senior sessions, basically each type of session you offer)
• Series of posts on great clothing choices-fill with examples
• Wedding planning tips
• Wedding photography education, such as advantages of seeing each other before the ceremony, how long to allow for family portraits, etc.)
• Recommended locations for outdoor sessions
• How to put together a wedding timeline
• Featured vendor spotlight (highlight the work of a floral designer, cake baker etc. and what you like about them)
• Featured venue that you shoot at frequently
• Upcoming specials
• Holiday ordering deadlines
• Detailed explanation of the album ordering process
• Behind the scenes of an album order-offer some insight as to why it takes so long to craft a beautiful wedding album
• Recent press (if you don't have any, grab my free ebook Get Published: A Guide for Wedding Photographers)

What topic ideas have popped into your head since reading this post? Please share in the comments below!

Tagged as: blog content, blog ideas, blogging, photography blog, photography blogs, photography business, photography marketing, studio operations, wedding marketing