Blogging to me is so much more than words and images, it is my sharing a piece of my soul with you. A piece of my and my journey as a novice housewife, a puppy mother, a wedding blogger, a woman who struggles to get out of yoga pantser, and a photographer. From hopes and dreams, trials to triumphs, my laughs and maybe a few tears… well this? This is my online diary in the form of a little love note with x’s and o’s from me to you…  I promise I won’t make you circle yes or no and pass it back.

I get a lot of emails asking me for advice on blogging. Since I publish two blogs daily- one personal and one on A Northwoods Wedding- you could say that I am a blog junkie. I spend a lot of time planning, preparing, curating, and scheduling posts.  A lot of photographers have reached out for some inspiration and insight on how to use their blog as a tool to build their business. I have to preface this post with the fact that I am by no means an expert here, I’m just a lady who got a blogging problem and I live to tell about it.

Blogging has totally helped my business evolve and grow. I started my blog the day I named my business. Not having enough money to splurge for a custom website, I opted for a blog site. I wasn’t sure what to post and seriously started posting photos of shoes and cats and stacks of magazines because I had no clients. This was it, my big break… okay, not really. I am pretty sure I was the only person who visited my blog for the first few months, but if you did too, I should kiss your feet because I was 32 cats away from becoming the crazy cat lady who blogged photos of shoes and we all know that isn’t a pretty picture. 

Over the last two years I started to blog sessions, from engagements to lifestyle, I would use this space as a place to share client photos and help tell their stories post by post. Consistency was nonexistent and the only way people would know that I had blogged was if I posted a link on facebook or twitter. As I got busier, the blog became part of my post-processing workflow. After a shoot I would pull my favorite photos, edit them and compile them in a way to tell a story for my clients and their friends and families. If I had a busy shoot week, the blog would stay busy… that was likely followed with a lull and I made zero effort to dream up things I could share beyond sessions. 

This past fall as my season slowed down I took time to do some research. I visited blogs I loved and photographers pages who I admired. There is nothing worse than heading to a blogsite and seeing it hasn’t been updated in months. Honestly, I only think it hurts you if you do this. It tells clients you are too busy to update, that you don’t focus on sharing their images, and in a digital age it sheds a light on how you are running your business. I noticed that the blogs I followed the most were ones who consistently posted and who shared insight into their life beyond just imagery and words about clients. I found that people loved hearing about my silly weekend adventures, my tales of business ownership, and my travels.

Now, a lot of people ask me how they can improve their blog. Here is what I will say: I am a writer, I have always been a writer, it is one of my strengths and I truly find joy in jotting down my thoughts. I also happen to think I am hilarious, I’d bet money tons of people think I am not, but the fact that I don’t care about those people helps me to write freely and attract those who fake laugh at my jokes. (If you real laugh, then you need to schedule a coffee date with me NOW, I am sure we will get along juussssttt fine.) If writing isn’t your strength, blogging will be challenging. This is where you really have to self-evaluate and figure out what your strengths are and begin to use them to maximize your presence. If blogging is a chore for you, don’t set out to do it everyday you will begin to loathe it and you will seriously frustrate yourself. Start out giving yourself a goal, perhaps posting every Monday is something you can do. Try to create consistency so your readers know when you will be updating.

Share things that you would feel comfortable telling your grandma or your little cousin and use the tone of voice that you normally speak in. If you are formal, keep your blog formal. If you have a goofball side, show that off. You want your blog to be an extension of your voice and your brand. I would love to help and shed more light on why I believe this blog is a piece of my life that adds value, so feel free to post any blogging questions you have for me! As a photographer and creative it forces me to keep my camera handy for life’s mundane moments (much to my husbands dismay) but it also forces me to think out of the box and explore ways to share my life with people like you. Happy blogging, friends!

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