Why A Blog for Photographers is a Game Changer
There can be a lot of noise around marketing. Everyone will tell you that you HAVE to do this or you HAVE to do that. As if your entire business depends on it. I will tell you right now—you don’t HAVE to listen to any of it. A blog for photographers is one thing that deserves a little of that noise.
It has been a challenge as a photographer to sift through that noise—here is (in my opinion) one of the most helpful things you can do.
A Blog for Photographers is…
Blogging is not what I thought it was before my business days. It’s not just recipes and almond moms.
Blogging has so many unsung benefits. It means carving more space for yourself in Google searches. It means creating resources for your clients.
Keeping an updated blog as a photographer means creating all of these branches for connection that wouldn’t otherwise exist.
Google is a Powerful Place
I truly want to attract clients through all the platforms—to meet them where they are. Whether that’s Instagram, Google, Pinterest, Facebook, or ultimately my website.
Google specifically holds SO much power to do good for our businesses that we tend to overlook.
Have you even realized how much YOU use Google? What are you going to do if you need to hire someone and you have NO connections? Maybe you will ask a friend, maybe you will see who has the most instagram followers, but most likely you will start your research with our good friend Google.
Businesses will pay THOUSANDS of thousands of dollars on Google Ads. Mara (my blog + SEO expert)just sent me stats about what my website’s traffic is currently equivalent to in the cost of Google Ads and… ya girl had to do a double take.
Using Google to allow for people to find my website on their own rather than trying to lead them there from social media makes so much more sense. THE way to make that happen, I’ve learned is blogging (↓ see the chart of my website’s organic traffic—starting with the day Mara and I published our first post. ↓ )
Search Engine Optimization
The biggest thing for ranking on Google is having good search engine optimization (or SEO) and having a strong website.
I don’t really understand how it all works (which is why I have Mara), but basically SEO refers to how you write the content of your website (or a blog post) with the intent of making it more effective for Google to understand.
Creating blog posts consistently communicates to Google’s algorithm that your website is up to date and relevant (and therefore a credible resource to show in relevant searches). It also gives your website more opportunities to rank higher in more searches.
I can plug in my photos and write something about them, but I don’t have the knowledge to make them effective with the SEO. I thought “If I can hire someone who knows SEO to do it for me, I am going to do that”. And so, that’s what I did.
Branches for Connection
A blog for photographers is creating all of these branches for connection that wouldn’t otherwise exist. This content connects your website to SO many new keywords which ultimately leads to being found by the people that need and want YOU most.
I get to also use it as a space to feature my past clients and sharing about their work and the value they bring the world.
Client Info & Inspo
Not only is each post great for expanding my website and connecting with a larger audience, but also a new resource for my current and future clients. I can share posts about my past branding photography clients with an inquiry for outfit inspiration or ideas for props.
I also link posts in my brand experience guide so that clients looking to book can have quick access to these educational posts that could end up being really helpful.
Even aside from all of that, it is a great way to expand my client experience! I love getting to feature my past clients and share about what they do.
I can plug in my photos and write something about them, but I don’t have the knowledge to make them effective with the SEO.
I thought “If I can hire someone who knows SEO to do it for me, I am going to do that”. And so, that’s what I did.
The Most Powerful Resource
The most powerful resource for me has been being able to hand over the power of blogging to someone that truly has the talent and knowledge to make the most out of each post.
I’ve told Mara over and over that I truly could not do what she does. I couldn’t write the things that she writes for me. She makes me sound more like myself than I do sometimes. AND on top of that I have no idea what kind of magic she puts into those posts to help them reach the people that they do.
Leaning on others is sometimes the strongest, most powerful thing you can do.
My Blogging Experience
I decided to hand off my blogging to Mara, my blog and SEO queen, and the results have been mind-boggling.
I have had a bit of a complicated journey with blogging before we started working together (Mara here breaking the fourth wall: Hannah’s notes really said “My past history with blogging is…” and there was a LONG pause).
I would tell myself that I would get myself together and stay on top of blogging. I’d make one, maybe two posts and then fall off the train for several months (or never return 👻). It was a small thing but I did really feel guilt about it.
Writing is not my most favorite thing to do, and I think that made me DREAD blogging. It was a HEFTY chore for me. I knew I wanted to do for my website, I knew the benefits. It’s just that I didn’t have the key resources or skills I needed to create GOOD quality blog posts on the regular.
I could have stayed in this endless cycle of guilt and dread and carrying more than I needed to carry day in and day out. Instead, I decided to hand it to Mara—and she has turned it into more than I could have imagined.
The Proof
This is the juicy part where I show you the numbers and how much blogging has done for me in the past (less than a) year.
The green line in the chart above shows the progress of how many people found my website from searches over the past year. From absolutely NOTHING before we posted that first blog, to being my main source of traffic.
Remember when I told you that Mara sent me stats about the value of my website traffic??? That’s that number. ↓ 👀
Update: It just keeps getting better ↓
Leaning on others is sometimes the strongest, most powerful thing you can do.
I think sharing our experience as business owners is such a valuable way to cheer each other on. Outsourcing, especially with tasks that you dread or take up a lot of your time is one of my biggest recommendation as a mentor. I would really recommend Mara for blogging + SEO! Check out her website and hang out with her on Instagram!
It doesn’t matter what task it is, if you don’t enjoy it or it doesn’t feel like it is worth your time and you CAN pay someone to take care of it for you—do it, do it, do it.
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