Dear Jasmine,
As a professional photographer, one of the most important marketing tools is a blog. With shoots, meeting with clients, editing etc. how do you keep up with coming out with fresh blogs? I mean how do you do it to set the time aside and then execute that scheduled slot? I ask, because sometimes I'll set a time to sit down and construct a blog, but then it gets late or something else comes up and…no blog. How do you do it?!
Sincerely,
Stumped

Dear Stumped,
It's easy to feel overwhelmed when it comes to the many aspects of running a business. As entrepreneurs we often wear many hats, one of them being the Chief Marketing Officer. As photographers it's very important to create a myriad of ways to share our work and I've discovered a blog creates a nice balance of a personal curation of work. Social media mechanisms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are also wonderful additions, but my blog allows me to write stories, express opinions, and share what's going on my life.

But all this takes time…and time is a precious thing to us all. In light of this, the best thing a photographer can do is plan.

Seeing how it's the start of the year, make a Marketing Commitment that feels right to you (this will look different for everyone) and stick to it. For example, if you want to grow your network on Facebook, plan to update your status, share photos, or post your favorite song __ times a day (<-- Make sure you list a number so you can hold yourself accountable. The same can be applied for Twitter and Instagram (or Flickr or any other photo sharing app). When it comes to blogging, I create a schedule and plan what I'm going to write in advance. I blog 5-6 times a week, so it requires a bit of brainstorming to figure out what I'll discuss for the week. If you're trying to find the right blogging schedule as a photographer, 1-2 times a week is a good place to start. Here are a few tips for creating blog content: 1. Plan blog posts around your recent shoots (this is great content and showcases your work, as well as helps with SEO). 2. Give yourself a shooting challenge for the month and post your results. 3. Plan a lunch with other photographers and bring your camera along. Blog about what you learned and be sure to link to others...they might do the same! 4. Don't shy away from sharing personal aspects of your life - what music are you digging, what's your favorite candy, who's your photography inspiration? 5. Take your camera everywhere! If you're volunteering, share those moments when readers…if you're at a concert, share it…if you made a pie for the first time, share it.

At the beginning of every week, plan what you'll blog and give yourself a deadline. A lot of photographers become overwhelmed with putting a post together, but it usually is a byproduct of trying to do it all at once. For example, if on Sunday you decide to blog on Wednesday, break up writing the post and editing the photos on Monday and Tuesday, so Wednesday is spent tying loose ends and pressing the publish button.

Stumped, I hope this gets you started on the right foot and excited for the endless possibilities of 2013…here's to hoping for a marketing push in the new year!
Stay Fabulous,
j*