Blogging can be a struggle, especially when it comes to writing about yourself or your business. But blogging is an essential part of marketing and SEO in today’s world. Yes, writing is important. It helps in a few ways:

• Provides freshly created content for your followers on a regular basis

• Engages visitors to learn more about your business

• Serves as something to share on social media, that is not just your portfolio of images

• Offers search engines new activity on your website to help push those pages up in ranking

Blogging is huge for creating engagement on your website. It does take time, but you can create some long-lasting content that can continue to drive traffic and engagement. Yes! That’s right, blog posts can be posted on social media more than once to get the attention of your current customers and potential new ones. 

Not everyone sees what you post right away and they might not search through all your content, so it doesn’t hurt to reshare or share with a new angle. In fact, re-sharing content helps garner more clicks and drives more people to your website.

Here are 7 blog post ideas that you can use to help drive traffic to your website and engage with your customers.

Blog posts that focus on your business's core details can be used and repurposed for years. This can include topics like “what you should wear to your session”, or “what to avoid during a photography session”. Tip-related posts that focus on how the customer can really optimize their experience are really helpful. Articles such as these serve two purposes. 

First, they help your readers understand your goals. This can help both you and your customers make the best of your time together. Second, people search online for advice about what to expect or how to prepare. Therefore, your blog post can help with your website’s search performance by answering people’s questions. 

What’s nice about blog post topics like this, is that you can edit them as you grow and evolve your business, and you can easily share them with new clients. Having information like this readily available to share also elevates your professionalism in the eyes of a reader. It shows you take your business seriously and they should too! 

Some examples of blog posts you could write with this format include:

• What to wear for a great family portrait session

• What to expect during an on-location photography session

• What to expect at a photography studio session

• How to prepare for your wedding day photography

• What a newborn photography session is like for new parents

• Tips on making the best of your senior photography session

• Tips on getting the best headshot

If you are offering a holiday or seasonal photo session, creating a blog post to promote it is great because it will give you content to share, such as on social media, Google Business, and email campaigns. This can also help draw in clients from Google and other search engines. 

A popular topic we see with family portrait photographers each fall is Santa sessions. If you’re offering a Santa session locally, you can have a blog post featuring the details about your sessions (location, time, date, how to book with you), talk about any products you may offer as part of your packages such as custom holiday cards, and of course showcase your best images from previous Santa sessions, if you’ve done them. 

Blog posts about upcoming events or promotions work like a digital flyer to help customers learn more and encourage them to sign up. They also serve the dual purpose of helping your event show up in search results for people in your area who are searching for Santa photos, holiday cards, etc. for their own families. 

Seasonal blog posts are great because they give you timely content that you can share to get people's attention. You don’t have to stick to just traditional holidays either. You can do this for spring break, spring/summer/fall sessions, beach portraits, and more. 

Some examples of blog posts you could write with this format include:

• Planning for your Santa experience with [Your Business Name]

• Easter sessions you’ll cherish for years to come

• Cool for the summer, your spring break portraits with [Your Business Name]

• Colorful and bright winter sessions that you’ll just melt for

• Fun in the sun beach portraits with [Your Business Name]

• Fall in love with your next family portrait session

We’ve written about the power of client reviews and testimonials and how important they are for your online presence in the past. Potential clients are always looking to learn from other people’s experiences. That’s why reviews and testimonials are critical. Reviews and testimonials are also a factor Google uses to rank businesses and establish how credible they are. Highlighting a customer’s overall experience is a blog post you can do frequently, each month if possible, and share multiple times throughout the year.

Another thing featuring customer experiences on your website does is give potential customers a sneak peek into your process. Seeing happy customers sharing their experiences will always be a great sales tool, their words can serve you even better than your own!

Some examples of blog posts you could write with this format include:

• Creating and preserving memories for your family

• Stunning wedding at [Location Name] captured by [Your Business Name]

• 5-star portrait experience with [Your Business Name]

• Sneak peek into an [Insert Type] session (or event!)

Results matter and nothing shows results better than highlighting what something looks like before and after a service. For example, you can highlight before and after work of photo restorations or image touch-ups. Before and after features can truly show a client what an experience will be like. They are especially impactful when the after is drastically different than the before, such as photo sessions that involve enhanced features like smoke, water, or even a greenscreen.

Some examples of blog posts you could write with this format include:

• How to elevate your senior portraits

• Before and after: Check out these photos restorations by [Your Business Name]

• You won’t believe what this image looked like before it was edited

• How are newborn images staged? See how [Your Business Name] does it

Blog posts that highlight products you sell are another great option. You can share details about specific package options, review information about the framing process, and even showcase album options. These blog posts can answer frequently asked questions and help people see your work.

This blog post style can help people learn more about your products, and envision what they could look like in their own homes.

Some examples of blog posts you could write with this format include:

• Keepsakes you’ll cherish for years to come by [Your Business Name]

• Choosing the best photo frame for your home

• How to preserve your best moments

Sharing information about your location and studio can really put a potential client's mind at ease. You can craft blog posts to show people where the magic happens, share examples of the sets and the environment, and help people get a grasp of you and your style. This is a great opportunity to share details about the space and your address, if applicable. 

Another cool thing you can do is show what your sets or backdrops look like in the space in comparison to the results of a finished photo. This relates back to the before and after concept. Showing results can really encourage someone to make a purchase.

Some examples of blog posts you could write with this format include:

• Let us give you a tour

• Take a studio tour with [Your Business Name]

• Behind the scenes: What’s it like shooting with [Your Business Name]

People love a good story. You can use your blog to share personal anecdotes or highlight important moments in your life, as they relate to your business. Studies have shown when you personalize your brand, more people are attracted to purchasing from that business. 

People love to get behind something they care about, so if you are able to highlight moments, like awards you win, sessions that meant a lot to you, and other feel-good stories, it can help create synergy around your brand and hopefully encourage more engagement on your website.

In the end, you want people to understand the “why” behind your business, and you can use blog posts to help communicate this for years to come.

Some examples of blog posts you could write with this format include:

• Learn more about [Your Business Name]

• These are the sessions that I love most

• Giving back: How [Your Business Name] contributes to our community

• 5 Things you didn't know about [Your Business Name]

• My process: A behind the scenes look at [Your Business Name]

These blog post topics (and more) can help you plan out and create content for years to come. And remember, once you write a blog post, continue to share it! It is a resource to be revisited and shared, not a once-and-done post. As you make changes to your business, make sure to update past blog posts so they reflect any changes you’ve made. This type of content is how you can engage people on your website and through social media.

If you are looking for other blog post ideas or SEO strategies, check out these awesome articles:

• The Power of Customer Testimonials
• Best Practices for Your Website’s Navigation
• Blogging For SEO - Use This Template!
• How to Use Keywords in Blog Posts

Need help with putting together an SEO plan? Hire our in-house Google-certified experts to help. Check out our SEO Go service to learn more about how we can help your business or give us a call at 866.463.7620 to ask for more information.