Do I really need a blog?

[Plonk]

Im getting closer to having my business out there and have been talking to some other photographers and asking advice on blog/websites. One has told me that I dont really need one as the popularity of facebook is huge and I could use that to get my business out there. But another one told me that I should have one so clients can go to my website to see my work.
Im a little confused on which way to go with this.

[William]

I guess it depends on what images your trying to sell , And what your daily blog will be about , It will have to appeal to everyone to make it work

[Plonk]

I will be selling newborn and family shots. I dont think I would do a daily blog as such. Could I get away with just a facebook page or is it much more professional to have the website?

[Xenedis]

Blog? No.

Web site? Yes.

Facebook page? Maybe.

Establishing your own Web presence under a domain name which reflects your business name, and representing that business in a clean, clear, uncluttered, easy-to-navigate manner (which highlights your work, products and services) will be most beneficial.

Facebook might be immensely popular, and perhaps you could establish a business presence there as a supplement to your professional Web site, but IMO you really need a proper Web site which identifies your business, rather than hanging off some other site (in this case, a popular social networking site).

I'd also recommend you establish email addresses within your own domain name rather than using Gmail, for instance.

It looks more professional if a prospective client can visit www.yourdomain.com and email you at enquiries@yourdomain.com rather than going somewhere like Facebook and contacting you at a Webmail-based address.

I've noticed on TV ads lately a trend for large companies to list a Facebook URL at the bottom of the screen. I cannot say I understand why they'd want their businesses to be represented by a Facebook address.

While I'm not on Facebook, even if I were, I'd still prefer to see (and visit) a www.company.com address than some profile page hanging off Facebook.

To me, a URL representing a company name is more logical and meaningful, and caters for those of us who aren't on Facebook.

Anyway, that's just my opinion.

[Plonk]

WoW when you put it that way Xenedis I have made up my mind on it all. Thanx for you great advice. A website it shall be.

[reflect]

Everytime I have tauted my work to prospective clients, without fail they have asked "can I see your website", so much to my disgust I had a friend who is "IT" savy build a website. What a disaster, I couldn't navigate my way around the setup menus, it looked bad and I quickly stopped giving out the web address and reverted to showing clients my portfolio the old way. They kept asking for the website, so I bought one of the many template based sites that are for photographers, set it and the associated blog up within in a day ( most AP members could do it in far less time, but computers have SOOO many buttons!!) and now boldly advertise the site with quite considerable success. Do you need a blog...IMO no, however linked to social media it can and does promote what you and your business is about. Embrace this new fangled and a whole new world might embrace you :th3:

[kiwi]

Been a member for 6 months and you haven't posted a single photo or given a single critique and yet you say you're operating professionally ?

I think maybe contribute here a little.

[Plonk]

Thanx Reflect. Are you allowd to share in here the place you got your website template from?

[Plonk]

Sorry Kiwi, I havent been around here for a while and I made a thread reinstating my account for here that I havent been here for a while. I had been working for a another company and that company no longer runs. I had been doing some sessions around the place with newborns and familes also I had done some bereavement baby sessions. I have shown some of my work on facebook to a photography group too. I am sorry if I have ticked you off. I didnt know that for me to be a professional photographer that I needed have posted a photo or given some CC. I do apoligise. I am trying to get to the next level with my job and I thought asking here I could get there.

[kiwi]

Every day lots post here asking advice, get it, then bugger off for 6 months until they are stuck again

It doesn't take much to participate, so, why not today spend some time helping other members who do post photos since you're pro

[Xenedis]

How about helping the guy rather than judging him based on assumptions and personal expectations?

[Plonk]

Advice taken. Thank-you. I will make sure to participate regularly.

[reflect]

Plonk, I am not sure if it is okay to share the names of website providers, however if you do a google search with something like "photography website templates" forget the first one but the next two are worth a look.;)

[geoffsta]

Hello Plonk.
It's my belief that a facebook page is not very professional. Some of the best members on here have their own web page, with their own domain and email address.
If you take a look at some, they are spectacular. I personally only use flickr.com. But I'm no where as good as most on here.
Some members sites to look at are: piXelatedEmpire, reflect and dtoh. All are a bit different, but very professional looking.
You want to sell yourself, and your business and to appear to be very professional. I believe that is the way to go.

I see you have already posted an image, and taken Kiwi's advice. :wd: Keep it up.

Geoff.

[KLi]

Search engine LOVES blogs! Even just a simple paragraph and a few "preview" photos works great in boosting SEO.

[ricktas]

Plonk, I am not sure if it is okay to share the names of website providers, however if you do a google search with something like "photography website templates" forget the first one but the next two are worth a look.;)

Yes you can, you have over 30 days membership and 50 posts so you are free to name businesses, put up website links etc.

[Dan Cripps]

Blogs are certainly not required. I find them so stale and same/same that it takes something quite amazing to stand out from the dross. They also need to be updated regularly, as soon as you drop the ball on posting they lose whatever value they might have had.

It's becoming increasingly important to find reliable offline marketing methods, to be honest. Online is too accessible and competitive.

[Xenedis]

It's becoming increasingly important to find reliable offline marketing methods, to be honest. Online is too accessible and competitive.

I'd consider online marketing to be as important, if not more so, as offline marketing.

Remember, there are people out there who have probably never looked in a printed copy of the Yellow Pages. It's much more convenient for many these days to search online, and if you're easy to find, your chances of landing business are arguably better.

That's not to say that traditional print-based marketing should be excluded; but online marketing is the way of the present and the future.

[ricktas]

I'd consider online marketing to be as important, if not more so, as offline marketing.

Remember, there are people out there who have probably never looked in a printed copy of the Yellow Pages. It's much more convenient for many these days to search online, and if you're easy to find, your chances of landing business are arguably better.

That's not to say that traditional print-based marketing should be excluded; but online marketing is the way of the present and the future.

I reckon things like Wedding/Bridal Expo's are probably more important these days than print, and possibly more so than online. Directed marketing that is targeted towards the clients you want seems to me, to be the best form of marketing. In the yellow pages (paper or online), or online at all, you are competing against every other wedding photographer (and wanna-be) in your area. Your best marketing tool, is yourself, getting out there and getting your name, face and photography known in the demographic you are targeting. Whatever price you decide to charge is not worth a cent, if people do not know who you are, or how to contact you.

[William W]

Marketing is different to Advertising.

Re: "online marketing" and "offline marketing" - sure we could broadly classify them as two streams, but doing so, in and of itself is destructive to what "MARKETING" is about and dilutes the meaning of "Marketing" per se.

Marketing is an holistic being; multifaceted, interwoven and harmonious within the one main Theme and Branding.

If a Blog is to be one part of the marketing strategy, then my advice is that it (the Blog) needs regular (probably daily) attention.

In considering if a Blog is necessary or not, then one method is to evaluate the value-ad for the input costs.

I don’t have a Blog, because, (in simple terms), rather than tending to a Blog (or paying someone to do so) each day, I can pull more $ with: a business card; a coffee and an hour’s face to face chat with a decision maker who most very likely would NOT have come to me, via the Blog stream in the first place.

Other business models are different to mine.

WW

[98kellrs]

I am not a pro, nor do I run a business, however here are my humble opinions; If you are shooting mainly newborn/family then your primary demographic will be fairly young. A website is critical for the reasons Xenedis stated, but for the sake of 10 minutes setup time, a facebook page can also be very useful. As your client base expands they will likely show your facebook page to their friends (because everybody is on facebook 24/7 nowadays) and that will in turn lead them to your website. Also keep an eye on Google+ in the future, it hasn't taken off in Australia fully yet, but in the states and europe it's rapidly increasing in popularity and will likely make it to our shores eventually.

Also worth remembering regarding websites is your SEO (search engine optimisation), basically this envolves setting up your site so it appears as high as possible on a search engine page. If you are not too tech savvy, perhaps ask a friend to help, but there are heaps of tutorials out there. This is useful for times when a client has forgotten your exact web address, but can remember part of your business name.

Good luck with it all! Keen to see some of your work also! :th3:

[William]

Interesting reading Guys, :th3: I'm in the middle of all this right now :) We are planing a daily blog and new images every day(4) , Well Mon-Fri is the plan so far , Linked to a Facebook page , Not rushing, Just making sure we get it right , As well as getting prints done and framed for Galleries, Markets etc :eek:

[Lianne]

Here's my two cents. Given the prevalence of social media these days, any exposure online is good for your business as long as you know how to manage it (easier said than done). Yes - you NEED your own website/domain and associated email addresses as it looks more professional. As for blogs, facebook, twitter, etc, these are all methods you employ to keep your website active so search engines rank your site higher than others. Regardless of what level of internet exposure you use/employ the main thing is make your website easy to navigate; choose a domain name that is relevant; keep it up-to-date and if you are going to run a blog/facebook page, make your contributions regularly eg every Tuesday.
The other trick with facebook/twitter etc is create a persona to advertise your website. EG your website is Baby Photos Inc and your facebook persona is Baby Bella and it is Baby Bella that discusses your website - (some of my mates came in for some photos yesterday. check them out at "website") That way your followers will know when to come back and check for updates. BTW - given your preferred market of newborn photography, I think that Facebook is worth a try but only for business - no playing games, joining groups not related to photography/newborns etc. Good luck with whichever method you choose.

[Dan Cripps]

I'd consider online marketing to be as important, if not more so, as offline marketing.

Remember, there are people out there who have probably never looked in a printed copy of the Yellow Pages. It's much more convenient for many these days to search online, and if you're easy to find, your chances of landing business are arguably better.

That's not to say that traditional print-based marketing should be excluded; but online marketing is the way of the present and the future.

I didn't mention print advertising at all. In most markets it's a monumental waste of money.

When I say offline marketing methods, I mean a more direct targeted approach. Anyone can fire up a website/blog and go crazy on facebook.

[TasEric]

By all means use Facebook, twitter, and other social networks.
But use them to direct visitors to your own website.
One where YOU own the domain name, buy the web hosting, and are in control of the content.

Don't rely on ANY other website to be there forever.
Your accounts can be removed for all sorts of reasons, or the entire site might just disappear.

I've seen the unfortunate results of many people who thought that all they would ever need was Blogger. Or Facebook. or even (shudder) Myspace.
And they kept thinking that right up until the time that their site disappeared - never to be seen again.


cheers,
Eric G.

[beau]

I reckon things like Wedding/Bridal Expo's are probably more important these days than print, and possibly more so than online. Directed marketing that is targeted towards the clients you want seems to me, to be the best form of marketing. In the yellow pages (paper or online), or online at all, you are competing against every other wedding photographer (and wanna-be) in your area. Your best marketing tool, is yourself, getting out there and getting your name, face and photography known in the demographic you are targeting. Whatever price you decide to charge is not worth a cent, if people do not know who you are, or how to contact you.
I agree about the expo's mate, but they're hard to get into. Pretty much every expo in Sydney is booked out for photographers already for next year. That includes the two big shows and the 10 or so smaller suburban ones.

[beau]

Blogs are well worth the effort, if for no other reason than GOOGLE LOVES BLOGS.

Set up a website, and a blog and make sure the two carry links to each other.

A dedicated facebook page is good too, but it's just social media and will give you a limited exposure, depending on your friends network and how often you update it.

[maccaroneski]

There's a book called The Linked Photographers' Guide to Online Marketing and Social Media by Lindsay Adler and Rosh Sillars and whilst I didn't agree with everything that it was putting forth it was certainty very informative, and gave a good insight into the benefits of coming up with an overall strategy.

[flame70]

I have a website, facebook and a blog but to be honest the blog can take a lot of time up so mostly I use the facebook as a blog as it uploads very quickly and once you are getting liked the word spreads. However you must have a website for sales and info presented in your own way not facebooks and also so you can be easily found.

[Mark L]

^ So Jez, as a member of AP, how do I find your website and facebook page?:)

[flame70]

As a member of AP there's nowhere really to find it is there. There's no place in AP's contact page and about yourself to fill in so like virtually everyone else on AP we don't get to see each others page. I can't see yours, Kyms or Darrens for instance. However if it intrigues you, you'll find it at www.7000degrees.com (http://www.7000degrees.com) Its nothing special and i'm just considering a complete overhaul but like everything else it takes time and just when you think you've got some, more editing or film work comes in. What it really needs is an overhaul of the way pictures are presented so i'll need to spend some time in flash. Though it seems to pay for itself i'm sure theres a lot of room for improvement.

[SamNabz]

I think having a website (not blog) is one of the best ways to advertise your business. Whether it is for a store/boutique, or to showcase your artwork/photography etc.

No matter what line of work you are in, clients or potential clients will almost always ask if you have a website for them to visit and see what you or your company is all about and what you can offer them.

I do web and graphic design as a side job and have done a few photography websites (for hobbyist), all of which do not incorporate a blog. The client feels that a blog is unnecessary for a photography site.

Instead of a blog, I implement a gallery where the client can upload their images, and is able to put a little story behind each image, describing where it was taken and/or with what gear and so on (if they prefer/desire) - then they can enable comments for viewers to offer CC and so on.

If you are a professional tog' then your website should only be to showcase your portfolio and give potential clients a glimpse of why they should be hiring you for their next event. It should also have a short blurb on the company, the services you offer (inc. price list), and contact details which should always be kept up to date.

[Sobriquet]

These days you really do need a website, a blog and an active fb page if you are doing family and babies and don't have a shop front. I get so much action after I post a brides sneakpeek, watermark your images and they are fantastic advertising, make it a pretty one and use lightroom to put it in the right place. I didn't realise how important the fb was until recently. I also twitter but thing are set up to be as automated as possible and my posts are generally upload and image and give it a title, share it around, so it doesn't take up much time. I use Blogspot as it is free and easy, I have two separate sides to my business one Boudoir and then the family, wedding stuff so I keep them separate and have both blogs in the same place. Both my websites are also hosting on the same server (I have a mathematics background so programming and web development is easy for me) and I have 3 fb pages to promote different areas of my work. I use blogspot but some photographers use wordpress and prophoto for web and blog, you can make a blog look like a website and have it all integrated quite nicely.

[Plonk]

Thank-you everyone for your advice on this. I very much appreciate it all. I have things on the back burn at the moment as I have had a few drams pop into my life.