I have become totally addicted to forums over the years, checking my boards before my emails and often spending whole days on trivial arguments/discussions instead of working. I have lost literally ten’s of thousands of pounds worth of business with the lack of productivity that came with frequenting them. In honesty this dawning happened before reading your article but your words are encouragement during my cold turkey.

Initially forums were a great help, you have a question, you ask it and people give you instant answers. I really don’t think I would be in the good position I’m in now without my wedding groups on flickr, however the crossover point from it being helpful to harmful came all too quickly. Before you know it its you answering those same questions you asked yourself, I look on it as giving something back but in reality its already there from the last time it was asked.

I think I’ll spend more time writing to my blog than in forums. Although I can think of lots of things to write about I wonder if I should keep my blog 100% wedding which is my core business or should I include other material to keep it moving and to show I do commercial work too?

Thanks again

Rob

You are in good hands with Marko and Damien. I attended a 2:1 Full Day Workshop with Marko on “post-processing” last year and it has more than paid for itself. My only advice is take a notebook and learn to write fast as there is so much to take in! This is no reflection of Marko’s teaching, he is excellent and goes through exactly what you need to know.

I wouldn’t want readers to think that this blog is populated by Lovegrove Consulting clients, but I don’t know of a blog that gives such pertinent, frank and honest advice about the business side of photography, hence me frequenting this blog on a regular basis.

Paul

Suffice it to say, I read all the articles with enormous interest. I know that I am not alone when I say I am an enthusiast considering starting a photography business from modest beginnings with the hope of growing exponentially. This has been in the planning for months so is not an imopulsive decision.

Your book, DVD’s and blog are an enormous inspiration and provide plenty of confidence building. I am still lacking the practical experience (due to time constraints with my current employment) but hope that my upcoming courses with you will take me to the next level and provide the push that I need.

My planned website and blog creation to accompany it is giving me much thought at present. There is no point being ‘all mouth and no trousers’ if one can’t actually deliver on the service promised.

I believe that this article in particular is of enormous value and the accompanying comments from Paul (who’s own website is impressive), Kevin, Jodie etc all add enormous value to the process.

I’m not known for giving high praise, but credit where it’s due – your blog, perhaps more so than the website itself as Kevin points out, is unmissable for people in my position and no doubt many others.

I look forward to the upcoming course with you and Marko.

Hope I’m not gushing too much!

Rory.

My “other” business is a web development firm and I’ve been explaining to people for years that a well structured, well edited blog can do wonders for business.

Advertising obviously is a great way of bringing in revenue if your blog is successful enough, but blogging is great business generally. It is often easier to keep a blog fresh and content rich than the main business site which may not change for months.

A blog, also, gives people a virtual face to the business and is often a much less formal avenue for people to keep up to speed with what you and your business are doing.

I think you have put all the right elements into your blog Damien, and the mix of business, technical, gallery and “humanness”, makes it a joy to read.

Kevin

By saying “500-600 visitors per day is barely enough to break even” I mean that if you had a variety of adverts targeted at your readership, that number of visitors would generate an income potentially equal to the set up, hosting and domain charges etc. Certainly not enough to take a salary. The pro blogger site has 15,000 visitors a day (30 times that number) and that would be enough to live comfortably and pay contributors to provide the content.

For a social photography blog to do well among potential readers it should have interesting articles on choosing wedding venues, parenting tips for easter holiday breaks with the family etc. You need to write about things your target audience want to read. Get some old copies of Junior and You and Your wedding and rewrite a few interesting stories bringing them bang up to date. It sounds obvious but so many photograhers blogs are centred on photography and are not of interest to their customers. They seem to be written as extended CV’s, or for the benefit of other photographers.

Adverts on a social photographers blog could include wedding planners, garden toy makers, maternity clothes shops etc. Obviously each tab should have adverts that are relevent etc.

I hope this helps. The Pro Blogger book is the best guide I know to getting it right.

Damien.

Thanks for yet another really interesting article and for the credit in me inspiring you to write it. Your photography and business savvy have been an inspiration to me for a couple of years now.

In your article, you mention that 500-600 visitors per day is barely enough to break even. I assume that the cost you are referring to is your time or is there additional costs in terms of Blog hosting once you break a particular threshoild of visitors?

I can see your audience is primarily photographers (both amateur and pro) with a sprinkling of potential photographic clients. As my business is both Lifestyle Portrait and Wedding Photography I want to specifically target potential clients without it being overly marketing focussed.

Finding interesting topics to write which brides-to-be or families will want to read can be limited, especially as most has been covered in the bridal mags. Any suggestions for getting the balance just right between being informative and marketing?

Regards and happy shooting!
Willie

I always let my clients view their images prior to making any of them public. It gives them power of veto if they don’t like their look in any of them. It also doesn’t take the edge off the viewing session. If they have seen the best 6 pictures or so before their viewing then the rest of the shots may seem bland by comparison. After all it is at the viewing when purchase decisions take place and we want the customer experience to be perfect at that time.

You can still blog the images, just a few weeks after the wedding once the viewing is done is my advice. Why not record your clients reactions on a dictaphone (with their permission of course) and you can add a few quotes to the blog too.

Kindest regards,

Damien.