Can I tell you about a really interesting phenomenon I’ve noticed?
Here it is: Before people hire me to blog for them, the hardest part about blogging tends to be things like: coming up with a topic or making their writing sound good. After they hire me, these looming obstacles become almost nonexistent.
All their troubles are over, right?
Actually (plot twist!) you know what happens then? What used to be the easiest part of blogging becomes the hardest…because it’s just about the only thing they have to do now.
That something?
Uploading the photos.
Alas, this is the one thing I cannot do for you. This is your photography blog. The photos on there have to be your photos. Somehow, we have to get your beautiful images from Dropbox or Showit or wherever they’re living and onto your blog. And for that, you do have to be involved.
If pictures are a hangup for you, don’t let your blog suffer for it! If you’re procrastinating blogging or deciding to blog less because photo-prep is just too much of a hassle, let’s see if we can change that. Here are 4 suggestions for making the process of pulling images for your blog less painful.
Batch Your Photo Content
Sitting down multiple times a month to find images for your blog is a pain. Instead, use a content-batching strategy to corral this task so it doesn’t feel like you’re constantly dealing with it. Pick a time one day a month or quarter and just get a whole bunch of images uploaded.
If you plan your content schedule in advance—which I highly recommend (and can help you with, just ask!)—then you’ll have a good idea of which images will work for which topics you have planned that month or quarter. An hour or two later, you’ve got all your images prepped and ready for the next cycle of blog posts…and a big load off your mind.
Incorporate Image Uploading into Your Workflow
Pulling images for your blog is less arduous if it’s part of your normal workflow rather than an ‘extra.’ You already follow several steps for every photo session, so make image-prep for your blog one of them. When you put together a gallery for clients, upload a few images to the media library on your blog’s hosting platform. That way, you’ll always have plenty to choose from no matter what your next blog post is about.
Ask Me for Help
If there’s something that you think would make the picture-prepping process easier, ask me if we can incorporate it! I try to keep things flexible so that every client gets a customized experience that works for them. While I may not be able to accommodate every request, it never hurts to ask.
For example, you may not need to be involved in the decision-making process of choosing photos for every post. If your blog post requires very specific images, like, “5 Best Locations to Take Pictures in Your Location,” then you’ll probably need to choose the images to make sure they match your content. If, however, it’s a more general blog post, like, “How to Get Kids to Smile Naturally for Photos,” then maybe I can go into your well-stocked media library and pick out photos for you.
Less is More
As a photographer, it makes sense that you want to showcase your work on your blog. But that doesn’t mean you have to use dozens of pictures for each blog post. If picking photos is something you dread, minimize it. It’s totally fine to choose just one or two pictures to illustrate your content. While blogging is a good place to show off some of your work, you’ve probably got a gallery or portfolio where potential clients can see all your best shots.
The biggest thing with a blog is the content. Having a few pictures helps to break up the text, keeps things visually interesting, and gives you an SEO opp with alt text. But if image-heavy blog posts make it harder for you to get content up on a regular basis, then don’t be afraid to go image-light instead.
My goal is to help you achieve long-term blogging success that supports your business. If there’s anything holding you back from making your blog the success it should be, reach out and let’s start making blogging easy!
