Keeping your blog up-to-date is a great way to bring in new business and keep current customers coming back. However, it can be difficult to know what to post on your blog. These five blog post ideas are exactly what your market wants to hear from you.

1. Special Deals

Running a sale? Ramping up for Black Friday and Cyber Monday? Posting all of the details of your special deal can be unwelcome in Facebook and other social networks. Instead, send your email and social media followers to your blog to get the full scoop on your offer. By the way, every PhotoBiz Online Store comes with the ability to create promo codes and virtual gift cards. Combined with a PhotoBiz Blog you have everything you need to create and promote your special deals.

2. New Product and Service Announcements

When you launch a new offer let the world know about it with a dedicated blog post. Often the additional products and services you add to your business get lost in the navigation of your site. How will a current client know that you have something new that he’s interested in? A blog post is perfect for highlighting important updates to your products and services.

3. Behind the Scenes

You can build a relationship with customers by revealing the process and people behind what they buy. What’s special about how you approach your work? What’s different about how your product is made? The personalities and procedures that run your business may be mundane to you, but it could be fascinating for your buyers.

4. How to Use Your Product

Is your customer experiencing your product for all its worth? Your blog can help there.

Tell your photography clients how to hang photos in their home for the most impact.

Show your jewelry customers which colors match with your accessories.

Remind your home buyers which documents to keep handy when tax time comes around.

The more value a buyer gets from your product, the more likely she is to purchase again and tell her friends. Your blog should be where she learns how to use your product to its fullest.

5. Customer Spotlight

Don’t rely on third-party sites to carry all of your reviews. Show potential customers how happy your current customers are with a “Customer Spotlight” blog post. And if you serve businesses they will be especially grateful for being featured. A testimonial post on your blog also serves as a referral to their company.

Photographers: I hear you. Blogging seems like it takes a long time.

But it doesn’t have to.

I recently got a question from a photographer who was at a total loss for what to write about. You know what I said?

You’re lucky! You are a photographer. You have a bounty of gorgeous photographs right in front of you – and each one is a story.

If only I could be so lucky.

Oh! To tell the story behind a photograph, reliving that memorable moment... The prep that went in, the gear I used, finding the right location… the happy couple: how they laughed sweetly through their session, even when the cloudburst sent us running to the old barn, soaked and breathless.

(What’s my point?) Blogging seems difficult, but really, you’ve got it easy.

Look at the last session you shot. Think back on it – you went out with your client and worked your magic. They worked theirs. Then you created a Proofing gallery: a beautiful record of your work together.

Potential clients want to see as much of your work as possible before hiring you. They’re hungry for your work. They will devour your homepage, your galleries, and then turn to your blog in search of more brilliant images.

When you’re brainstorming things to blog about, recent work should be your go-to. Take a look at Maxine Evans’ Blog. Or Josh Kane’s.

Figge Photography, too! They just got started blogging but they're doing a bang-up job.

Remember the last proofing gallery you made? It’s loaded up with images and ready to turn into a fantastic blog. All you have to do is hit "Share" then choose "Blog." Throw in a few sentences and a good, descriptive title.

You're done blogging for the day!

Don’t worry about hitting a certain number of words. You’re not writing a book, you’re setting the scene for a visual story that will take the reader away.

Again, Maxine’s blogs only average about 50 words. No big deal, though, she’s only one of the most in-demand LA baby photographers. And look what success consistently blogging ADORABLE pictures of teeny tiny humans has brought.

And this is excellent: Don’t leave your audience on a cliffhanger. Instead, close with a super strong CTA to turn captivated readers into clients.

Oh, Photographers. I envy you, I really do. Go out there and make some magic.

Here’s how to turn any proofing gallery

into a quick and simple blog post:

Learn How Right Here

We get it! You’re busy, you’re focusing on your business. Who has the time to Blog, right?

We know how hard it is to make time to just write Blog articles, but it could be the most important thing for your business that you’re not doing!

You might ask: “Why?” 

Answer: Search Engines.

To get more customers, you need to rank well in search engines.

To rank in search, your website needs to be updated regularly with content Google can read. (Words!) You also need to get regular traffic.

There’s nothing better to help you maintain a continuous flow of content and keep people coming back to your site than blogging. It’s as free as marketing gets!

Still need inspiration (or speed-writing lessons?) Here's a few ideas for writing posts in record time.

One way to build your SEO value and write some easy blog posts is to answer customer questions.

If one customer has a question, you can bet at least 10 more are wondering the same exact thing. If you get the same question over and over, answer it on your blog. Extra credit if the answer to their question is a reason to secure your services!

Why is this so important?

1) This question is something your customers already want to know. They are thirsty for this knowledge, which also means…

2) Many other people out there (who aren’t already your customers) are looking for this information as well. They’ll probably turn to Google for an answer and they could find your site. Congratulations! You've found a brand new lead.

Look at you now! You’re a proactive problem-solving machine! Your readers now respect your opinion even more and acknowledge your authority in this area. They’re in your sales funnel and will hopefully become regular readers of your Blog. With luck, they’ll keep coming back, looking for equally helpful and consistently insightful information.

The best part? Because you already know the answer to common customer questions, you should be able to answer them in 30 minutes or less.

Have you been using some new gear or software? How's it going? What do you think?

The internet LOVES reviews of technology and gadgets. Everyone who's thinking about buying something (especially an expensive piece of camera equipment) hops online for a review, walkthrough, or unboxing.

Hate writing? Take it to the next level and film your review! Toss the video up on your Youtube or Vimeo channel and then add it into your Blog article. Not sure how to embed that video? No worries! We’re happy to help.

PEOPLE. LOVE. VIDEO. REVIEWS. (And videos of cats. Cats work too.)

You never know when inspiration will strike. Driving to a shoot, at the grocery store, or even in the shower!

Whenever you have an idea for a blog post, write that idea down as fast as possible. Keep a post-it on the nightstand or a word doc open for snippets and ideas you don’t have time to develop right away. Do the same with ideas you start but never finish.

DON’T THROW AWAY YOUR WORDS! Each is valuable, especially when you're crunched for time. You never know when a few paragraphs written here and there can be used for a new post, or inspire you when you’re struggling to think of that next topic.

while you're doing whatever you're already doing!

Turn your regular site updates into ready-made Blog posts in seconds. We call it the "One-Click" Blog Post.

Post a new proofing gallery? Blog it.

Sent a marketing email about your sale? Blog it.

Made a contest entry form? Blog it.

When you're on your site making updates, click the SHARE button and you'll have a little stub of a post already pre-filled for you – complete with images from the event! How easy is that?