Using Your Blog to Attract Your Ideal Client

UK wedding photographer Lisa Devlin has shot weddings, engagements, and couples for over a decade. Her work has been featured on almost every well-known blog in England, as well as the U.S. Her quirky, unique brand usually brings her quirky, unique clients – and her blog is a centerpiece for continuing to attract like minds.

When Lisa made the move to rebrand her website nearly two years ago, she decided her blog should play a more central role on the site. At the same time, business was picking up significantly, and she wanted the homepage to visually reflect her busy schedule. To accomplish both of her goals, she created an image-heavy homepage where all of the different elements blend together seamlessly. With the increasingly blurred line between a “blog” and a “website,” Lisa’s redesign has proved both progressive and effective.

Lisa began blogging as a preview for clients who did not want to wait for the film prints. Over the past year or two, she has noticed a significant change: one of the first thing clients ask her is how they will be featured on the blog. Not only are clients paying attention to their own weddings, they’re also following and commenting on all of her work. In fact, she has had a few faithful followers who have booked her before their boyfriends have even proposed yet.

An image-heavy, yet quirky blog has really done the trick. Through her unique voice and blogging style, Lisa continues to find clients with whom she really connects. She has also managed to attract the eyes of many popular wedding blogs, a connection which continues to bring her ideal clients.

Around the time of her redesign, Lisa set a few major career goals for the years ahead. One was to get a feature on the biggest blog in the United Kingdom: Rock N’ Roll Bride. She was not targeting this blog merely for the scope of its audience, but rather their makeup. Instead of hoping the blog’s editor would magically stumble upon her own alternative work, Lisa took the initiative and emailed the editor directly. To her surprise, Rock N’ Roll Bride not only responded – the editor took a look through Lisa’s work and found a wedding she wanted to feature.

Since then, other UK wedding blogs have picked up on her work, and Lisa began educating herself on their different styles. These days, she has such a tight-knit relationship with these blogs that she will actually send them images before she posts them on her own blog. Wedding blogs appreciate this “first look” approach, and because Lisa is very targeted with pairing weddings with appropriate blogs, the strategy often pays off in a feature.

To ensure client satisfaction and retention, Lisa pays close attention to trends and analytics.  For example, when blogging a wedding, she tries to post photos at 9 AM. This gives the bride and groom all day to look over their photos, send them around to friends, and get excited. If she posts these at night, the day is almost over and the excitement has no time to grow.

Lisa may get attention by blogging outlandish, alternative, and visually interesting weddings, but by doing so, she gets clients who want that, too. Which is exactly the kind of client she wants to hire her. Having a blog that tells prospective brides exactly who she is continually guarantees Lisa gets exactly the work she wants.

Popular Blog Posts on Lisa’s Blog:

• After the Rainbow at Photography Farm
• Las Vegas Lovers Fashion Shoot
• A Modern Day Miss Havisham

Takeaways:

• Building strong relationships with like-minded industry blogs can help enhance brand awareness and directly market to your ideal clients.
• Be as specific as possible when building your relationships and marketing for the blog, especially if you are in a highly saturated industry. Make sure the branding and content is as accurate a representation of you as possible, and that the relationships you build enhance that.
• Understand your bigger goals before you start. Blogging is an ongoing cycle of small decisions, but setting out how you ultimately want blogging to help you will help you make smarter decisions to get you there faster.

Learn more in The Photography Blog Handbook:

• Get more blogging do’s and dont’s from seasoned photographers, including tips on how to target your audience and attract new clients.
• Learn how to create a successful blog workflow and expand your reach through social media.
• Think outside the box with a list of recommended blog topics including top 10 lists, interviews, and gear reviews.