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Get a Blog:
Marketing Success in the Blogosphere
By Ethan G. Salwen
In a print article on pages 14-16 of the Year End 2006 issue of the ASMP Bulletin, photographer and ASMP contributing writer Ethan Salwen talked with members who have embraced blogs to increase their business and expand their creative outlets. Here, Salwen provides additional insight through expanded Q&A’s with eight member bloggers. Also presented below are Web links to all members who responded to our call for blogs. Take a cybertour of their blog sites and post a comment or two today!
Eight members share their insights on the fine art of blogging with Ethan Salwen. Please click on the photographer names to read each Q&A and get a link to their blog!
| Joe Pobereskin Chase Jarvis Ian Shive Patrick Bennett |
Flynn Larsen Andy Batt Suzanne Salvo Wayne Wallace |
Additional links and notes
Expand your circle by visiting and interacting with the following ASMP member blog sites:
Walter P Calahan Photography Inc
Here’s the link to my photo web site blog: www.walterpcalahan.com/Cheers/Musings/Musings.html
Paul Fetters
I have been shooting daily for almost 3 years now and posting the images: www.paulfetters.com/calendar.php
Chris Crumley Productions
You can get to my Blog via a link on my home page, chriscrumley.com or direct at blog.chriscrumley.com. I refer to it as my “pictureBlog” to differentiate it from a rambling text blog. My goal is to subtly communicate style, capability, personality and sense-of-humor to existing and potential buyers. Direct email communications drives traffic to my site and to the blog.
Sheri O’Neal
I started a photo based blog on the back side of my site a few months ago and it has proven to be successful in keeping potential clients coming back to visit. I only update my web site once a year so the photo blog is a way to show some of the more exciting assignments and personal work on a regular basis. Here is the site with the blog link: www.sherioneal.com or you can go directly to the blog here: www.sherioneal.com/photoblog/pixelpost/
David Hillegas
This is a link to a 3-month “real time” blog that I and writer Lisa Dickey did for the Washingtonpost.com at the end of ‘05….
blogs.washingtonpost.com/russianchronicles/ …it was the most rewarding job I’ve ever been a part of….
Laurie Schneider Photography
I don’t have a blog on my website, but this is an excellent idea for an article, workshop, etc. Thanks ASMP,
www.lschneider.com
Jim Westcott, Nashville
I have a nephew who is a Shepardstown, WV college photo student. He has a wonderful photography/blog site. Check it out at: www.bassanity.com
Tony Sweet
Here’s my blog for consideration: web.mac.com/tonysweetphoto/iWeb/Site/Blog/Blog.html
Kay Beaton Photography
I’m a fairly new ASMP member, and a fairly new blogger - but so far so good: www.beatonphotography.com/tips/index.html
Jack Huynh
We maintain an agency blog as well as my own personal blog. The links to the blogs are:
company blog pulp.orangephotography.com/blog
personal blog pulp.orangephotography.com/jack
Let me know if you have any questions.
Ralph Ventura
Here’s mine: ralphventura.smugmug.com/gallery/464414
Gary S. Chapman
garyschapman.com/blog/
Caryn Levy
As requested in today’s member announcement, here’s a link to my blog: www.icaryn.com
Renee Rosensteel
My site includes a photoblog: talkingshadowphoto.blogspot.com. I use it to keep the site current without messing with too much html. It is fast and really easy. The blog service I use is Flickr (through blogspot).
Marcus Guillard
I recently uploaded my photography Web site and have added a journal/Blog section to it. It is in its infancy right now, but as time progresses it will become an ongoing representation of much my life. I look forward to seeing it grow and evolve. In the near future I will be uploading a backlog of three years of photos.
Please see my website at www.marcusguillard.com.
In order to see the journal look to the bottom left and you will see the link for Journal. Any feedback you might have would be great. Thank you very much!
Mike Malone, Malone & Company Photography
Here’s our little blog… www.maloneandco.com/blog
Jeffrey Sward
www.jeffreysward.com/editorials/editorialsx.htm
Kevin Dyer
I have had a photo blog that I use as a sort of “Photo of the Week” page and link it to my webpage. My webpage is www.aworldinfocus.com and my blog is aworldinfocus.blogspot.com I hope you find this helpful.
Ian L. Sitren
I started a blog last year really out of curiosity. I was interested to see what this was all about, if it could benefit me and if I would actually keep it up. I had consulted with my marketing consultant and he advised that that if I was not going to keep my blog current then there was no point to it. For that experiment I started out on Blogger.com, it seemed simple and easy and of course free. I thought that if it worked out I might migrate it to my website in some way.
Well here it is 10 months later and I have not moved it. I have kept my blog current which is very easy to do. I have gone on to include my blog address along with my website and contact information on everything I do and on my business cards. I direct clients, potential clients and others to it so they can kind of keep up with what I do and to give them an idea of the diversity of my work. And I have found the feedback is excellent. People do take an interest in my “goings on”, it is almost like creating a fan club. And yes I do think it has been valuable in developing new business.
I will probably do something to integrate my blog with my website or at least link the two soon. But at the moment I am very pleased. My Blog at secondfocus.blogspot.com
James Crotty, Picture Ohio, LLC
Please consider my photography business blog at calmphotos.com for your article. I started this blog last January. For the month of September 2006 I had over 50,000 hits. I’d be happy to answer any questions and provide additional information.
Jessica Klewicki, Big Blue Designs
I just started this blog a few months ago: bigbluedesigns.blogspot.com
Eric Cable
Here is my blog: www.profilephoto.com/blog/
Barry Staver Photography
Here’s my blog, www.barrystaver.blogspot.com. It’s a fabulous marketing tool, although I will be first to admit, I need to increase the postings big time. Actually, I have 2 blogs one for each site, corporate and wedding.
Kimberley Bermender
I maintain a blog for my photography business. Please feel free to check it out at: www.maginei.com/blog.html
David Duncan - Director of Photography, David Duncan Photography
I am a ASMP member with the Central Virginia Chapter. My blog is located at this address: www.davidduncan.com/blog
Darren Abate
In response to the recent e-mail about photo blogs, I would like to throw mine into the ring: peakaction.wordpress.com. A link to it can also be found from my pro site: darrenabate.com/
David Renaud
drenaud.com
John Gillooly
www.peinews.blogspot.com
Darrell Young
I write articles for Nikon Digital Camera Users, have a forum, blog, and an informational website. My Blog is here:
www.planetnikon.com/forums/index.php?automodule=blog&req=showblog&blogid=1&st=.
Forum is here: www.planetnikon.com/forums/index.php. Website is here: www.DigitalDarrell.com
James O’Rear
Here’s my blog address, have just moved to England from Portugal:
americanyankinengland.blogspot.com
Kathryn Hill
Saw your email - you can check my blogs out - links are below:
Blogs: Kosmonaut Photo Blog: kosmonaut.blogspot.com, Adiuvo: The deaf-tech blog: adiuvo.blogspot.com
Ian Spiers
I am a student affiliate, and I responded to an incident involving Homeland Security in the spring of 2004 by posting a blog. If you Google my name you’ll get an idea of how effective that effort was. I’ve stepped away from blogging for the time being in order to keep my attention on photography, but I still keep my “Artist Statement” at www.brownequalsterrorist.com.
Esteban Aladro
I have my personal photo website at www.estephotography.com but i have a photo blog at www.livejournal.com/~emoness/ which feeds alot of traffic to my main site.
Rob Sackyta
robsackytaphotography.blogspot.com
Luke Copping
Just wanted to let you know that I host a blog that can be seen at www.lukecopping.com/blog
Brad Feinknopf
Feinknopf’s blog is part of our website. It can be found at: www.feinknopf.com/weblog/
Lisa Hause
I do have a photo blog. You can access it through my web site at www.lisahause.com (top right hand corner is the “Blog” button) or the direct link is www.lisahause.com/photoblog/fb.php.
Bill Jenne Photography
I find that my retail and commercial customers like reading my blogs and they like seeing me put up my favorite pics on the blog. They forward my page to their friends so I get a lot more eyeballs on my page I believe. Also, I think it helps to create a connection; I talk about things other than photography, like my favorite artists or musicians — but I do try to keep the focus on photography. I think clients can feel there is a real person there when they read my blog.
www.billjenne.com
Scott Indermaur
I have a blog listed below. Not a daily blog, but it’s a blog. Visit my PHOTO BLOG site. :)
www.myblogyourblog.com
Jared Platt
blog: www.jaredplatt.com/blog
Rob Tilley
Attached below is a link to my blog which can also be accessed by clicking the news section on my website: robtilleyphotos.spaces.live.com/PersonalSpace.aspx
David Mejias
Here’s my blog. It isn’t for my photo business, but it’s related and kind of cool: newclimber.com
Elli Morris
www.wackophoto.com/pblog/index.htm
Wyatt Gallery
These are the stories of my travels as I photograph throughout the world: wyattgallery.blogspot.com
Thomas A. Kelly, Kelly/Mooney Productions
Ironically, I just saw this post as I sit in the internet center of the Hyatt Santiago, Chile. You see, I just came from a development seminar on blogs given by Sree Sreenivasan, Columbia University New Media professor. Wow, our minds are overflowing with new ideas. Gail Mooney and I are attending the SATW (Society of American Travel Writers) annual conference. What a great trip. Anyway, yes my partner has a blog (which needs updating) linked to/from our web site which she will undoubtedly update about our trip upon our return at the end of the month: gailsjourneys.blogspot.com
I have included some links for you to some of Sree’s sites should you want more in-depth research and endless links to blogging sites. He is very approachable, so perhaps you might want to email him for some quotes from an expert for your article too: www.sree.net and www.sreetips.com
Hal Stata
www.clevelandphotographer.blogspot.com
Keith Widyolar, Editor in Chief - www.ModaFoto.com
Don’t know if you’re still looking for blogs, but www.ModaFoto.com might be of interest. Best,
April Greer Photography
I realized I started a draft for this email but forgot to send it. Ah! Blonde moment! Bill Rugen forwarded me your information to write in about the blog story. I started a blog about 1 ½ months ago after seeing what it did for my friends in the business. I love it, my clients are crazy about it, and its a great marketing tool. Plus, I like to share the latest work and provide links to other peoples’ sites. Please feel free to view it here: aprilgreer.blogspot.com.
Thanks so much for your time!
John Giammatteo PHOTOGRAPHS
Here is a link to my photoblog: johng.typepad.com. The blog shows the construction of my new studio. The last public viewable entry is from early June, at which point I moved in from my rental studio and dumped all my stuff into the new space since I needed to be out of my rent. It was so full and cluttered that I didn’t want to show the next few weeks as I worked through the sorting, organizing etc. At this point I’m getting ready to update it since the inside is now mostly done and ready for its coming out party….
You asked if it helped in generating business — I posted the blog as a way to keep my family and friends up to date on what we were doing and fairly quickly the list grew to include most of my regular clients since they were interested too. At some point, I added to my e-mail list a lot of old friends and clients I hadn’t heard from in a while, to notify people of updates to the blog. As a result, I got replies, calls, messages, from people and clients I hadn’t talked to in years. Getting back in touch this way seems to have generated a good amount of renewed interest in my business, so even though that wasn’t my intent, it still worked.
Robert W. Bone
My web site includes a blog, called the “Vertical Pronoun News.”
It’s on the web at: robertbone.com/blog.