Do As I Say, Not As I Do

I can't believe I'm admitting this but I have totally forgotten about this blog! Between 3 Facebook accounts, Tweeting for 2 different businesses and 1 other blog, it's not surprising that something slipped through the cracks. (Please don't even mention the blog I put up for my little guy that hasn't been updated in almost a year!)

Well, I suppose that just goes to show that maybe I had myself scattered in too many places across the internet. I'm finding that a lot of the info I would usually be sharing has simply moved to other platforms and condensed. It's still being streamed out there somewhere. Here's where you can look for me:

Heather Jahn Portrait Design Website
Studio Blog
Studio Facebook Page
On Twitter @Heather_Jahn

Pimp Your Studio Project Website
On Facebook
On Twitter @PimpYourStudio

I think that covers it all...for now!

Sarah Hobbs Kohrt's Portrait Contest

Rochester, MN photographer, Sarah Hobbs Kohrt, recently ran a promotion at her studio asking her clients to show how they displayed their Studio Seven portraits. She also asked perspective clients to show off the empty spaces that are just begging to be filled with Sarah's work.

I immediately thought the contest was fabulous but wasn't really prepared for the depth of emotion her clients responded with. I don't know why I was so surprised considering I have experienced more that one mommy break down in tears during a viewing myself. And Sarah does great work so why wouldn't her clients get all mushy too?

I'll even admit that I got a little choked up when reading the winning entry from 'perspective client', Jennifer Johnson:

A picture is worth 1000 words, but what does it say to a child?
It says, "You cared enough about me, in this moment, right now, to drop everything and watch.”

Doesn't that pretty much sum it all up?

Blogging Basics

Believe it or not, the blog has not been replaced by Facebook or Twitter and it's not just some random platform on which to babble about what's going on in your life and post photos and video. (Okay, for some people it is.) For business owners, blogging is an opportunity to position yourself as an expert in your field; a trusted resource and information hub.

Blogging for business is a great way to accomplish several goals at once.

1. Stay in touch with your audience. For photographers, that audience usually consists of current clients, their families & friends and perspective clients. Blogging shouldn't be a one-sided conversation. Encourage readers to leave feedback and reply to their comments. Be personable and conversational. Make them feel welcome in your world.

2. Keep current & archive...all at the same time. Blogs, compared to a static website, are much easier to update. And, unlike some social media sites, the old stuff doesn't vanish into cyberspace once the new stuff is posted.

3. Dominate Search Engine Results for your business. Because blogs are frequently updated and are full of juicy content, Search Engines LOVE blogs. A blog is also a great way to dominate the online conversation about your business.

4. Become THE resource. Your blog doesn't really have to be all about you. Whether it is discussing clothing options for a portrait, mentioning a new "Mommy & Me" group or posting a list of "Top 10 Wedding Vendors", you're in a position to provide your clients with an abundance of information pertinent to their life. Include a "Blog Roll" to add value for your readers.

Your blog should be a strategic part of your Internet marketing plan. It is the place where your content (articles, photos, video) can be hosted for all the world to see, without a Facebook profile or Twitter username. And the place to direct all your Facebook Fans and Twitter Followers to read and learn more about your business than 140 characters will allow.

Inbound Marketing University

This week I am attending "Inbound Marketing University", a series of webinars focusing on everything that is Web Marketing from Blogs to Social Media to SEO. Throughout the rest of the week & weekend (between laying hardwood flooring, splashing in the sprinkler with my son and cramming for the IMU exam), I plan to put up a few blog posts with whatever interesting tidbits I pick up from the sessions.

Improve Your Search Engine Rankings-Even With A Flash Site

I recently came across a blog posts regarding Invisible Websites. Invisible meaning getting lost in the river of Search Engine Results for any particular keyword or group of keywords such as "Photographer", "Wedding Photography" or "Baby Portraits". The game of SEO is no longer limited to metadata and keywords. You need to have a well-rounded approach to getting noticed on the Web.

In our Internet Marketing program "Bloggin' and Facebook and Web Sites! Oh My!", we touch on what I began calling "Back-Door SEO". (I'm sure I didn't invent that terminology.) Since many photographers use Flash sites, traditional SEO strategies are not as productive as with an HTML site.

Search robots can't navigate through a Flash site due to the fact that a Flash site is essentially only one page with a series of images rather than several HTML pages. This doesn’t mean your site can’t be seen by search engines. It means your content won’t be read so the actual text you have on your site is irrelevant as far optimization goes. It also means that statistical tracking such as Google Analytics will only be useful for gathering information relevant to a single page page rather than navigation through the site.

Here are a few tips how to rank well with Search Engines even with a Flash site:

1. Anything you have on your splash page will be read such as your contact info. This is a great place to DISCRETELY work in some keywords but remember to write for your clients, not for the search engines! A description chocked full of keywords does not make for compelling content to get your visitors hooked.

2. Blog! Search Engines LOVE blogs. They’re full of great content, updated frequently and are considered to be very trusted information sources by the Search Engines. Again, don't bog down your content with keywords that make it unreadable.

3. Update your listing within online directories such as yellowpages.com and google.com/local.

4. Increasing your presence in social media networks will also boost your rankings.

5. Optimize your image names by titling images posted online with your business name, location and/or subject matter to increase your chances of popping up within Google's mixed results.

For more detailed info, check out Local Search Ranking Factors compiled by David Mihm. It's a fabulous resource to bookmark and reference time and again.

Back To Work

With the move behind us, we are in the midst of renovating the front of our home for the portrait studio. The project is a few days behind but the contractor has been doing a great job with all the issues that have arisen. With that pretty much on auto-pilot, it has freed me up to work on other projects.

The past three weeks my focus has not been so much on unpacking boxes as putting together and presenting our program on Internet Marketing for Photographers. Our engagement at the South Central Photographers Association last Monday was a huge success. Paul, my brother and speaking partner, and I are planning a workshop in the Madison area where we will sit down with photographers and actually implement all of the ideas we introduced to them.

While the world seems to be all wrapped up in Facebook and Twitter, we covered the other components that make an Internet Marketing plan successful. For many, it was the first exposure they had to Search Marketing and Search Engine Optimization. The topic can be tedious but I think it helped clarify a lot of the mystery behind how search results are compiled.

I'm excited to utilize these concepts myself when I actually get around to re-launching my business here in Iowa City. Since I have essentially been on "vacation" for the past two months, it's time to get my head back in the game and start thinking about work again.

Blog Neglect

I just directed another photographer to this blog and realized it's been almost 3 months since I've updated. This falls under "Do as I say, not as I do".

During that time, my husband and I have decided to uproot our lives and move to Iowa City, IA. My poor, neglected blog is a casualty of higher priorities associated with the relocation.

The big move is set to happen at the end of April but today is officially the last day for my studio. Although one door is closing, there are so many opportunities on the horizon. Best of all, I get the chance to reinvent my photography business with the wisdom I've gained from the past two years. I'll be changing just about everything from my business name to product lines and pricing structure.

While I'm not looking forward to rebuilding my client base, I am lucky enough to have a few clients that are willing to make the 3 hour drive to the new studio. I guess I must have done something right!

The speaking engagements are also beginning this spring with our first on May 18 back with my peeps at the South Central Photographers Association. Yesterday was my last day with them as a Board Member and was honored with an Outstanding Service Award along with my cohort Jackie Cooper.

Needless to say, the upcoming weeks will be filled with excitement, anxiety and several adult beverages as I try to cope with the impending adjustments...and construction.