You know that you should be blogging your weddings and sessions. Blogging shortly after the wedding or session helps to create a stellar client experience. Blogging your weddings and sessions help your SEO ranking (which means more clicks, which means more inquiries, which means more bookings!). But, during the busy wedding season when you have weddings every weekend, it can be hard to keep on top of it all. And one of the first things to fall to the wayside is blogging. (I know, I have been there!)
Have no fear, it doesn’t have to be like that! There are things you can do and systems you can put in place to keep up on your blogging during the wedding season. Here are my top tips for keeping on track:
Create a Template For Your Wedding and Engagement Blog Posts
The biggest pain point for me is actually writing the posts. I would sit and look at a blinking cursor. Or worse, not even try at all because I didn’t know what to write! Not anymore! I created a template for my wedding and engagement session posts. Now, I can write each post with ease!
To create a template for your post, just outline what you want to talk about. For weddings this is often things like the venue, the weather, the flow of the day, any special details, etc. For engagement sessions it could be how they got engaged, why they chose the location, their love story, etc.
You can also incorporate things you ask them in their questionnaire to help you write the post. Questions like, their favorite activity to do together or why they chose their wedding venue. For wedding blog posts, you can also send the couple a questionnaire after the wedding and use their answers for the body of the post. (Still create a template so you can easily place the answers within the post!)
Ask for Vendor Information Before The Wedding
I like to include a list of vendors at the end of each wedding blog post. (This also prepares me to submit the weddings for publishing.) But, trying to get this information from the couple after the wedding may be difficult. Especially if they are on their honeymoon when you are trying to get the blog finished. My solution: ask for the vendor information before the wedding! That way, you will have everything you need ready to go!
Create a Checklist For Your Blog Post
There are things you will need to do for every blog post, like creating web-resolution images, updating the slug, setting the category, etc. Create a checklist or workflow of these things you do for every post. That way, you will know exactly what the next step is and not have to worry about missing any. You can create a checklist to keep on your desk. Or make the steps part of your workflow for the wedding.
Not sure what your blogging checklist/workflow should be? No worries! Check out my FREE guide: the Wedding and Engagement Session Blog Workflow Guide!
Block Time In Your Calendar for Blogging
This is a tip my husband and I use to do home improvement projects or seasonal chores around the house. We block time in our calendars. It really works! Pick a few hours each week to block off in your calendar and dedicate it to blogging. For example: every Wednesday from 8 – 10 AM. This way, you know you have the time set aside, and you won’t be tempted to fill it with something like editing!
During the off-season, you can use this time to blog about other topics to attract new clients and improve your SEO rankings. Take a peep at my article of 16 Wedding Photography Blog Topics for SEO for ideas on what to blog about.
Reward Yourself For Meeting Your Deadline
This is a super fun tip! Reward yourself for blogging your wedding and engagement session on time. The reward can be anything that will motivate you. Maybe it is taking a 12 pm yoga class on your lunch break. Or eating your favorite piece of candy. Or taking a long soak in the bathtub with your favorite book!
Start Outsourcing
Are you still behind on your blogging after all that? Maybe you need to start outsourcing some of your work. You can hire a VA to help with blogging, emails, and other tasks. Or, maybe you want to start outsourcing your editing and/or album design. You can also outsource things like gifting, scheduling appointments, and social media posts using online companies and scheduling software.
Streamline Your Workflow
Not ready to start outsourcing yet? You can always try streamlining your workflow instead! Things like:
- Creating templates for each touchpoint in your business (emails, hand written cards, etc.) can help cut out hours of your week.
- Creating a Wedding and Engagement Guide for your clients can help set expectations and answer questions, and therefore eliminate many back and forth emails between you and your clients during the planning process.
- Documenting your workflow for each wedding and session and automating as much as you can.
- Subscribing to a stellar studio/client management software that can send automatic emails, keep track of your workflows, and automate other parts for your business (galleries, invoicing, payments, contracts, questionnaires, etc.)
Having a stolid workflow and systems in place will significantly decrease the amount of time you are spending on each client you are serving. Which frees up time for you to do things like blogging and other marketing efforts! Which, in turn will help you grow your business!
If templates and a streamlines workflow sound like something you need in your life, check out my shop! It is full of the exact email templates, questionnaires, timelines, and workflows I use in my business.
Not ready to buy just yet? I get it, so I have a freebie just for you! Check out my Wedding and Engagement Session Blog Workflow Guide!
