Blog on Photoblogs

It seems to me that I am constantly thinking about methods of monetization for photoblogs and something struck me this afternoon. How about introducing a “subscribers” a.k.a “true fans” section to your existing photoblog? This type of thing has existed for ages in other parts of the web so why doesn’t something similar exist in the photoblog world? Here’s what I am thinking – you create a members only section of your photoblog where you provide subscribers with extra-value in exchange for a small bit of information about who they are, and what they like to look at.

Last night, I had received a great email from a reader, and it really got me thinking about blogging and in particular photoblogs.

“…folks who visit my photoblog regularly and comment are generally those whose blogs I previously visited and commented on first.”

Phototrade is yet another way for today’s photographers to monetize their work.

This topic has come up quite a few times in the last little while so I figured that I would post my thoughts, and see what the community thinks about it.

When I first started my own photoblog, I would have said that there was no need for separate websites for your blog and your portfolio site (a.k.a commercial venture), but after quite a bit of reading and talking to other photobloggers out there, I now feel it’s not only a good way to go, but vital to your long-term success.

Before I get into my reasoning, let me just state one thing - if you don’t have any intentions of trying to commercialize your photography then you do not need separate sites, but if your ultimate goal is to turn your passion of photography into a commercial venture, than you really do need multiple sites. Here are my reasons,

• Photoblogs are personal: They give you a place to experiment and have a little fun with your photography. This is great, and it allows you to perfect your skills, but I am not convinced that it’s something you should be promoting to your prospective clients.
• Photoblogs give you a place to network with other photographers: I’ve said it in an earlier post, it’s my opinion that the majority of the visitors who come to your photoblog are other photographers and while there’s nothing wrong with that they probably are not going to be paying your bills.
• Protect sensitive clients: If you enjoy one type of photography let’s say, Boudoir, but you earn the majority of your income from Family portraits you may be putting off potential clients that come across your personal work. “Word of mouth” can be a very effective method of advertising, but it can also be deadly, more people talk about their bad experiences than their good ones - you need to be very careful not to offend potential paying clients.
• Specialization: Nowadays, everyone has a digital camera which is more than capable of taking very nice digital photographs. In order to separate yourself from the crowd you need to specialize! Have fun on your photoblog, but your portfolio site should be highly targeted!

So there you have it - my first four reasons why you should separate your blog from your portfolio site…

Anyone have any additional thoughts/comments?

Doing exhibitions is a great way to extend the reach of your photoblog and gain more true fans.

In my opinion a photoblog is probably one of the hardest types of sites to monetize on the entire Internet. Why do I think that? It’s quite simple really, I would wager that the majority of visitors to your photoblog are other photographers just like yourself. And most likely they are more interested in seeing what you’re doing and how you’re doing it, rather than purchasing any of your work. That’s not to say that other photographers will never buy any of your work, but they are a much harder sell than a motivated customer. Another thing that makes monetizing a photo blog difficult is the fact that everyone now has a relatively capable DSLR, which has resulted in the explosion in the number of photo blogs that are available on the Internet. That means that your visitors have a lot of choices out there so your photography (and blog) had better be top-notch, otherwise the visitors that you do get are going to shift their eyes elsewhere very quickly.

Are you looking for options to monetize your photoblog? The new service from Gum Gum may be just what you’re looking for.