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?
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