always putter

always putter

By At 8:16 PM 0


I love the term "puttering." 

I grew up in a home where the word was used pretty often. My dad would putter in the basement, organizing our family memories and finding whatever random piece of equipment I needed for a school project. My mom would putting in the kitchen, the laundry room, and the living room, while watching a rom-com in her peripheral and keeping the household running smoothly. 

When I get home from an engagement session Ry comes downstairs to greet me and we putter. With two kids, it's part of our survival. And I still love the term. 

I've started thinking of how I use this term for my business as well. I used to sit down and make some much needed changes to my branding and back-end stuff every six months or so, but it's pretty daunting to try and make a hundred little changes all in one week. Instead, I've recently started puttering. A few changes here, some tweaks there... And what I've noticed is that it is helping me keep everything fresh. 


My advice to those who haven't "puttered" in awhile:

1. MAKE A LIST OF YOUR INTERNET POCKETS

That's a term I use to describe all the places that potential clients would go to find information about your services. You might think this list would be short (i.e. website and blog), but if you really sit down and think it over, you'll be surprised at how many little spaces on the internet you've created. For me, the list looks something like this:

1. Website
2. Blog under "about"
3. Blog under "info"
4. Blog under "resources"
5. Album site
6. F.A.Q. site
7. Facebook page under "about"
8. Facebook page under "description"
9. Pricing guide that goes out to potential clients
10. Bridal guide that is given to clients after we meet
11. Google Plus profile


2. INSTEAD OF TRYING TO ATTACK EACH ONE, CURATE SOME CONTENT 

Ultimately, you'll want to end up with similar information being shared on all platforms, as a way to show professionalism to a prospective bride. If you try and work on each pocket of internet space as a separate task, you'll end up with 11 different ways to say that your pricing starts at $X. 

Instead, write some new content. Trust me on this, starting with a blank slate is sometimes easier than trying to edit your existing text.


3. UPDATE YOUR PHOTOS

A photo from a 2013 wedding might be beautiful, but it doesn't promote your work as fresh and always improving. I'm a big believer in showcasing a LOT of photos in your online presence. Consistency is key, and if you can prove to a bride that your photos are ALWAYS on point, your portfolio will feel a lot stronger than the 20 photos that you've always considered your best work. 

One more thing on this topic: brides LOVE when they see friends of theirs in your portfolio. "Hey! That's my friend Katie as a bridesmaid!" Now they know someone who has used your services, and they can ask their friend what they thought of you.


4. ASK YOURSELF, "WHAT ARE THE WEAK SPOTS IN MY BUSINESS?"

For me, a website is always something that I've poured a lot of time and energy into. My portfolio makes me super excited, my info page is overflowing with content for brides to read, and I am confident that my ideal client would really love it. However, when a client would email me and ask for a price list, the document that I was sending was completely lacking in detail and personal voice. 

When I started thinking of weak spots in my business, this PDF price list was the first thing to go. It only took about an hour to create something I was proud of. 


These small changes make a HUGE difference and you just never know which change will be the one to send a bride your way. If you think of your online presence as a job that is never really done, you'll find it becomes much more fun to work on. So putter away, my friends! Putter away.  
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