Fast Food Friday - For Professional Photographers

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​Since starting this feature almost a year ago, I've rarely missed a Friday post, but things got busy last week. Sometime just after dinner, like a cartoon character with a great idea, that imaginary lightbulb went off above my head.  I realized I forgot to post for Fast Food Friday. Well, there's now a reminder on my calendar, and that's the perfect topic for today.

Fast Food Friday is all about ideas to help you build a stronger brand and business.  Today's blue-plate special couldn't be easier to help reinforce your presence in the community and with your readership. Remember, your website is about what you sell, but your blog is about what's in your heart!

Here's an incredibly easy feature to add to your blog, and before you say, "I don't have time to follow-up on this," think about how great it would be to get a little help from a family member. This is nothing more than keeping track of events in your community and then sharing them on your blog.

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Building a Community Calendar on Your Blog

​One of the most important keys to success for a great blog is being helpful to your readers. Putting together a calendar of events in your community is a terrific way to only keep your readers up to date, but show your support for various non-profit organizations and activities you're involved in supporting.

Making the concept even more useful is the simplicity of it all. From important fundraisers to gallery openings, school events, and seasonal things that happen around the holidays, the list goes on and on. And, best of all, you become the one sharing the information making you a focal point.

Now, take it a step further.  Some of the events/programs you might be directly involved in, are perfect for blog content with a post leading up to the event, and then one following the event with your photographs. You become the "clearing house" for community activities and each time you share a post about an event or organization you're working with you become an ambassador for that group. Even if you're not directly involved, you're helping to spread the word about what they're doing.

It's a win-win every time, and it's a great project to turn over to a family member to help you build content, share in creating brand awareness for your business and best of all, giving them a level of responsibility in your success. 

​You're looking for the community to be good to you...so you need to make sure you're good to your community!