Finally back online with the journal, but who’s it for, exactly?

This blog post first appeared on the journal page of www.matthewjames.dk

Well that was an annoying five days, in regards to the journal.

Just when I was starting to get in to the flow of writing regular updates I decide to go tinkering with the HTML code in the background (to make the user experience easier, you understand) and the whole damn page goes kaput. Unable to get back in to delete the code I was forced to contact the guys at Photoshelter over in New York and unfortunately it wasn’t such a quick fix for them, either. Five days later, and with a bit of prodding from me, they managed to sort it just in time for the weekend. And here we are.

Due to the relatively new nature of this journal, I doubt that any of you actually noticed I was gone. Fair enough. But Google did, and I had to sit and watch as my Page Ranking dropped a few places every day, which, believe me, was heartbreaking to see. But we’re back now and ready to make up for lost time and ground.

Marketing and Industry tips for Photographers and Creatives

If this is your first journal entry that you’re reading on my blog, welcome. If you’ve been following me (and I’ll use PBMJ for short from now on) for a while now, chances are you’ve been reading my main blog over at blog.photographybymatthewjames.com

But there’s been some huge changes going on behind the scenes here at PBMJ HQ and it’s having a huge effect on my writing, so allow me to explain.

From now on, this will be the main Blog page where you can find weekly, maybe even daily, updates. I understand that to get something out of a blog then there needs to be something in it for you, dear reader. That’s why I’m going to focus a lot more on content that benefits any photographers out there – amateur or professional – or creative people who are interested in marketing and SEO. It might seem like a strange combo, but I find both topics really quite interesting and have lots to say about them.

You can expect there to be plenty of behind-the-scenes posts, plus entires about locations, strange experiences and photoshoots, favourite jobs I’ve shot, and plenty of tips and tricks to help today’s “overwhelmed by info” snapper.

Honest and Candid posts – weekly

If you scroll down to the very bottom of this page you’ll find the very first entry I wrote on this page, where I admit to never sharing the link to the blog online. You’ll also read how I intend to write honestly and candidly about life as a photographer in Copenhagen. Well, the second point is the most important, which is why I won’t delete that post (even though I could). But like I said, things have changed enormously since then and I’ve now come to realise just how vital this very page is to my marketing efforts.

But remember, I still LOVE writing. I’m not just doing this to help improve my SEO (though that was the original reason). The truth is, I’m looking forward (in time, not in a feeling of pleasure sense) to 2016 and what I intend to do with the business. I’ve been a photographer in Denmark for three years now and it’s definitely time for me to start working on my own personal projects. Getting paid to take pictures is very nice, but some jobs have been a complete waste of time. The money sucked and there was no promotional benefit afterwards. Next year I’d like to say no more and spend the time wisely; writing a book, contacting clients on my wish list, taking more time off to spend with my family, producing a printed portfolio to send out, travelling a bit more, and teaching myself new photography and videography skills. It might mean less money in the bank account, but I think the long-term goals are significantly more important.

So that’s my first major rant of the week over. Maybe if you’re reading this you can relate to something I’ve written. I hope so. Maybe you need persuading that money isn’t everything, or you’re considering writing a blog of your own and aren’t sure of the true benefits to doing so or where to begin. If you didn’t get anything out of this and think it had nothing to offer you in life, then maybe you know someone who will. So share the link to the page and let that someone know.

You’ll notice that there isn’t a comments box at the bottom of the post or even the page. Trust me, I’m aware of it. I’m hoping those nice people over at Photoshelter are aware of it, too, and have it as one of their top priorities. They know they’re up against WordPress and Tumblr, though, so maybe they feel it’s a losing battle. Either way, if it ever becomes available I promise to be one of the first to implement it.

In the meantime, however, send me your questions, comments and thoughts to matthew@matthewjames.dk and I promise to answer all of them as soon as possible. I’d love to hear your thoughts on how I can improve the site, the blog, or your knowledge on photography, video, editing, SEO and marketing.

So let’s all hold hands together and be part of something together. A community of artists and business owners who want to explore our hobbies and professions as one.

Have a great weekend…