After some advice from other photogs, I created a blog. They said it was another terrific way of generating more traffic towards my business website, interact with clients, and get feedback. My blog is a simple WordPress theme I downloaded. I really like the color scheme and sidebar style. Nothing to fancy shmancy, but hopefully it does the job.

Since I'm totally new to the blogging thing I'd appreciate any advice you fellow bloggers can provide.

• recommended image sizes?
• post images with or without decorative borders?
• how many images per post?
• recommended plugins
• or anything else to make my blog a better experience for visitors.

Take a look and let me know what you think.
http://gametimephotos.com/blog/


Thank you,
-Sonny

Hey Sonny. Blogs are a great way to interact more with clients. Don't be afraid to let personality to come thru in the blog. Put one of your images in the header maybe. I've seen some blogs with just photography type posts and other where the photog writes about everything going on in their life. That's your personal preference as to how much you want to share. It is the internet after all.
I would put as many images up as you want too. Who says there has to be a limit!?
All in all do what you like and let personality shine!

Thanks Rachael!

A couple things I would suggest are:

Integrating the look of your blog with your website. You want people to know where they're at and who they're dealing with when they see either of your sites. Both designs are good, but they don't look anything like each other. (I really like the logo on your webpage).

I couldn't (easily) find a link to your webpage from your blog. (and vise versa)

I would definetly keep a watermark/logo on your photos. Because of your business structure, it would be easy for people to go to the event their children particpated in and take your photos.

Great questions!

Be yourself! there is no magical formula to blogging. Well maybe one, do it as much as you can. Don't give up. So often I see people do 4-5 posts for a week or so, then get busy, or run out of content, or become discouraged.

Set aside some time everyday - like brushing your teeth - and write a post. Then tell your friends that you have added a blog post.

For instance, I've created a 365 wedding-photo-a-day blog in which I'm adding EXIF info about the picture, how and where it was shot, and some blogging essentials, too. Yep, that's right - every day!

SO instead of posting 10-15 pics from a single wedding every week, I'm adding a new one every day.

Check it at www.EricHegwer.com

Nice format for you blog. I blogged for 1.5 years and only had one person commenting. What I had to do to drive traffic to my blog was just get out there and start reading others blogs. Specially people who were NOT photographers. I would comment on their blog and then they would come and read mine.
I did a search for people in the surrounding area where I live for their blogs and started with that. I was using Blogger.... nothing wrong with them... just really hard for me to get people to read it there.

I switched to xanga.com as my blog because it is set up like a community with groups and chatboards and stuff and found it really easy to meet people on there and they would subscribe to my blog.
When I signed up with one of their photoclubs, and I post photos is automatically sends out a note to the other members of that photoclub that I have new pics.
I found that I wanted to talk about everything on my blog so I do.
Have fun.
Let it be you.
You will build it best that way.
No rules!
And those with RULES.... who are they? And who made them the Master Rule makers??? LOL