What an amazing question! First of all….God bless you and your family in this amazing journey towards creating a family. I have had quite a friends go through IVF and hearing their stories completely melt my heart. I appreciate this question more than you will ever know…and funny enough, at a dinner with some photography girls last night…the question of how PERSONAL and how HONEST one should get on the blog was lightly touched on…so I plan to share some of that feedback as well.

First and foremost, before you post ANYTHING on social media/internet, you have to think….do I want ANYONE in the world to be able to read and see this? Do I want this to be out there for LIFE….and are you willing to deal with the NEGATIVE comments or opinions that are headed your way once you click that “ENTER, SEND or SHARE button”? Once something is posted on line…and even if you “remove” it…it still is out there…somewhere in virtual space…your “share” lingers. Anyone can find it and see it.

Second…we are professionals. Yes, we run very personal and personable businesses that deal with families, couples, and capturing memories for clients we grow to love and respect as a part of our “business family.” BUT….there HAS TO BE a line! There has to be a LIMIT! There HAS TO BE a balance to what you are sharing. If I ONLY posted pictures of my babies, talked about my family clients, and my blogs consisted of tips and tricks for family posing, how children should dress for a shoot, and that my son just had his first #2 on the potty…MOST LIKELY my brides would be 100% turned off, confused, and possibly start to doubt my interest in weddings and more importantly, them!

My rule of thumb is 1 to 5. Let me explain that further. For every 5 “wedding related posts”, I post a family session or something personal about MY children. My brides…KNP weddings are my focus. My family clients KNOW I adore them, but they also know I am primarily a wedding centric photographer. The best is when the moms of my family clients tune in for my weddings and share their own weddings stories from “back in the day” as they say, with me.

My boys are my world and their life accomplishments and cute growing moments are totally share worthy and DO help me connect with my fellow mom friends and FAMILY. BUT, and this is an important BUT….I do not OVER-SHARE! I BALANCE WITH MY 1 TO 5 RULE and I REMAIN PROFESSIONAL ALWAYS!

The whole point of a blog is for there to be a place for more writing, sharing, emotion, connection. You WANT your blog to be the place your clients and fans go to to read a little more in depth about you, your business and your clients. Your blog….if you are a professional in this industry, is NOT A “DEAR DIARY”. Everyone has their struggles, growing pains, moments of hardship and drama….BUT most people have so much of their own “stuff” to deal with that they are attracted to outlets that allow them to escape their own “wowes” and enjoy a happy, drama free zone.

LET YOUR BLOG BE THAT PLACE.

If you want to blog about something very personal, maybe create a personal blog and make one post on your professional blog where you say….”If you would like to keep up with my personal story about my experience with IVF (or whatever you want to write about), here is my personal blog link. I would love to have you there. Here is the link.” You are now giving your client the CHOICE to decide if they want to read more about you and your story, or just be a part of the positive and professional work environment your provide on your professional blog. Zach and Jody Gray did a PERFECT example of this. Professional wedding photographers by trade just announced they are expecting their first born and they wanted to create a blog to write about their pregnancy and “family life” in a different outlet where others can have the choice if they want to connect on that level or not.

Remember, our clients are people. They are living in the same world we are and living a life full of their own ups and downs. We all can connect with each other on multiple levels….but as a small business owner in this industry, you HAVE to draw a line to establish a professional boundary and to solidify that your main focus is your clients and their POSITIVE EXPERIENCE WITH YOU.

Last piece of advice….you want every blog post you write to leave people “nodding their head in agreement, smiling, motivated, and happy they just spent the time out of their day and precious life to read what you had to say.” Personal connections are key to a positive experience all around…we surely do not want our clients thinking we are camera robots with no emotion. But dirty laundry, and over personal shares can really turn your ideal client off….so always think before you hit “share.”

I wish you all the luck with your journey love, please keep me updated and I cant wait to follow your story on your new personal blog  : P

xoxo,

Kaitlin