It’s that time of year again. No — not the holidays! it’s time to update all the “things.”

Renew and refresh

As I was thinking about the direction of my business and where it’s heading next year, it made me think about the things I should update and change to go along with that. Here’s a list I came up with. There may be other areas I’ve not thought about; feel free to add comments with other ideas and suggestions you have for updating our presence both online and in print.

Headshot

When is the last time you’ve had your headshot updated? It’s always a good idea to keep your image updated, you don’t want to be using that headshot you had taken five years ago, or that quick phone shot that “isn’t so bad.”

While budgets may not always allow for it, paying a fellow professional photographer to help you with your personal style, headshots and branding will elevate your online presence and help you look much more professional. This is definitely on my list for 2022!

update Lauri Novak headshotupdate Lauri Novak headshotupdate Lauri Novak headshot

Update social media profiles and images

See my notes on your headshot. Time to refresh your about page, what you do, your bio and any outdated images you have hanging around.

When first starting out in the photography business, many of us post that we shoot events, portraits, etc. Then as we head down different business paths, what we offer changes. What does your profile say you do? What does it say about you? Life changes every day and while you don’t need to change your information daily, you should update it quarterly, keep it fresh and interesting. Make sure what you have in your profiles reflects what you do and what you offer.

Business listings

Are you listed on referral sites? Local business pages? Now is the time to go back and find all those places you are as well and make sure they are updated with your most current information.

update Photo by cetteup on Unsplash
Photo by cetteup on Unsplash

Website

Platforms change things in the background all the time. It’s a good idea to go back and check links, see if images are still showing up on your pages and blog posts. Is your domain name registration about to expire? Is your SSL certificate up to date? There are many pieces to websites to keep track of and making sure everything is in working order and compliant with privacy laws is important.

update website

Update your business cards

When is the last time you updated your business cards? Do they reflect your current style, current client base and are they consistent with your online branding? You updated and revamped your website this year, which means it’s time to update your business cards to make sure you’re presenting a consistent image across the board.

Portfolio

Are your client-facing images your latest and greatest? Portfolios and images we use to show what we do to potential clients should always be refreshed and updated.

Review

Take an overall look at your work and your business. What worked? What didn’t? Do you need to rewrite or update your business plan? Maybe you changed gears and are no longer photographing weddings, do your website and business reflect that?

It’s important to keep our work and all aspects of our business current and relevant.