I often get asked what I do during the months when I’m not photographing weddings, and there are actually so many things that happen behind the scenes MONTHS before to make a successful wedding season!

Entering the months between wedding seasons doesn’t mean slowing to a stop (although I definitely DO take time completely off from the business at the end of December!). However after the ball drops and we ring in the New Year — I usually start easing back into work with a sense of rejuvenation and a focus on refining the business and preparing well for the upcoming months!

I think it’s super important to revisit a couple of things each year as a business owner and to utilize the off-season to work behind the scenes! Here’s my (non-comprehensive) list of what I refresh annually:

Website & Portfolio: Refreshing Your Brand As A Whole

Your website and portfolio are your business’s digital storefront, greeting potential clients and showcasing your expertise! Annually refreshing your portfolio to make sure you’re attracting your dream clients, staying current with SEO and making sure that your brand evolves as your business does is key! Having brand photos that showcase you and your process can help you stand out instantly in a saturated market by visually conveying your brand values!

Communicating Your Values & Who You Are For With Compelling Imagry

The messaging on every page of your website is your brand’s voice and what’s speaking directly to your clients! A yearly revisit allows you to refine your messaging, make sure it still rings clear and is in line with what the way your actual clients speak and communicate. When your messaging matches your imagery, you’re able to convey your business values, what sets you apart and the value you provide to your potential clients!

Visually Showcasing the Value Provided In Each Service

As your skills expand, so should your offerings and the value you provide with each — potentially along with a raise in prices! An annual assessment guarantees that each service you provide is packed with value and that you’re increasing your price point to your personal and market sweet spot. When you have intentional brand images that showcase the value that your offer provides your clients, it becomes easier to visually paint a picture in their mind of what the process looks like as well as what they can expect from you and the entire experience with you!

A Library Of Branded Imagery for Your Content and Marketing Strategy

Your content and marketing strategies are the lifeblood of what pulls in your clients and brings them to your website and portfolio — their impression of your brand starts here! During my yearly review I always evaluate what worked and what didn’t from a content marketing perspective so I can refine my approach for the current year, ditch what isn’t working and leverage what IS! It’s vital to have a library of on-brand and intentional imagery that you can pull from for your marketing strategy!

If you’re looking to refresh your brand imagery in the upcoming year, be sure to check out the Branding Experience Page here for more details and reach out to get your branding session on the calendar! I take a limited amount of branding clients every month and session spots get filled 2-3 months in advance!