PART 3 OF 3: The Ultimate Guide to a Successful Motherhood Portrait Business
You’ve done the hard work in Part I and Part II — laid a solid foundation, built a brand that speaks to your dream clients, and created a pricing structure that ensures profitability. Now, it’s time to shift your focus to growth.
In this final part of our series, we’re diving into the strategies that will help you expand your reach, attract more of the right clients, and build a business that continues to thrive for years to come. We’ll cover how to market your portrait business locally, optimize your website to rank on Google, and streamline your content creation for social media and blogging.
Because the truth is, it’s not enough to be a talented photographer—you also need to know how to get your work in front of the right people, consistently.
Let’s dive in Part III of The Ultimate Guide to a Successful Motherhood Portrait Business and take your motherhood photography business to the next level!
PART III: Growing Your Motherhood Photography Business
How to Grow Your Portrait Business Organically
You don’t have to solely rely only on social media to get clients—networking is a powerful way to grow your photography business. In fact, I know businesses who earn over $250,000 a year in revenue without a website! How? From referrals and networking.
Familiarity wins over google rankings and hashtag results. Recently I was lost online trying to find the best dentist. I was reading reviews and checking proximity to my home. But I just couldn’t make up my mind. Finally, I asked a close friend who they go to. Without checking anything else online (reviews, location, etc), I called up that dentist and booked the entire family.
Why? Because I trust her. My trust in her referral meant I didn’t have to worry. I was in good hands.
Photography works the same way! When our clients and other business owners refer us to friends and clients, it comes with this magical golden seal of approval.
Growing your business organically takes time. But the portrait photographer who invests small actions into their month to meet people and earn the trust of their community, wins in the end. They spend far less time on social or writing blog posts. Their events book out within a day. They get inquiries that book easier.
To grow your business in this way, you will want to to attend networking events, collaborate on styled shoots, and build real relationships with these businesses—they can become your best referral sources!
Consider partnering with
Boutiques that cater to moms and families (maternity shops, baby stores).
Offer exclusive mini-session discounts to their customers.
Set up an in-store display featuring your work.
Host a “Mommy & Me” event where attendees get a complimentary photo.
Doulas, midwives, and OB-GYN offices to connect with expecting moms.
Provide them with beautifully designed brochures or digital guides featuring your services.
Offer a free maternity session as a giveaway for their clients.
Collaborate on an educational event or workshop for new moms.
Luxury event planners, realtors and interior designers who work with high-end families.
Offer to photograph their clients' nursery reveals or milestone celebrations.
Provide framed prints or custom albums as a value-added service.
Partner on high-end styled shoots to showcase both of your work.
Create a client referral system
Offer your clients something in return for referring their friends and tagging you in posts. A gift card for their next session or to their favorite coffee shop can go a long way.
✔ NETWORKING & LOCAL MARKETING
☐ Partner with local businesses that serve your ideal client
☐ Attend networking events and collaborate on styled shoots
☐ Offer referral incentives to strategic business partners
How to Create a Portrait Photography Website That Ranks on Google
Your website is your online storefront, and it should be easy to navigate, showcase your best work, and be optimized for search engines so clients can find you.
SEO Strategies for a Successful Motherhood Portrait Photography Business
Starting a motherhood portrait photography business is an exciting journey, but to attract the right clients, you need a solid SEO strategy. Optimizing your website and blog for search engines ensures that your ideal audience—expectant mothers, new parents, and families—can easily find you. Here’s a detailed guide to SEO strategies that will help your photography business thrive.
Choosing the Right Keywords for Motherhood Photography SEO
Selecting the right keywords is the foundation of your SEO strategy. You’ll want to target search terms that potential clients are using to find photographers in your niche. One important thing to know: at the time of writing this post, clients do not use “motherhood” when searching. That’s an industry term and all-encompassing for motherhood portraits such as maternity and newborn. Here are some keyword suggestions:
Maternity Photography: maternity photographer near me, maternity photoshoot ideas, maternity photographer [your city]
Newborn Photography: newborn photographer, newborn photography poses, lifestyle newborn photography
Family Photography: family portraits, family photographer near me, outdoor family photography ideas
Use long-tail keywords (e.g., “best outdoor family photographer in [your city]”) to attract highly targeted traffic with less competition.
How to Structure Blog Posts for SEO
Regular blog posts help establish you as an expert and improve your website’s ranking. Each post should be at least 500–1,500 words for optimal SEO value. Here are some topic ideas:
“What to Wear for Your Maternity Photoshoot”
“How to Prepare for a Newborn Photography Session”
“Best Locations for Outdoor Family Photos in [your city]”
“Why You Should Book a Motherhood Portrait Session”
“How to Pose Naturally for Family Photos”
Ensure each blog post has a focus keyword and incorporates related keywords naturally. Aim to post at least once a month to keep your site fresh and engaging.
Optimizing Images with Alt-Tags
Since photography websites rely heavily on images, alt-tags are crucial for SEO. Alt-tags are descriptions of your images that help search engines understand what’s in the picture.
For example, instead of leaving an image file as “IMG_1234.jpg,” rename it to something like “maternity-photographer-sunset-session.jpg” and use an alt-tag such as “Pregnant woman posing in a sunset maternity photoshoot in [your city]”. This helps your images appear in Google Image search results, bringing more traffic to your site.
Using H1 Headers for SEO
Your H1 header (main title) should include your primary keyword and be unique for each page. For example, a blog post about maternity photoshoots might have an H1 like:
“10 Stunning Maternity Photoshoot Ideas for Expecting Mothers”
Only use one H1 per page, and structure the rest of your content with H2s and H3s for readability and SEO benefits.
Avoid Keyword Cannibalization
Keyword cannibalization happens when multiple pages on your website compete for the same keyword, which can hurt rankings. Ensure each page or blog post targets a unique primary keyword to avoid competing with yourself. If you already have a page ranking for “newborn photographer in [your city],” don’t use that same phrase in another post—focus on a variation instead.
Additional SEO Strategies
Internal Linking: Link to other relevant pages on your site (e.g., linking your “Maternity Photography” page to your “Newborn Photography” page).
Local SEO: Get listed in Google My Business and local directories to improve local search visibility.
Mobile Optimization: Ensure your site is mobile-friendly, as most searches happen on phones.
Backlinks: Collaborate with local businesses, such as doulas or baby boutiques, to get quality backlinks to your site.
By following these SEO strategies, you can increase your website traffic, attract more clients, and grow your motherhood portrait photography business successfully. If you’re looking to get on that first page of Google, I highly recommend hiring an SEO expert. There are so many moving parts to ranking, hiring an expert would be money well spent and save you a lot of time.
SEO Essentials:
Use local keywords like “Denver maternity photographer” in your website’s titles, descriptions, and blog posts.
Dedicate one page to each main keyword. For instance, I have a newborn landing page and that is the only page where I have an H1 header for “Denver Newborn Photographer”. I want to avoid other pages competing with that one.
Name your images with keywords (e.g., *denver-newborn-photography.jpg* instead of *IMG1234*).
Write blog posts answering common client questions (e.g., “What to Wear for Your Maternity Session”).
Write blog posts that would be interesting to clients such as “5 Best Date Night Denver Restaurants Worth the Sitter Cost” or “Top 5 Doula’s In Denver”. These are things your ideal client is searching for online. Make sure these posts are over 1000 to compete on Google.
✔ WEBSITE & SEO
☐ Build a professional website with clear navigation
☐ Optimize for SEO with local keywords (e.g., "Denver maternity photographer")
☐ Blog consistently about client tips and experiences
☐ Use keyword-rich file names for images
How to Batch Content for Social Media and Blogging
As a motherhood photographer, your schedule is probably packed with photo sessions, editing, and keeping up with your clients. As a busy mom and business owner, creating content for social media and your blog every single day can feel overwhelming. However, maintaining a consistent online presence is key to attracting your dream clients, building a strong brand, and driving traffic to your website. That’s where batching content comes in.
Batching is the practice of setting aside specific time blocks to create multiple pieces of content at once. Instead of scrambling each day to come up with fresh posts, you can work ahead and free up mental energy for the creative work you love—like photography! In this post, I’ll walk you through how to batch content for social media and blogging in a way that helps you stay consistent without feeling burnt out.
Why Batching Is a Game-Changer for Your Portrait Photography Business
When you're in the trenches of running a photography business, it's easy to feel like there’s never enough time to juggle everything, including social media marketing. Yet, staying visible online is crucial to growing your business. It’s how you attract potential clients for your motherhood photography, newborn photography, maternity sessions, or family portrait services.
Batching your content not only saves time but also ensures you maintain a consistent, professional online presence. It allows you to plan your messaging strategically and helps you avoid the frustration of last-minute content creation. And here’s the best part: batching allows you to focus on the parts of your business you love, like creating beautiful portraits for your clients, rather than getting bogged down by the marketing process.
How to Batch Your Content for Maximum Impact
1. Set Aside One Day Per Month for Content Creation
The first step in batching content is blocking off a designated day (or half-day, depending on your schedule) each month to plan and create your social media posts, blog content, and email newsletters. Think of it like a mini photo shoot day for your business where your focus is entirely on content creation—not the day-to-day tasks of running your photography business.
Here’s how to break it down:
Brainstorm Ideas: Start by thinking about the types of posts your ideal clients—moms seeking motherhood, maternity, and family portraits—will resonate with. What are the pain points, joys, or milestones they’re experiencing? Consider offering helpful tips for maternity photography sessions, showcasing the benefits of newborn portraits, or sharing tips for preparing for a family photo shoot.
Plan Your Posts: Use a content calendar to plan out your posts for the next month. Map out a mix of content types, like portfolio images, educational tips, behind-the-scenes shots, and client testimonials. You could also plan seasonal posts, like preparing for holiday portrait sessions or offering summer-themed family shoots.
Create Content: Once you have your ideas, set aside time to create the content. Whether it’s shooting new portraits, curating behind-the-scenes photos, or designing graphics for your blog, batch this work together. The key here is to stay focused and avoid distractions so you can complete as many tasks as possible during your batching day.
Storing Portfolio Images: I keep a folder in Dropbox titled “Post,” where I store my favorite images that I can easily access for social media posts, blog content, stories, or updating my Google images. As I work through editing a session, I select the photos that resonate the most with me and drop them into this folder. I then rename each file with a specific format: keyword-phrase-city-myname-001.jpg. This simple system ensures I always have a growing, curated selection of images ready to go for all my marketing materials, keeping my content fresh and organized.
Use Canva for Creative: Inside Canva, I’ve set up several folders for different types of content I frequently create: one for stories, one for blog posts, and another for social media posts. This helps me maintain a consistent brand aesthetic across all my platforms. I pull images from my Dropbox folder into these Canva templates, giving me a library of visuals to work with as I craft posts. This streamlined workflow ensures that my design process is efficient, organized, and aligned with my brand’s style.
2. Use Scheduling Tools to Streamline Social Media
After creating your content, it’s time to schedule it for optimal posting times. Using scheduling tools like Planoly or Later can help you pre-schedule your Instagram and Facebook posts. This ensures that your content is posted consistently without you needing to be glued to your phone every day.
These tools allow you to visually plan out your social media posts and even auto-publish them for you. For example, if you’re a maternity photographer and have several stunning maternity portrait sessions in your portfolio, you can schedule a week’s worth of posts featuring those images. Your content is automated, and you don’t need to worry about rushing to create posts throughout the week.
3. Write Multiple Blog Posts at Once
Blogging is another essential element of your marketing strategy. It not only boosts your SEO (helping you rank for keywords like “motherhood photography,” “newborn photographer,” or “family portraits”) but also gives you an opportunity to connect with your audience on a deeper level. Instead of scrambling to write a blog post every week, consider writing multiple posts in one go when you’re in the creative zone.
Here’s how you can approach batching blog content:
Choose Topics: Make a list of blog topics that your dream clients will find helpful and engaging. Topics could include things like “How to Prepare for a Maternity Photography Session,” “Why Motherhood Portraits Are So Important,” or “The Best Time for Newborn Photoshoots.” These posts can also help with SEO by incorporating common google searches like “how to choose a newborn photographer” or “what is the best age for newborn photos.”
Write Multiple Posts: Once you have your topics, spend a few hours (or a whole day, depending on how long it takes you) writing these blog posts. Aim for 3–4 blog posts at once, so you have content ready to go for the next month. You can schedule them to publish weekly, keeping your blog fresh and active.
Optimize for SEO: When writing your blog posts, remember to optimize them for search engines by naturally incorporating keywords like “family photographer,” “maternity photographer,” or “best locations for family portraits in [insert your city]” throughout the post. This will help potential clients find your website when searching for portrait photographers in their area.
4. Repurpose Content Across Platforms
One of the great things about batching content is that you can repurpose it across multiple platforms, maximizing your efforts. For example, a blog post about preparing for a newborn photo shoot can be repurposed into Instagram posts, Pinterest graphics, linking in your newborn session confirmation email, and email newsletter content. This saves you time by allowing you to create more with less effort.
Benefits of Batching for Your Business
By setting aside dedicated time each month to plan and create your content, you’ll be able to:
Stay consistent with your marketing efforts
Avoid the stress of daily content creation
Improve your SEO and increase your visibility
Free up mental space to focus on your clients and photography sessions
Attract more portrait inquiries and clients who align with your brand
Batching content is a game-changer for busy photographers who want to stay consistent on social media and keep their blog fresh without the pressure of daily content creation. By setting aside dedicated time to plan, create, and schedule your posts, you’ll save yourself time, reduce stress, and ultimately attract more clients to your motherhood photography, newborn, maternity, and family photography business.
If you’re ready to start batching your content and make the process more manageable, I encourage you to set aside time this week to get started. Your future self—and your business—will thank you.
✔ SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY
☐ Use local keywords to reach nearby clients
☐ Tag relevant local businesses in your posts
☐ Encourage clients to tag and share your work
☐ Post a mix of portfolio, educational, and behind-the-scenes content
As you move into the next phase—growing your brand, batching content, and offering a luxurious, personalized experience—you’ll continue to refine your business and elevate it to new heights. The combination of consistent marketing, in-person sales, and creating a truly memorable experience for your clients will not only increase your income but also help you build long-lasting relationships with families who truly value your art.
LOOKING FOR MORE HANDS-ON HELP?
If you’re looking for a more hands-on approach to launching and scaling your motherhood portrait business, the Get Rooted coaching program was created with you in mind.
Designed for photographers ready to grow their business with personalized support, Get Rooted offers step-by-step strategies, actionable tools, and expert advice to help you confidently step into your role as a business owner. With tailored coaching and a community of like-minded photographers, you'll have the guidance you need to build a profitable, sustainable business that reflects your values and creative vision.
Remember, every successful photographer started where you are now, with a dream and a desire to make it a reality. Stay patient, stay focused, and trust that with the right tools and mindset, you’ll build a thriving motherhood portrait business that reflects your passion, artistry, and the life you want to live. You’ve got this!
But for my self-starter friends…
Take a look at the self-led courses (The Pricing Workshop and The Art of Selling) to get your business moving. I’ve also created beautiful brochures for your business (with wording included!) so you can just add to cart and start using right away.