The Backend Content System I Use to Market My Family Photography Business

Marketing my family photography business does not start with Instagram. I know, shocker. One would think Instagram would be an excellent top-of-funnel marketing strategy for me as a family photographer because a lot of my work IS visual. But no, I like to start thinking about my MIDDLE-of-funnel marketing, and this is where my LONG-form blog posts come in.  So in short, a lot of my marketing starts with one long-form blog post.

Over time, I realized that constantly creating new content for every platform was exhausting and unsustainable. I needed a system that allowed me to show up consistently without reinventing the wheel every week.

This post walks through the exact backend content system I use to market my family photography business using one SEO-optimized blog post as the foundation.

And if you want to see what this all looks like in real time, just follow me on IG at @dollydelongphoto, and my website is: https://dollydelongphotography.com/. (Ya know, just so you can see, I walk the walk)! 

Why My Marketing Starts With a Blog Post

As a family photographer, my blog is my primary long-form content asset.

Every week, I write one in-depth, Yoast-optimized blog post designed to do two things:

• Answer real questions that my audience is already searching for (I usually research these keyphrases and keywords using tools within Google Search Console) 

• Support long-term organic visibility through SEO

Instead of treating blogging as “extra,” I treat it as the backbone of my marketing. Everything else flows from that one piece of content.

Step 1: Write One Long-Form, SEO-Optimized Blog Post

Each week, I publish one detailed blog post that is:

• Long-form and intentional

• Optimized using Yoast SEO

• Written to attract the right audience, not just traffic

• Built to work long-term, not disappear after 24 hours

This is the only piece of content I write from scratch.

Once it’s finished and optimized, I don’t move on yet. That blog becomes the source for everything else.

Step 2: Optimize the Blog Post for Local SEO

After the blog is published, I repurpose it for local visibility.

I take that same blog post and optimize it for my Google My Business profile to support local SEO. This allows the content to work double duty: organic search and local discovery.

The goal is simple.
Make sure Google understands what the content is about and who it’s for.

Step 3: Submit the Blog to Google and Bing

Once the blog post is live and optimized, I make sure it’s indexed properly.

I submit the post to:

• Google Search Console

• Bing Webmaster Tools

This step helps search engines crawl the content more quickly, rather than waiting and hoping it gets picked up.

This is part of the backend work most photographers skip, even though it plays a huge role in long-term visibility.

Step 4: Repurpose the Blog Post for Pinterest

Next, I create Pinterest pins that link directly back to the blog post.

Pinterest is a search engine, not a social platform, making it a natural extension of blogging. Each pin points back to the same long-form content, helping extend its lifespan far beyond the week it was published.

No new ideas required.
Just one blog, repurposed visually.

Please note: One of the biggest reasons this system stays sustainable is that I am not designing from scratch every week. I have pre-built Canva templates that I reuse for my blog graphics, Pinterest pins, and Instagram content. Instead of opening Canva and staring at a blank screen, I drop new text into templates that already match my brand. This removes decision fatigue, speeds up content creation, and keeps everything visually consistent. Having these templates in place is honestly a lifesaver in this workflow because it lets me focus on the message, not the design.

Step 5: Create Instagram Content From the Blog

From that same blog post, I pull out:

• 2–3 Instagram content ideas

• Captions based on the blog’s core message

I’m not writing brand-new thoughts here. I’m repackaging what already exists.

This keeps my Instagram content aligned with my long-form marketing, rather than feeling random or disconnected.

Step 6: Turn the Blog Post Into an Email

The final step is email.

I write one email based on the blog post and send it to my list. The email expands on the topic, adds context, and links back to the full blog post.

This allows the content to reach people who may never see it on social platforms or search engines.

How Long This System Takes Each Week

From start to finish, this entire system takes me 2–3 hours per week.

That includes:

• Writing one long-form blog post

• Optimizing it for SEO and local search

• Submitting it for indexing

• Repurposing it for Pinterest, Instagram, and email

The reason it’s efficient is not that I work faster (come on, seriously if you think I am a fast content creator…I’m not because my kids REALLY slow me down) ahhaha! I want to be real with you right there. I am able to be efficient because the process is systematized.

Why This System Works for Family Photographers

This approach works because it meets real-life constraints:

• Busy seasons with little creative energy

• Solo business owners doing everything themselves

• Parents balancing business and family

• Photographers who want consistency without burnout

Instead of chasing new ideas every week, the system focuses on depth, reuse, and long-term visibility.

The System I Use to Run This Entire Workflow

I didn’t build this workflow in a vacuum.

Over time, I systematized this process into a single content hub designed specifically for family photographers. It holds:

• Long-form content ideas and publishing schedules

• Brand voice, positioning, and SEO keywords

• Blog outlines, titles, and call-to-action prompts

• Finished blog drafts written with a trained GPT assistant

• Google My Business updates generated from blog posts

• A repeatable blog promotion checklist

• Marketing notes, timelines, and visibility strategies

• One place to track what’s published and what’s next

One system.
One SOP.
One content hub built to think like a family photographer.

If you want to see exactly how this workflow is organized and replicate it for your own business, you can find it here:
https://systemsandworkflowmagic.com/blogging-visibility-system

Final Thoughts

Blogging does not have to feel like a second job.

When one piece of long-form content fuels your entire marketing ecosystem, consistency becomes realistic instead of aspirational. You are no longer chasing ideas or scrambling to “keep up.” You are building on something solid, intentional, and reusable.

Blogging is not dead.
It is foundational.

Especially as we move deeper into an AI-driven search landscape, blogs play an even bigger role in how your business is discovered. Search engines, AI-powered tools, and answer-based platforms all rely on clear, structured, original long-form content to understand what you do, who you serve, and when to surface your business.

Short-form content disappears.
Blog content compounds.

A well-written blog post gives search engines context. It gives AI systems substance. It gives your business a digital footprint that lasts longer than a reel, a caption, or a trend cycle. When someone searches for answers related to family photography, your blog becomes the source those platforms pull from.

This is why blogging still matters for family photographers.

Not as a creative outlet.
Not as busywork.
But as a backend marketing asset that supports SEO, local visibility, and future-proof discovery.

When your blog is the anchor of your marketing, everything else becomes easier to maintain. Your content stays intentional. Your messaging stays consistent. Your marketing stays searchable and repeatable without requiring constant creation.

In an industry where visibility feels increasingly unstable, blogging gives your business something solid to stand on.

Need Help With Marketing YOUR Family Photography Business?

If you want help staying consistent with this kind of marketing without having to plan everything yourself, this is exactly what I support inside The Family Photographer’s Marketing Society. Each week, members receive a clear marketing cadence template built specifically for family photographers, with a strong focus on SEO and sustainable marketing strategies that actually fit real life. It’s designed to remove the guesswork, reduce overwhelm, and help you show up with intention instead of scrambling. And yes, photographers inside the Society also get access to a few thoughtful bonuses along the way that make consistency even easier.

Meet Your Favorite Marketing Strategist for Family Photographers (Dolly DeLong Education)

Hi, I’m Dolly DeLong, a Nashville-based family photographer, marketing strategist, and systems educator for family photographers who want structure, clarity, and consistency in their marketing.

My photography journey began in 2006, and over the years, I built a sustainable family photography business while navigating motherhood, client work, and the realities of running a solo creative business. Along the way, I discovered something unexpected: I loved the backend just as much as the creative side.

What started as organizing my own workflows turned into helping other family photographers simplify their marketing, build repeatable systems, and stop relying on last-minute posting or panic marketing.

Today, I focus exclusively on helping family photographers intentionally market their businesses (not with trends but with consistently showing up).

I offer two ways to work with me:

• The Family Photographer’s Marketing Society: a systems-first membership that provides a clear weekly marketing cadence for Instagram and email, so you always know what to focus on without starting over.

• 1:1 Strategic Marketing Support for established family photographers who want hands-on guidance in building a sustainable, SEO-supported marketing system.

Through my blog, podcast, and YouTube channel, I teach family photographers how to think like marketers, plan ahead, and create marketing rhythms that support both their business and their family life.

I still photograph families around Nashville because it’s one of my greatest joys. But helping family photographers build calm, consistent marketing systems that actually fit real life is a close second.

I’m so glad you are here reading this blog! I hope this was helpful.