Do’s and Don’ts of Blogging
Whether you want to blog about photography, another hobby, or a specific topic, your blog should always be about you.
Writing daily or weekly takes discipline. I practice blogging as part of my daily workflow. Often, it´s the first thing I do in the morning. I write for my friends, clients, and readers. My site has become a place where I share, connect, and promote myself. It´s almost like my second home. It´s a funny feeling to be able to do all this in one place!
Here are few tips for a successful blog
Know your niche and your perfect client/reader
Knowing your niche before you begin, will help you tremendously. You need to know exactly WHO you´re talking to and WHY. Otherwise, you´ll attract all the wrong people or even worse – no readers at all!
If you are still not sure of your photography niche or target customer feel free to go back to modules one and three, where I talk a lot about these subjects.
So be sure to write this down:
- Who are you “talking to” on your blog? (your perfect client)
- Why are you blogging with them in mind? (your purpose)
- What can you help your perfect client with? (problem-solving/service you offer)
TIP: the more you can niche your blog towards your target customer, the more successful it will be. If you, for example, are a child portrait photographer, you need to know exactly what type of child is your customer avatar; exact age, gender, personality, likes, hobbies, style, type of parents, location etc.. The more you know, the easier it is to connect with the parents of that child.
Be personal – be you
I know some people are afraid to put personal photos or stories on the web. But this is exactly what makes most blogs great. It helps readers connect to you and makes a blog likable. It helps if they know who you are, why you blog, what you blog about, and why they should trust what you blog. You can create an “about me” page with information about you and your blogging purpose.
Don’t over think things. Simply write as if you are talking to a friend. It takes the pressure off and allows you the freedom to express yourself just the way you are. Don’t worry if you are not fluent in English. I’m not fluent in English…fare from! Don’t worry, even with all my spelling mistakes, I still get new readers every day.
Create a Series
Serial posts make readers come back. The series can be anything: interviews, tips, ideas, videos, or photos. I have had series about creative challenges, happiness, iPhone photography, other photographers and setting goals. But before you create a series, make sure you can follow through.
Comment on the blogs you visit
Commenting on other blogs will help you connect with other bloggers and will draw more readers to your blog. The better your comments are, the more readers will click on your website link to visit you. You should comment on blogs with similar content to yours. Some readers will more likely be interested in yours. Remember, when you comment, say something friendly, a few lines are fine.
Post often
It´s so important for first-time visitors to feel that they will get new content if they return regularly. If so, they´ll bookmark your site or subscribe to your blog feed. Many bloggers are too busy to post daily – once a week is also fine. Blogging often is important for two reasons: search engines like active sites more than inactive sites and readers will get bored without fresh, regular content.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve stumbled on an interesting blog, read a good article, bookmarked the site, and returned only to find nothing new. If I like a blog’s style, I check back in a couple of days or weeks. If there is still nothing new, I’ll remove the blog from my must-read list. Many people do the same. If you are serious about blogging, you must keep this in mind.
Build connections with other bloggers
Link to their blogs and they might link back to yours which will drive more visitors to your blog. You can let them know that you link to them and that you love their blog, sometimes doing so, can give you a wonderful new network-body or friend.
Links baby!
Post blog links on Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr every time you create a new post or have some photos to share. If you leave a personal comment together with the link to your blog post, more people will click on the link and read your post. Just leaving a link alone, can to some people feel like spam behavior.
Host giveaways
Readers love free stuff! This is a great way for you to get more readers. You can give away a photo shoot in your local area (I did that in the beginning with great success) or give away photo prints that they can hang on their wall, or use as a screensaver.
Join communities
Sign up for communities like Blogloving, Networked Blogs, and Pinterest. It´s a way to build links and get traffic to your site.
What do you do when you lack inspiration or time to create your posts
You can avoid this by being prepared. On creative days, I prepare several posts and save them for later posting. When I am busy or lacking in ideas, I can quickly upload one of my pre-made posts. This removes pressure to write on an off day.
Finding inspiration for blog posts
There are many websites that are lifesavers for bloggers in search of inspiration. Here are some of my favorites:
StumbleUpon.com
Pinterest.com
Weheartit.com
Tumblr.com
Flickr.com
Devianart.com
Etsy.com
500px.com
Blogloving.com
Youtube.com
Vimeo.com
When it come to blogging, be careful not to:
Type short, boring comments on other blogs. ( Comments like: “Beautiful” and then your URL will not gain you anything!) Make an effort to create a more personal and friendly message.
Don’t ignore comments visitors make on your blog posts. If they had taken the time to say something about a particular post, it is always polite to acknowledge them.
Don´t put music on your blog that starts automatically, many readers will leave your blog quickly, especially if they are reading blogs at work, or at night when the children are asleep. Consider adding a playlist to your blog, but let visitors decide if they wish to listen to music while reading.
Don´t add too much “bling” to your blog layout. Too many photos on the side bar, and too many ads, big fonts, or different colors will distract! Keep it stylish, elegant, and simple. Your blog should be blissful for the eye. Especially as a photographer, you want to focus on your images, right!
Never spread negativity by nagging, cursing, and insulting other photographers or bloggers. Everybody can have a bad day (me too), but avoid bringing it to your blog. Take a break until your mood improves!
