In 10 Easy Steps, Learn How to Start a Photography Blog
You should start a photography blog for a variety of reasons. The primary reason, of course, is for the sake of it. If you enjoy photography, having a blog allows you to share your passion with the rest of the world.
But there are other reasons as well:
Create a Photography Business: If you are a professional photographer, having your own little internet corner will allow you to showcase your work. You will also be able to attract more customers by utilizing SEO (search engine marketing).
The portfolio that is up to date: Many photographers allow their portfolio sites to become stagnant, but with a blog, you will be able to showcase your latest and greatest images, as well as show your clients what your current shooting style is (it tends to evolve over time).
Store Your Images: A photography blog is an excellent place to keep all of your fantastic images for future photography projects. A blog will help you stay organized so that you can express your unique vision rather than allowing your best work to be lost to the world.
Are You a Hobbyist? : A blog will allow you to easily share your images with family and friends, as well as the rest of the world. And the best part is… Even if you only do photography as a hobby, you may be able to earn a living.
Although it may appear daunting at first, starting your own photography blog doesn’t have to be difficult if you have a step-by-step plan – which is exactly what you’ll discover below.
Determine the Purpose of Your Photography Blog
The first step is to determine the direction or focus of your photography blog. You may already have some ideas for topics to write about. However, they may cover a wide range of topics.
If you want to create a successful photography blog, you must first decide on a specific focus for your blog.
You can’t be everything to everyone. When it comes to blogging, this is the quickest way to fail.
So, right now, spend some time brainstorming a few ideas for the focus of your photography blog.
- What are you planning to write about?
- For whom do you want to write?
- What do you hope to accomplish with your blog?
You may have a variety of topics that appear unrelated, but if you try to group them together, you will have an easier time narrowing the focus of your blog and bringing those disparate topics together in a way that will appeal to your audience.
Here are some suggestions to help you with your brainstorming:
- film photography blog
- boudoir photography blog
- travel photography blog
- food photography blog
- fashion photography blog
- street photography blog
- cinderella photography blog
- food blog photography
- family photography blog
- newborn photography blog
- maternity photography blog
- lifestyle photography blog
- landscape photography blog
- nature photography blog
- aerial photography blog
- wildlife photography blog
- sports or action photography blog
- portrait photography blog
- architectural photography blog
- event photography blog
- wedding photography blog
As you can see, the possibilities are limitless. Consider what you’re passionate about, and once you’ve decided on a focus for your new photography blog, it’s time to specialize in that area. You might even want to start a blog where you teach others about photography.
You could even start a photography blog solely to increase sales on another platform where you sell products, such as Poshmark.
Note: If you want to make some adjustments to the photo just let me know. I can do it for you at a very low cost. You can hire me to edit your photo.
Select a Photography Blog Niche
Even after deciding on a topic for your blog, you must delve deeper. For example, if you choose Event Photography, you are still dealing with a broad topic that encompasses a variety of subjects. You don’t have to do it all, but you can select a portion of it that you will excel at.
Photographing people, animals, buildings, or objects requires entirely different skill sets. Contrary to popular belief, photographers do not have to be jacks (or Jackies) of all trades.
Yes, light is light, but there is a distinction to be made between photographing a newborn and photographing a spider.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Stock Photography: You could specialize in selling stock photography. This is a fantastic business model, and you can start making money right away by selling high-quality stock photos. Then, on your blog, explain how you did it. Given that photo storage may be an issue, I recommend that you find the best photo management software for your needs.
How to Start a Blog: Pick one of the many photography niches and assist others in starting a photography blog in that niche. You can potentially add dozens of blog posts, videos, and images for any photography niche.
Reviews of Photography Equipment and Gear: Write reviews of photography equipment and gear. This is a simple thing to incorporate into any type of photography blog. For example, if you start a blog devoted to wedding photography, you can include reviews of the equipment required.
By Software: If you know how to use Photoshop or another photo editing software, you can start a blog where you teach other photographers how to use the editing tools.
Photographers (professional or amateur) Trade Rag: Your blog can focus on providing marketing tips for both beginning and experienced photographers in order to help them achieve greater success in their field.
There are numerous options available to you, which is why it is critical to consider your passion as well as all of the different topics that you find interesting before making your decision.
Select a Blogging Platform
Now that you’ve determined your niche, it’s time to choose the best blog hosting platform for you.
There are numerous options to choose from, some of which are free and others of which are not. However, before you choose a free blogging platform, you should be aware that they have some drawbacks.
Free blogging platforms such as Wix, Blogger, Squarespace, and WordPress.com (as opposed to the paid version, WordPress.org) have the following drawbacks:
- The ability to customise free blogs is limited.
- They appear unprofessional.
- They are limited in their abilities
- Free blogs have a low monetization potential as well
- Your account may be terminated without notice.
So it’s clear that if you’re serious about building a successful and profitable photography blog, you shouldn’t use free blogging platforms.
What should you use in its place?
WordPress.org is the forefather of blog hosting services. Over a third of all websites on the internet use this self-hosted platform. It’s also the option I employ and recommend to all of my readers.
Here are some of the benefits of using premier WordPress:
1.WordPress is adaptable to changing needs.
2. The platform is simple to use, even for inexperienced users.
3.WordPress themes provide numerous customization options.
4. Both free and paid plugins enhance the functionality of your website.
5.WordPress sites are more responsive and rank higher in search results.
6. Every website includes a built-in blog.
7. There is a large community of helpful users and developers.
If that isn’t enough to persuade you, consider the following recent WordPress usage statistics:
- WordPress powers over 35% of the internet – a number that is expected to rise in 2020
- Counting only the CMS-built websites, WordPress is used by 60% of them
- WordPress sites get over 400 million visitors every month
- WordPress isn’t just for blogging, over 28% of eCommerce goes through WooCommerce
- An average of 661 WordPress websites are created on a daily basis
You will be able to run your blog on your own domain if you sign up for the WordPress self-hosted platform. This will assist you in ensuring that you have complete control over your blog as well as the ability to monetize it in any way you see fit.
You will be able to quickly set up your photography website with WordPress CMS, which includes a blog, portfolio, booking form, sales gallery, and any other amazing features you want to include.
Choose a Domain Name
The next step is to choose a domain name. Simply put, this is the name of your blog. The term ‘domain name’ refers to the web address or URL that people will enter into Google (or any other search engine) to find your photography blog.
Any professional branding agency will advise you to choose the right name for your blog – after all, this will be your online identity and brand.
It’s undoubtedly one of the most important steps toward establishing your own online photography space, and it’s critical that you take the time to do it right.
However, you should not become bogged down at this point. Set aside an hour or two and follow the steps outlined below to help you come up with the perfect name for your new photography blog.
You can also use this video to help you through the process:
Below, I explain how each of the video’s ten points relates to deciding on a domain name for a photography blog:
- Buy a .com Domain Nam
I always recommend that you use a.com for your photography blog (eg. www.YourPhotographyBlog.com). This implies that you are international rather than country-specific. Furthermore, a.com domain name will not restrict you if you decide to change your market or the locations where you provide your services.
2. Stay Broad With Your Domain Name
Choose a broad domain name that will allow you to expand more easily. Choosing a super-specific URL limits the types of photography content you can blog about, which prevents you from reaching a larger audience.
3. Keep it Short
When it comes to domain names, the shorter the better. Short domain names are simple to recall. Try to keep it to three words or less. The maximum number of players is four. Don’t be concerned about exact-match domain names. Although they provide reassurance to your customers that they are in the right place, Google no longer prioritizes them.
4. Make Sure to Alliterate
This means that words that begin with the same letter or sound, such as Swim Snaps Studio, should be used. You are not required to do so, but it can be a great way to ensure that your blog name is memorable to your visitors.
5. Get Creative
Sometimes the name you want is already in use. That is not to say you should give up. You can use your imagination to come up with a name you’ll like by looking for synonyms or similar words that mean the same thing. For example, if you didn’t like the name Clear Snaps, you could change it to Vivid Snaps.
6. Add Extra Words
If nothing else works, try including extra words such as The, Hub, HQ, World, Home, and so on. This isn’t always the best option, but it may be the only way to get the name you want. For example, if the name picfixs Hub was already taken, you could rename your blog The picfixes Hub.
7. Think of a Concept
When deciding on a domain name, try to think of concepts or ideas for how your photography blog could be branded. Consider where you want your blog to go in the future to help you come up with great names.
Note: If you want to make some adjustments to the photo just let me know. I can do it for you at a very low cost. You can hire me to edit your photo.
8. Use Tools
If you’re still stumped, try domain name generators like LeanDomainSearch and InstantDomainSearch. There are numerous others, and you can use their services to generate a unique and memorable domain name, which you can then purchase from Namecheap.
9. Don’t Buy an Expensive Domain Name
If you discover that the name you want for your photography blog has already been taken but is for sale, it may be tempting to pay a high price for it. However, if you are just starting out, you should avoid this at all costs.
Instead, put that money toward growing your blog, and when it becomes profitable, you can buy any name you want.
10. Do Not Get Stuck Here
People frequently get stuck because they are trying to come up with the perfect name and never progress past this stage.
As I previously stated, don’t spend more than a couple of hours on this. That’s all you need to know to come up with some great names for your photography blog. Choose one that appeals to you and proceed to the next step.
Examples of Photography Domain Names (and why they make sense).
A Fine Portrait: This name tells visitors exactly what to expect when they get to the portrait photography blog.
Wedding Photographers: I’m willing to bet ‘Wedding Photographers’ was already taken, and this wedding photographer used creativity to get a great alternative.
Purchase a Domain Name and Hosting
Once you’ve decided on a domain name, you’ll need to purchase it as well as blog hosting.
A website hosting service is similar to renting office space, except that instead of renting physical space, you rent space on the internet. Your web hosting provider will keep all of your website files on their server and ensure that your website is always accessible online.
Bluehost is my first choice for beginner hosting because they are dependable and offer reasonable prices. They also have the best customer service in the industry.
Selecting a Theme for Your Photography Blog
Now that you’ve installed WordPress, it’s time to pick a theme for your photography blog. A theme is a template that determines how your blog will look and function. It is a simple way to personalize your blog and make it stand out.
There are numerous free and paid themes available. And, just like blogging platforms, free themes have a slew of drawbacks.
Some free WordPress themes, for example, are bundled with malicious malware. Furthermore, free themes are extremely difficult to customize, which means you won’t be able to make your blog look exactly how you want it to.
Another issue with free themes is that they do not include technical support in the event that you have any questions or encounter errors while using them.
That is why it is critical to select a paid theme.
The good news is that premium WordPress themes are not prohibitively expensive. In fact, there are some reputable sites, such as ThemeForest, that provide themes at extremely low prices. And if you choose a paid theme, you will receive the following advantages:
Benefits of Using a Premium WordPress Theme:
- Available technical support
- Full customization abilities
- Great-looking templates for images
- Clean code for a faster website
- Free updates for life
However, there are so many options to choose from that finding the right theme for your photography blog can be a daunting task.
Here’s what to look for in a good theme:
- Fast and mobile responsive
- Beautifully designed
- Customizable to match your style
- Great technical support
- Offered by a reputable brand
- Lots of great online ratings
Note: If you want to make some adjustments to the photo just let me know. I can do it for you at a very low cost. You can hire me to edit your photo.
Create Required Pages and a Logo
Once your theme is in place, you can begin creating the pages for your website. Before you begin blogging, you must first build the necessary pages on your website. These pages include you’re about, contact, and privacy policies.
About this page: Fill in the blanks with basic information about yourself and why you started your photography blog. Don’t get too hung up on the details because you may want to change or add to this in the future.
Just make sure to let your personality shine through and write in the same tone of voice as the rest of your blog.
Contact Page: Include information on this page about how your readers, clients, and followers can contact you. This includes your email, phone number, Skype, social media, and any other method of contact you wish to use.
Include a contact form on the page to allow visitors to easily reach you with comments, questions, or feedback.
Privacy Policy: This is an important page that every photography blog should have. It describes how you collect, uses, disclose, and protect the information of your website’s visitors.
You can either draught this yourself or hire an expert to do it for you. This and any other legal pages will be tailored specifically to your needs.
You should also think about including a creative commons license on your photography blog. This lets people know what they can and cannot do with your images and photos.
Create a Logo: Aside from that, now is a good time to focus on designing a logo for your photography blog. There are numerous ways to accomplish this, but I prefer to use this logo maker.
To get started, click here to make a blog logo. Now that your blog is up and running, I believe it is a good time to design a logo.
This platform will provide you with a free logo for your blog, and if you require high-resolution logo files, you can pay a very small fee to gain access to those files as well as a few other things.
It’s time to start blogging now that you’ve added these necessary pages and a logo.
Start Blogging
There are numerous topics on which you can begin blogging. I’ve listed a few ideas for you to consider below. Once you’ve decided on a few topics to blog about, make sure you’ve written at least ten posts before you begin promoting your blog.
This is important for a variety of reasons, the most important of which is that you do not want to send people to a content desert when you begin sharing your new photography blog with the world. You’ll also be able to cater to the tastes of a larger audience if you have at least ten posts on your blog.
Possible Topics and Categories to Blog About:
Recent Work: Post images from weddings, travel, portrait sessions, landscape photography, or whatever you’re currently shooting on your blog.
Most Interesting Work: Alternatively, you can share some of your most interesting images with your audience by pulling them from your archives.
Answers to frequently asked questions: Provide answers to some of the most frequently asked photography questions in your niche.
Personal Experiences: Blogging about your personal experiences is a great way to connect with your audience. The Pioneer Woman is an example of a photography blogger who shares personal experiences.
How-to: Choose any topic in your niche that your readers might find difficult, and write how-to posts to help them overcome those obstacles.
Adventures: Readers enjoy living vicariously through your blog’s adventures. Take them on adventures like mountain climbing, rock climbing, parachuting, and so on.
The type of content you publish will ultimately depend on the theme of your photography blog, but the types of posts listed above are a safe bet.
How to Promote Your Photography Blog
Once you’ve published at least 10 blog posts, it’s time to start promoting your new photography blog. Here are five effective methods for getting people to notice your work:
Inform Your Family and Friends: Your family and friends are likely to want to support you as you embark on your journey to becoming a successful and profitable photography blogger. Request that they visit your blog, leave comments, share your posts, and spread the word to their own friends.
Social Media: Share links to your blog on all of your social networks. You can also share your links in groups where your target audience already hangs out. Sharing eye-catching images on social media is another excellent way to drive traffic back to your photography blog.
Guest Posting: Contribute to popular photography blogs in your niche by writing guest posts. This will allow you to reach a large number of people who are interested in your work.
Join Forums: There are numerous forums dedicated to the discussion of anything and everything related to photography. You can meet people who are interested in the same things you are. Share a link to your blog and invite them to read it.
Use SEO: Concentrate on creating search engine optimized content that ranks high in Google. This will drive highly targeted, free traffic to your blog. Find the most important keywords in your niche and use them in your content as well as when SEO optimizing your images. If you’re unsure how to proceed, consider using some of these SEO tools.
You’ve worked hard on your new blog, and now that you’re getting a steady stream of visitors to enjoy your work, it’s time to consider monetizing that traffic so you can start earning money from your passion.
Start Earning Money
You can make money from your blog in a variety of ways. You don’t have to try them all at once. Choose one or two to begin with and implement them on your blog to begin earning money from your photography blog.
Affiliate Marketing: You can join several affiliate marketing networks, such as Amazon Associates, and earn a commission on each of their products that your readers purchase as a result of your recommendation.
Information Product: Many photography bloggers find that selling information products is a very profitable business model. It entails creating information products such as ebooks, courses, and guides to assist other photographers in achieving their objectives. For example, you could create and sell an online course on how to edit images in Photoshop.
Google Adsense: This is the most popular method of monetization for new photography bloggers. It enables you to begin earning money as soon as you begin generating traffic by displaying advertisements on your blog. As your traffic grows, so will your earnings.
Selling Your Own Products: Once you’ve established a following of loyal readers, physical product sales can skyrocket. You can sell physical prints, beautiful landscape photos, or any other images you believe your audience will enjoy.
Sponsored Posts: As your traffic grows, this type of monetization will increase, and it entails writing posts about photography gear and equipment for businesses in the niche. For example, a camera tripod manufacturer may send you one in exchange for an honest review of their product on your blog.
Conclusion
Whether you’re photographing supermodels on the runway, wildlife on the African plains, or a baby in its crib, each photograph reveals your distinct voice and approach to your craft.
Use the advice in this article to start your own photography blog so that the rest of the world can enjoy your artistic vision.
Note: If you want to make some adjustments to the photo just let me know. I can do it for you at a very low cost. You can hire me to edit your photo.
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