How To Write A Photography Blog Without Being A Writer

The Secret To Effective Blogging

The well-known and highly successful bloggers have known about this "secret" for years, but most photographers don't typically cross paths with the general blogging community, which leaves many of them in the dark about how to approach blogging most effectively.

As artistic creatives, professional photographers naturally assume that writing a blog means being a real writer, and that the strict rules taught in school about grammar, paragraph structure, and formal writing must therefore apply. For those who communicate mainly through visual means, this can be a scary prospect, and so they simply fail to start or they give up too quickly.

However, the assumed conventional wisdom is inaccurate. A blog is not a traditional medium, such as a book, essay, formal report, or corporate promotional material, and if photographers truly understood this idea they would be far more successful with their blogging efforts.

The truth is that a blog is not meant to win literary awards or pass a high-school English exam. It's only real purpose is to act as a conduit for nothing more intimidating than a conversation - an ongoing dialogue between the photographer and their family of prospects and clients.

A conversation is simply a friendly exchange of easy-to-understand thoughts and ideas, and the less like "real" writing the blog appears, the more successful it will be at connecting and engaging with its intended audience. In one sense, a blog can seem like the more personal side of a business, which therefore influences the mode of communication.

How To Write Without Being A Writer

Writing for a blog has much more in common with verbal speaking than it does with traditional writing, and this is the key to modifying our writing style to make it more suitable for a blog.

Here are some quick tips to get started with:

Use simple language and stick to easy-to-understand vocabulary.Keep paragraphs short (1 or 2 sentences at most).Don't use justified text as it can make reading on a screen more difficult.Break the content down into small sections with appropriate sub-headings.Write as though you are actually talking to someone.Avoid too much italicized text.Use bulleted lists to quickly communicate the main points.Use photographs to support and illustrate the text.Add a caption or testimonial to every photograph.Don't use the blog purely as a blatant sales or marketing vehicle.Include a call to action at the end of each post, even it's only to ask readers to share their thoughts and questions.Get readers to become engaged by asking questions within the blog content.

These are just a few of the many ideas that can help a non-writer feel comfortable with the task of writing a more effective and conversational photography blog. By following these strategies, the photographer will be able to build a blog that connects with the audience, creates engagement, and helps the business through improved search engine optimization.

About The Author

Nigel Merrick helps professional photographers succeed in their business with proven marketing and SEO strategies that work and save valuable time. Learn more about how to write a captivating photography blog on the Zenologue photography business and marketing website.