A photoblog is basically a blog which does not focus on written content, but rather on photos. This is one of the best ways in which photographers can build a portfolio of their work. WordPress is a great platform which you can use to create a self-hosted blog for sharing your work. There are many web hosts that allow WordPress hosting, with some having an option of installing WordPress automatically with just a few clicks.
Once you find a web host and get WordPress installed, the following are some guidelines for setting up your blog.
1. Choose an ideal WordPress theme
WordPress offers numerous free themes, as well as several custom themes. To reduce the chances of your photo blog looking similar to others out there, it is advisable to invest in a custom theme. Most custom themes offer free support for installation, as well as free updates.
2. Install a few plugins
WordPress has some great plugins that offer everything from general WordPress maintenance, to Flickr, Facebook and Twitter integration. Once your plugins have been installed, you will be notified every time there is an update. All it takes to update is just a single click.
3. Post frequently
To maintain interest in your blog, make sure you post regularly. If possible, post at least three times per week. Your posts should be well spaced out so as to give each time to reach a wide audience.
4. Share your new posts on social media
Photoblogging is useless if people are not aware of your updates. Besides having RSS subscribers, you should also share your posts on social networks such as Twitter, Facebook and StumbleUpon.
5. Add optimized text
Text content is very important for web users as well as search engines. Make sure the text is optimized so as to attract more traffic to your blog, and thus give your photos more exposure. To help web users find your blog more easily, you need to add an appropriate caption or description to your images. Remember to include relevant, correct and keyword rich headline tags and title tags in your pages.
6. Maximize loading times
There is nothing as frustrating as a slow-loading site. To maximize your loading time, make sure your images are optimized for the web. You should also keep your site’s HTML code simple and clean. Finally, find a host who will offer you a level of bandwidth which can handle the amount of traffic your site receives.
7. Comment on relevant blogs/forums
As you find ways of attracting web users to visit your blog and share their thoughts, you should also visit other people’s blogs and do the same. You could also join relevant forums and share your thoughts, as well as questions. Every time you post in such blogs or forums, remember to leave a link to your blog.
8. Be consistent
Blogging can sometimes get discouraging. There might be days when people leave negative comments, or days when nobody visits. Despite all these, you need to remain consistent. Let your passion for displaying your photos keep you going. Eventually, you will start receiving positive comments, and might even find publishers who are interested in using your images.
By Guest Author – Charles Mburugu writes for thinkstock discount code and istockphoto promotion. He also writes about coupon deals at discount blogs that share istock photo promo codes and thinkstock coupons.
