Posts Tagged ‘blog’

Where should photographers start in social media?

Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010

How many people view your site using smart phones?

Friday, December 17th, 2010

This is an analytics sample of tablet and smart phone users viewing newmediaphotographer.com

Do you know your audience?  What percentage of your followers use smart phones or tablets?

Fortunately, Google Analytics has the answers.  Listed under visitors –> mobile are answers such as what device and operating system people are using to view your website.  Google also displays the service providers your visitors use.

It’s good to compare the quality of your niche traffic to the rest of your site visitors. This information will support your decisions as to the type of content you share. For example, if a majority of the people viewing your site use an operating system that doesn’t support Fash, you might want to make an adjustment.

Should you make adjustments now?

Over time it will be interesting to track what percentage of people view your site from their phone and various tablet operating systems.  If most people end up viewing your blog via an iPad you might want to make changes that would benefit the iPad user.

Now is the time to make note of the trends.  Many changes will occur over the next six to 12 months.  It’s better to be prepared now than wonder what happened later.

Rosh

It only takes one

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

It doesn’t matter if it is your first podcast, blog or tweet.  In the beginning you are alone.  It’s just you and the cold technology.

Social media is an endurance game. It takes time and it only takes one connection to make your efforts worth while.

One person can make your week, month,  year or career with a single request or referral.

I’ve been fortunate to have many wonderful people support my efforts and career through social media.  I never know when the next opportunity is going to show up.  I might Tweet a favorite old post that resonates with a follower and the next thing I know I’m invited to a new city to speak.

I may share a photograph on Facebook and an old client is reminded that they want me to bid on a project.  A podcast from three months ago might urge someone to purchase my book.  I never know what is going to happen next.

I do know it doesn’t matter how many people follow me tomorrow. It only takes one to say thank you for your work to make my day.

Evernote for photographers

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

I’ve had an Evernote account for a while.   I think it’s a excellent application, especially for smart phone users.

Since the announcement of the impending demise of Google Wave and my acquisition of an Android phone, I’ve been considering using my Evernote account as a default method to capture inspiration during my travels around the Web.

So far, I’m finding the application to be a winner.

The biggest help has been the addition of the Evernote button on my Firefox browser.  It simply allows me to click a button and save the Web page I’m viewing to my account, along with comments and tags.

It works great for the podcast.  I’ll usually write a highlight note, give it a couple of tags including “pod” for podcast and the link is automatically attached.  The tagging feature makes all my podcast-related notes easy to find.

I’ve also created multiple notebooks so I can keep topics organized.  I have separate notebooks for the blog, marketing ideas, clients and photography.

Evernote also is excellent for capturing great photography Web sites for future viewing.  I can tag fashion, business, food or interior photography for needed inspiration.

The ability to take notes is an added bonus.  Sometimes I’ll come up with a photography idea on the road. I’ll use Evernote to create a voice recording or written note so I will not forget the idea.  Trust me, I’ll forget.

Sometimes I’ll see a great location I might want to use later. I’ll take a quick snap shot with my phone and tag the photo with key information.  The software can read words within your photos allowing subjects such as signs to be found via search. I can even geo-tag my location with my Droid.

Tagging photographs, audio, video, links or written notes is becoming an important and common feature for many online applications. I believe Evernote is one of the best.

Tagging gives you the access to your information quickly. You can access your desired information with a simple search.  You can even save your common searches.

If you feel you are collecting valuable information and don’t want to create a blog,  podcast or tweet the information you can enable the share function so others many view your brilliant finds.

Evernote is a great tool for any photographer. Try it out.

Rosh

Thanks to http://www.damego.com for their review on the Droid application.

How to write popular blog posts

Saturday, June 19th, 2010

One of the best ways to develop a following is to write blog posts that attract readers.  Some blog posts become viral and put your name on the map.  Listed below are a few secrets that will help you find your audience.

If you have a photo blog, consider some of the following concepts, but remember to focus on headlines and descriptions of your photographs, including the people involved in the process of creating the image.

Headlines are gold.

People love lists.  Don’t overdo it but a good list of  The 10 Best Dog Photos or 15  Light Room Techniques have a better chance of being retweeted or shared than a post titled New Picture or A Day at the Park.

Ask a question to entice people to click on your post. Make intriguing statements supporting your readers in their goals.

Look for the most popular topics related to your niche. Use insights for search and Google Web master tools to search for popular topics. Keep a close eye on your analytics to see if people are searching your site for specific topics you have yet to offer.

Follow the most popular blogs in your niche.  Some blogs list their top posts. If they don’t make it easy, review the number of tweets or Facebook “likes” to determine what people like to read.  Don’t copy the posts, but offer your take on the various subjects and come up with new angles.

Don’t be afraid to rewrite your older successful posts.  Once a post is over six months old, the chances of your followers remembering them are slim.

Drop names and use current events and relate them to your blog.  Localizing national stories is common practice for local media outlets.  You can do the same within your niche.

I still get traffic from a post I wrote more than a year ago:  Would Ansel Adams be a great digital photographer?

Every post doesn’t have to be a winner or a hot topic.  Remember your goal is to develop your own voice.  Doing what everyone else is doing will not help you stand out.  But, if you apply the ideas above and test everything you do, success will be a few steps closer.

Success is relative.  Don’t compare your numbers with other bloggers.  Every niche is different. Set your goals based on percentages, such as increasing your traffic by 10 percent over the next month.

Remember: Social media is an endurance game.

Rosh