When you were considering the things you might need as a blogger, camera skills probably didn’t rank very high on your list. Instead, most of us focus on things like niche topics and a winning way with words, theme layout, epic content…You know; the obvious stuff.
In reality, though, it won’t take you long to find that camera skills are just as crucial for the success of your blog. Strange, we know, but, that’s the way the blogging cookie crumbles.
The online world is a visual one. You need to do more than paint pretty pictures with poetry to keep readers interested. You need to be able to wield your camera in a few different ways if you want to see substantial success blogging. Forget pictures; you’ll also need to master the art of things like video.
I recently created some video tutorials for some girls in my favorite Facebook group and I have say, It wasn’t as hard as I thought.
It may sound daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. This is another skill you should verse yourself in on the quest for the career of your dreams blogging. If you aren’t convinced, read on to find out why a lack of skill here could kill your blog in one foul swoop.
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Readers won’t stick around
It doesn’t take a genius to work out that getting readers to your blog is the most important first step of all. But, those high viewer numbers won’t do you any good if people don’t hang around. You’ll struggle to ever monetize your blog if people are only there for a grand total of 0.1 seconds. But, that’s what’ll happen if they see a page of text as soon as they enter your site.
I’ve been tracking my analytics and have noticed the better looking and more visually engaging my articles are the lower the bounce rate. I wrote about it in my latest September Blog Report.
People will leave without even finding out what your blog is about. The fact is, that hefty chunks of writing are always going to be off-putting. We live in a fast-fire consumer culture. Few people will have the patience to tackle a post which looks like nothing more than an essay. In that sense, pictures are an ideal chance to break your text into manageable chunks.
- Use Headings. The H1 tag should only be used for the title, but using H2-H4 throughout your content will make your articles pop.
- Take step back once a draft is done. Insert a heading, blog text or image here and there to break up the post a bit.
- Link to your other related articles with attractive graphics and photos.
- Add a paragraph break every few sentences. You’re not writing a book, so don’t make it read like one.
- Add bulleted (and numbered) lists like this one! It’s attractive and gives the reader a visual break.
These ideas lessen that initial ‘essay’ vibe and ensures people get a visual idea of what you’re talking about. If they can see what your blog’s about without having to read pages of exhaustive text first, you’ll be able to spark some interest. That’s the power of the picture…
You’ll miss out on marketing opportunities
It’s also worth noting that marketing is a mostly visual medium. If you have nothing more than words in your cannon, you may fail to hit the bullseye. Being able to write a quippy Twitter update is a valuable skill, but it isn’t enough anymore. Now, more of us are using mediums like YouTube, Snapchat, and Instagram. Neither of which allow you the chance to show off your keyboard skills. Instead, you’ll need to rely on your camera to convince followers your blog is worth their time.
YouTube is perhaps the most useful of these for creating an audience. If you get this right, this could be a profitable sideline in and of itself. Of course, making videos is about the hardest camera skill going. As such, you may want to look into training for Premiere Pro and other editing software like it.
I recently got a new MacBook Pro and have been fooling around with the built in Screen Capture software that comes installed on Mac’s new OS Mojave. It’s been a fun learning experience for me.
Skills here could also translate to things like Snapchat, and the new Instagram TV. Aside from that, you need to research ways to take the best Instagram pictures possible. Remember that you don’t need to stick with photographing your latest blog post. You could take a picture of anything which relates to your blog, as long as you take it well and make it relevant.
There are many people out there already good at this stuff. Learn from them! Ahhh, to be a cute young blogger girl on Youtube..[sigh]. Oh well, I can still learn from her right?
Google might not like you
Lastly, let’s not forget that Google and other search engines won’t like you without pictures. That’s a problem given your search rating has significant standing on viewership. The importance of Google’s approval is why every blogger knows (or thinks they need to know) all there is to know about SEO. I’ve been using the All-In-1-SEO plugin, but I feel I’m still constantly learning about this subject.
You’ve likely heard it all about decent titles and outbound links. It is important! What you might not realize is that Google also favors sites which make use of things like picture and video.
Think about it; Google back posts they know will be popular. They’ve been around long enough to see that visual medium goes down best. Put two and two together, and you’ve got a need for a camera. Aside from making your site more attractive as an SEO prospect, pictures also give you the chance to use more keywords and tags. These can also then help where you appear in a search engine.
You know what I’m going to say…… It’s time to stop reading, and start shooting!
Craig Smith is a professional Guitarist, Teacher, and Writer living in Sanford, Florida. Craig has taught guitar lessons, performed 200+ gigs per year for nearly 30 years, and published 4 guitar instructional books. When he’s not gigging or writing, you may find him by the pool with his wife Celeste, 4 Chihuahuas, and a drink. 🎸