10 Cool Reasons to Start Photo Blogging Today

In my humble, weirded-out opinion, life is a journey worthy of celebration, fun and super-produktivity. So as some enticing refreshment, here’s ten reasons why you might want to consider creating your own digital photo blog.

1. Photo blogging is creative stuff

Want to express how you really feel without having to worry too much about being proper or correct? It’s your blog so you can do what you want to. After all you can just say it’s your personal perspective and that’s all it is. No hard feelings, right?

Plus you can share your most amazing (in this case iPhone 4S) images with the whole wide world…

photo blogging in wordpress - townsville Australia iphone 4S with filter

Shot this on my iPhone 4S just for fun (using the excellent Hipstamatic filter)

2. Blogging is easy

Relative to the “hard” stuff.

The 3 things you need:

  1. Use WordPress to create a blog in no time at all.
  2. Get your own domain name here for $11/year
  3. Give your website a home: Get hassle free hosting here

And maybe a pro theme to keep your site looking super professional.

3. Blogging can be profitable

You can start making coin from Google Adsense if you can write good content, use keywords appropriately, and niche down on your chosen subject. (You’ll need over 100 unique visitors a day to really make good coin. 1000+ uniques a day is better, but much harder).

You can also recommend products and services – like a photo hosting service – where you tell your readers they can get 15% off their Smugmug subscription fee and a 14-day free trial. (Free trial expires Aug 31, 2014)

Read how Sabrina can travel the world from what she pulls from her adventure blog here. She uses a mixture of direct advertising and affiliate products. (Having great photos and an amazing personality helps too).

Or create your own photo based products – like my art iPhone 5 cases on Zazzle here.

Be outrageous with your blogging :o)

photo blogging in wordpress - valiant effort sony nex 7

A Valiant effort – Nex 7 Martin Hurley

4. Blogging can be interactive

You can seek out comments and have fun answering them. Other peoples viewpoints provide the entertaining spice and generate interest for your blog. It might even become sticky. (As in, people keep coming back for more).

The more outrageous you are, the more publicity you (may) get. As you inject your personality into what you do, expect to annoy a few people and cause chaos somewhere down the line.

Don’t worry, your admirers will outnumber your critics.

5. Blogging is (sort of) instant

In many cases you can create a post or a page and have it appear live on the web within minutes of writing it. It’s fascinating to see such a thing and kind of magical.

So be careful what you say, it might just come true. Or even be broadcast all around the online world.

6. Blogging can be a good promotional vehicle

You can use a blog that gets indexed quickly by search engines and direct viewers to other products you might have created.

You can write interesting content (videos, PDFs, audio MP3 files, blog posts etc) that people like, enjoy and share with others on social media.

photo blogging in wordpress - soldier on the phone 2014

Soldier on the phone – 2014 – Sony Nex7 Martin Hurley

7. Blogs can have an excellent reach

Especially when it comes to emails to your list or newsletter. Lots of emails get binned. 95% of my emails go straight into folders. People look later – when they’re good and ready.

One solution is to add the content you want to talk about to your blog, and just include a small paragraph in your emails that gives an overview about it, a little teaser, if you like. Hopefully that’ll attract the reader to read the rest of the article at your blog.

8. Blogs allow you to communicate

People want to communicate with friends, family and other folks. Especially if you’re traveling or live overseas or are in the middle of an incredible journey… if you want to post photos and desperately write about your amazing adventures… your blog/diary is the perfect vehicle.

Resources to help you communicate

9. Blogging allows you to experiment with ideas

Sometimes you might want a blank e-canvas to throw up an idea, photos or a new product. Blogs can make your ideas ‘live’ and can be then seen by friends or associates and commented on, no matter where you live.

No need to learn HTML, CSS and web design (all that time eating stuff) either. Just use the simplicity of a blog to go forth and create. You can outsource (almost) everything using oDesk & Fiverrrrr.

photo blogging in wordpress - iphone photo in australia

Another iPhone 4S photo from far North Queensland – Martin Hurley

10. Photo blogging is sexy

It’s hip, chic and cool to blog. You might even say philosophically it’s a reflection of our unique personality and sense of self. Whatever the case, it’s great to be able to express yourself and how you really feel about anything.

You know, although it’s a modern cyber-world, in many ways the Internets is really just a big family reaching out to cuddle and communicate warmth, love and good feeling to all. The world is your family. So get creative.

 

He who knows others is learned;
He who knows himself is wise.
– Lao-tzu, Tao te Ching

 

This post was originally written on my first MartinHurley.com site LONG time ago (see below for screenshot). I’ve attempted to ‘modernise’ it a little which is easier said than done. Please ignore the wobbly insight and take in the parts that are most helpful.

start photo blogging - old site
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