Writing Compelling Copy

There are several things you are going to need to consider when developing the copy for your website. We can break this down into two main categories: a style template and a style guide. These two tools you create will allow you to transform your copy into written work that reflects the continuity and quality of the rest of your website. Let’s get started with the latter: the style guide.

Building a style guide for your photography website

Creating a style guide early in the process of writing the copy for your website, or in the process of overhauling the copy of your website, is a really good idea. A style guide is essentially a big searchable document that tells you exactly how you are going to tackle different stylistic options each and every time they come up. For example, let’s say you’re a landscape photographer and you travel quite a bit. How will you write the locations of the photographs you create?

Thankfully, the internet provides many different resources for fantastic style guides. Take, for example, The Times’s Stylebook by the New York Times. You can base your website’s style off of a successful publication, like the New York Times, and improvise or adapt it as necessary. Add in your own photography specific jargon rules, and how you may want to present your photography, but follow a style guide for the rest of your photography. (Another great alternative to base your copy on is the Associated Press’s AP Stylebook.)

Once you have a style guide, make sure to expand upon it with things that may be missing. An example of this could be something like EXIF data. The New York Times isn’t including it with every photo, but is that something you want to do? If your website is more tailored to showcase your work to other photographers, maybe. On the other hand, if your photography website targets new customers, you may want to focus on other parts of your copy and leave out the technical details that are only interesting or understandable for other photographers.

The great part about building off of another style guide is how many of the decisions are made for you, and how easy they are to reference. If you posted something to your website now, and the next time you referenced a similar subject matter in your content is years from now, a style guide makes it easy to know exactly how to write about that content in a compelling fashion. It also establishes a form of professional continuity; the use of a style guide provides a high-level structure for your copy and makes sure that your copy is consistent throughout. 

Lastly, a style guide makes it much easier to outsource your work. In the future, you may want to hire a copy editor or even a writer to work on your website for you. In such a case, both said people would be ecstatic that a) the copy for your website follows a set of principles and b) they won’t have to make assumptions or delve through your past work to figure out your style, or to make nearly as many edits to it. 

Building Style Templates for your Photography Website

The next topic we are going to tackle is the use of templates. Templating style simply means that you have some form of pre-configured style that you will apply to each new upload, post, or update to your website. This can simply be a type of syntax you use, a maximum word count, a certain amount of words you want to aim for each image/session showcase, or anything similar. 

When building a style template, unlike the use of a style guide, I suggest that you create several different templates for each type of content that you are going to be publishing. Have templates for articles or blog posts you write, for single images or for sets, and for each distinct type of content that you regularly see yourself publishing. 

A style template doesn’t have to be long or brimming with information, the simpler it is, the better. You don’t want to be reading a 20-page, or even a several page, document each time you want to post a 50-word caption with an image. Instead, you want something that you keep next to you when getting ready to publish content, where you can skim what you need to create in terms of content to finish packaging that content for digital publication.

Style templates make it a lot easier for newcomers to browse your website, and can really help flush out the wholeness of your website design, making it feel much cleaner and well thought out. 

Actually Writing Better Copy

OK, so you have a style guide and a style template, it’s time to actually write… Maybe writing is something that comes naturally to you, and maybe it’s not. Either way, let’s work through some ways you can think about your copy and possibly improve it.

In my experience, and using some hyper-broad generalization, there are two types of writers. The first is the writer that can sit down and write a decent first draft, shaping their stream of consciousness. The second is the writer that cannot write a note on a post-it without first writing a three-page outline, with four colors of highlighters and APA citations. 

If you sit down to write something and are staring at a blank page, unable to produce anything, you might be identifying with the latter type of writer at that moment. In your word processor, change to bullet points, like this:

• The first thing you need to write on your first bullet point is this: What is the point of this post?
• Then, what restrictions does my style template create for me for this post?

Working from those two points, now create bullet points for everything that you might possibly want the copy of the content you are creating to reflect. Literally, every idea possible. It might be two pages, it might be two lines, either way, you have a  starting point. From there, build an outline. When writing outlines like this, I like to use multi-leveled bullet points. This is because it makes it easier to look back at the structure behind what I was thinking, looks pretty cool, and most importantly, takes up more of the page, so I think I’ve done more work. 

If you’re the stream of consciousness that gets blurted onto the page type of writer, you’re in luck, at least for your first draft. The downside of this style is, sadly, that you lack the crystal clear structure that outline based writing brings to the table. So, how do you combat this? Write more drafts. I’m not saying write drafts as you would for a thesis, but just write a second draft and try to create some form of an outline for what you want your content to say. The second draft might take you a bit longer, but by rewriting with all your ideas already on paper, your structure will improve.

Lastly, I want to talk about editing your copy. It’s super important. Unedited copy is going to have problems because it isn’t edited. Read back through your copy. If you’re a speed-reader or don’t generally find yourself editing when reading back through things you’ve written, stand up and read it out loud like a speech. That will help you isolate problems that you might be having when your copy sounds unnatural. Additionally, that should help you isolate when your syntax and word choice seem a bit too monotonous and boring. 

If you just can’t seem to edit those kinks out of your copy, it might be time to bring in someone else. Having another person edit, a nonjudgemental friend or significant other can make it a lot easier to learn what parts of your writing you need to work on. Have them read it, listen to you reading it, or listen to them read it aloud. See how that changes your interpretation of your writing, and don’t be defensive of any criticisms they may have.

At this point, all that’s really left to tell you is that the best way to actually improve your writing is like it tends to always be, with a whole lot of practice. You’re going to be able to write, edit, and publish a lot more quickly the more you do it, especially if you are following templates and guides along the way. Enjoy creating wonderful copy for your website!

“Give trust and you’ll get back double in return”- Kees Kamles

Small businesses eyeing for an impact through their work digitally couldn’t afford dedicated website development teams, and that’s when came the magical CMS – WordPress. Every other online business is running on this platform, trying to make their mark in this ever-growing competitive digital space. With more than 30% of the Internet solely powered by WordPress, it’s evolving at incredible speed.

We all know trust is important while buying anything. It makes the difference in the online world. It will sell a new product or service, it’ll attract readers to a blog, it’ll offer engagement to a new video, and it will make you a brand.

In this article, we will roll down to some of the best ways to increase the credibility of the WordPress website and make you stand out in the crowd.

Tap into the WordPress Community

There’s a lot more than you think in the WordPress world. A 30-MB package connects people all around the globe. Your job is to get into their world and beat the clock in learning the new trends, useful updates, and ultimately applying those on your site to keep it professional and up-to-date.

How to do that:

• Read WordPress Tutorials: There are blogs which are your go-to resource for all the informative tutorials and blogging guides to maintain a clean, error-free, and easy-to-navigate site.
• Social Media: Ask your questions to WordPress users through different social channels like Quora and subscribe to WordPress forums on different Social Media platforms.

Bites of Testimonials and Reviews

Can you deny to check out a brand recommended by your close friend? Probably not and this is how brands connect their current customers to their potential customers. It is important that you slide those praises from clients into your WordPress site. To highlight it more, you can go for light and attractive testimonial plugins available.

SSL Certificates and Trust Seals

The scams, spams, and shams are taking an equal part in the growth of the Internet. Amidst all this, you don’t want someone else to sell the cake you baked. How to do it? Well, prove your site’s authenticity. Display all the awards and trust seals on your website. A single logo of industry awards and payment trust seals for credit card payments can be more than perfect.

SSL or Secure Sockets Layer certificates helps in encrypting user data. While running an e-commerce site, SSL certificate encrypts confidential client data that builds trust. Moreover, even Google now declines to open websites without SSL certificates with a threat warning. So, choose wisely.

Use Website Analytics

Data insight has been one of the most underrated metrics for marketing and trust-building. When you have a page blazing the network base you have all around the world or how customers love to return to your website, you should show it to everyone. There are many top WordPress analytic plugins that can help you find this data.

Worried about what if there are no remarkable feats to show? Then you’ll know where you lack. Is it the bounce rate, or a particular page, or some broken links that are killing your reach. For every problem, there’s a solution. What matters is that you are dedicated enough to find it and solve it.

A Striking Appearance

You probably think that you have got it covered with a high-end theme and a bunch of graphically rich images. Not necessarily. A gaming site might have incredible stories in graphics but the same will fail on a site selling handicrafts. The theme of the website should reflect your business.

A website must look professional from all fronts, whether it’s typography, logo, color scheme, or anything else. Those who are from Photography world can check out Photocrati which is an amazing WordPress Super Theme for photographers.

To understand the theory behind which design is ideal for your business, analyze top players in the similar field.

Social: The New Credibility Factor

It wasn’t a part of the SEO for so long, but social has now mingled with SEO to connect who have found you with those who are looking for you. Social media has influenced search on a big scale. How? One can find a company on Twitter just exactly how we get from Google.

You need to focus and focus hard on optimizing your website’s social pages and maintaining the highest level of response rate. Quick response to questions is perfect for building trust, especially when you know that they can see the average response time.

Mention Your Featured Posts

Do you have a featured blog post on a big site? Why don’t you brag about it? Your post published on a well-known site is like a trustworthy person praising you. Enough said.

However, if you don’t have one, use your business expertise to craft one. Look for top blogging sites and send them a request (remember- a request) asking them to post your blog.

Let the Content Speak

Silly spelling mistakes, content without a flow, irrelevant images, and anything like these will destroy your credibility. Give your target market the ideal content. You can either get professional help or you can simply collect every content piece yourself. Moreover, don’t forget about blogging.

WordPress was initially built for blogging. Use its powerful blogging system to flaunt high-quality content with high-quality links in it. Take a dive into content marketing because useful, informative, high-quality content qualifies to make a trust bond with your readers.

Endnote

In simple words, credibility impacts a business in the virtual world the same way it does in the real world. WordPress has aided diverse business fields to embrace their online presence. The above-mentioned ways help you win customer trust and make a name out of yourself owning a WordPress site like TechCrunch, The New Yorker, Sony Music, and many more.

—

Catherrine Garcia is a passionate blogger and a freelance Web Developer currently working for WPCodingDev. She along with her group of freelance developers are experts of creating Websites on WordPress.

With that news out there, I thought it would be worthwhile to stress the importance of client education.

Think about it like this.

Here on the Photocrati blog we write content like this which educates you (our customer) as to various WordPress and photography topic. These topic include how to do better marketing for your photography business.

You, the customer, find that information useful and appreciate it.

It might make you purchase a product from us, or recommend us to your friends.

This idea is exactly what you should be doing on your photograph blogs.

So… read the article from DailyMail and then think about how you can educate your clients as to what the best camera is for their honeymoons.

Don’t make it into a sales pitch, and if you use affiliate links then mask them using a plugin.

Make the article as detailed and honest possible. Educate the reader (your client) about mirrorless and point and shoot. The difference between CX, 4/3, and cropped and full frame sensors. Talk about the pros and cons of a big versus small camera. Tell them how megapixels doesn’t make that much of a difference, for their needs. Share all your useful knowledge and experience in a super educational article.

Convince them that you know what you are talking about, so they buy a recommended camera for their honeymoon, and you for their wedding.

Top it off with a private tutorial on how to use their camera, and make some extra bucks. Or throw that lesson into your wedding package and they’ll love it!

No go make it happen.

I am using Stellar to share some of my travels and photo projects. You can see a story from my Palouse, Washington trip here.

In fact, here is the story embedding in the blog post. (If you are reading via email or RSS then you likely to need to visit the blog post on the Photocrati site in order to see the embedded story)

I recorded a video showing how to bring your professional photographs through Lightroom and Lightroom Mobile directly into your phone and then into Stellar for a story. Check that out:

Now that you’ve seen teh video, and how simple it is to create a story, think about using it for your photography business.

If you photographed an event, share your 10 favorite highlights from the event in a Stellar story. Share it with your client and then watch as the client shares it around more.

This will build up your Stellar following, and potentially other social following. It will also brand you as a photographer who is up with new technologies which can make your photography process even more enjoyable for clients.

The question was basically asking how to market a business through an OB/GYN office. What’s the best approach?

Before I get into some advice, I thought I’d also mention that this same approach can be done for a pediatric office.

Photography Marketing w/ OB/GYN

First thing I would recommend is to create drop cards that can be placed on a counter, or side table in the waiting room.  Pick up a bunch of acrylic stands for the cards from a Staples or similar type of store. That way the case is clear and all you see are your beautiful cards.  When my wife was pregnant and I would go with her to the doctor, every time she left I noticed a case filled with cards right next to the secretary’s window.

Promo material for you and the office can also be a winner. But there’s a trick to it, because the products need to market both you and the office.  Examples of this would be notepads with your photo in the background and credit at the bottom, with the office information at the top. These can be used by the office staff and also left in the waiting room with pens that have your photo wrapped around them. You never know when expecting mothers will need to write something down.

Taking this a step further would be custom appointment cards. Pick up a card from the doctor and then create an identical copy of it, but with the backside being your information.  When the cards come in, offer them to the office for free.  Many doctors will jump on the opportunity to save some money (I know…), even when it’s a simple business card sized appointment card.

If you want to make a huge impression, then step it up a notch by getting super friendly with the office manager and eventually requesting a wall to hang your photos on. Pick out your absolute best photographs, frame them nicely to match the waiting room’s decor and get those things hung so people see your work large.  On the same note, you could contact interior designers to partner with and they can potentially get your photos hung in many offices.

Something else to consider is including the doctors and interior designers on your freebie which you give away on your website.  By recommending them to your clients you’re giving them business and yourself business. Aside from the promo materials you are offering the office to use, you’re also giving back to the partnership with strategic lead generation. I created a kit which details this strategy, for wedding photographers. But it can be adopted for baby photographers as well.

Advice reworded from responses in the Facebook group.

The average photographer does not know what to offer visitors or why, so let’s discuss that for a little.

At my website I have two download offers currently. One is a pre-shoot checklist to help photographers and customers plan for a photo session. The other is a long exposure checklist which is useful for anyone looking to try long exposure photography.

Both of which need a website visitor to enter their email address to download. When someone completes the form he/she is then placed into an email marketing list. This process is called a conversion and the visitor is now a lead. A lead is someone that I can then engage with and try to perform another conversion into a paid customer.

Visitor >> Lead >> Customer
(where >> is a conversion)

That’s the process you need to understand and know well. It’s straight forward, but requires thought and planning to make it work well.

Wedding photographers can take advantage of techniques like this, and it all starts with a free offer. Many wedding photographers get lost when they begin thinking about what to offer and how. That’s because most wedding photographers are in fact photographers – not marketers.

That is also why I decided to create the wedding photographer conversion kit. So that wedding photographers now have a proven method of converting visits to leads.

The conversion kit includes a variety of Photoshop templates to create a magazine or eBook that is optimized for attracting quality visits. I say quality visits because the kit also comes with a sample landing page that is search engine optimized.

When implemented, site visitors will being searching for help planning their weddings. You, the photographer, will have a document that these visitors can download for free to help the planning process.

Yet, the document you create will also have your sample photographs, your vendor network and your contact information.

So besides SEO and attracting and converting quality leads, there are a few other benefits:

• You are portraying yourself as an expert
• You are building your vendor network
• You are keeping your brand in people’s minds
• You are offering something of value without selling
• You have the chance to remarket to valuable leads

I didn’t want to stop with just templates, though. So I gathered some of the best content related to this approach, to email marketing and conversion optimization. The content is organized into an eight week email campaign. The emails aren’t daily, and each is valuable to further expanding on just what’s included in the kit.

Also, I am making myself available to help the wedding photographers who buy the kit. That way if anyone is stuck with a step they can ask questions and get help.

So with that all said – I encourage all wedding photographers who are in need of a system like this, and looking for a way to attract and convert new leads to please check out the wedding photographer conversion kit.  Click here to learn more.

Thanks and good luck,
Scott