How to Double Your Traffic Using Simple Photography Tips

By: | May 9, 2015 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , |
Photography

Increase your blog traffic with your camera.

You know how to write a blog post.

You’ve done it before for months or even years.

You can recite the three basic components in your sleep.  You research, you write, and you promote.

Wait, there’s more than three facets of blogging.  Networking is important too.

What if I told you that information is wrong?  There’s another element to your post that is critical to its success.

The added key ingredient isn’t a secret ingredient.  It’s a factor as obvious as the front door of your house.

You need a pinnable image for your post.  This, along with your headline, is the front door.  It is your blog visitor’s first glance at your post.  Is the graphic compelling enough that they will want to enter and read your blog post?

This post will suggest simple tips to making that graphic.

That image, in conjunction with a thoroughly researched, well-written and promoted post, will double your traffic.  The reason?  In addition to the traffic your blog is already receiving, additional traffic will now be coming from Pinterest.  You will also be empowering your visual learners, which comprise 65% of all readers.

According to 2014 statistics, Pinterest will send more traffic to your blog than Facebook.  I read that posts with photos get better traffic than posts that use stock images, and my own statistics confirm that.

How to Make Interesting Graphics

1. Leading Lines

Leading lines

Any line can function as the line leading to your image.

The featured photo for this post follows the rule of leading lines.  Psychologically, the mind wants to see what is on the other end of the line.  Therefore, the eye will follow the line to see the image waiting at the other end of it.

You can use anything as the line leading to your image.  A rope, for example, would work well.

 

2. Worm’s Eye View

Worms View is a #Photography Technique

Worm’s Eye View is a technique that involves shooting up.

This was a photo I took for my March Meet and Greet.

The technique is called “Worm’s Eye View” since it has the photographer lower than the subject of the photo, like a worm on the ground.

Readers definitely notice the photos.  This was a comment I received about the image:

Love the picture with the birds on the roof

3. Bird’s Eye View

Bird's Eye View Photography

Bird’s Eye View involves shooting down.

This is a photo of my dog Angel.  The photographer, standing on my balcony, shot down on the dog who was in the backyard below.

The technique is called “Bird’s Eye View” for a reason.  Since the photographer was higher than the subject of the photo, it was like she had the view of a bird.

Self-Promotion

Tight cropping enhanced the impact of this photo.

4. Cropping

While this technique may sound obvious, how you crop the photo is important.  You have to make a conscious decision whether you want to include the background or not.

For example, in the featured photo that follows the “leading lines” rule, I needed to leave the background in, so the reader could see the line leading to the subject of the photo, the camera.

However, the spam can photo, that accompanied my post How to Get Noticed Online Without Looking Like a Spammer, had to be tightly cropped so that none of the other cans on the shelf of the store were visible.

Look what a reader had to say about the image:

Your spam cracked me up so I pinned it

5. Rule of Thirds

Rule of Thirds is a #photography technique.

This photo follows the Rule of Thirds since the subject, the turtle, is off to the left.

Another decision you have to make as the photographer is where you are going to place the subject of the photo.

“The Rule of Thirds” technique has you envisioning your screen like a Tic-Tac-Toe board, with a grid over it.  Many cameras even have a button you can press that will enable you to see a grid over your photo.

The purpose is so that you can consciously put the subject of interest on one of the lines of the grid or Tic Tac Toe board, not in the center of the photo. Putting the subject where the lines intersect is also effective.

The reason I felt this photo followed “The Rule of Thirds” is I intentionally placed the turtle far left.  He is as far left as I could place him considering he is in a glass cage.

By including the rest of the cage to the right of the turtle, I was trying to convey the feeling that he was slow to get to the end of his cage.  Therefore, it would match my theme of how to counteract slow blog growth.

6. Patterns

Be on the #Mailchimplookout for patterns that can make for interesting photos.  Patterns in sand and water are often present.

Since the pattern of the mailboxes repeat, this shot would certainly fall under the “patterns” technique.

However, I believe it is important to have a “subject of interest” in each photo.  It’s where you want the viewer’s eye to fall.

I fear patterns can be monotonous to the eye, so I like a “subject of interest” that will break the pattern.

In this photo, “the subject of interest” is the mailbox with the flag up.  Notice, as the dominant image, it is the most important element of the photo, but it is not centered, so it also follows the rule of thirds.

This image was my first real big hit on Pinterest, so I tried to analyze why.  The brighter color in the background? The rule of thirds?  The sad mood of the photo?  Whatever it was, it was not just repeatedly pinned, but repeatedly clicked bringing traffic to my site.

7. Experimentation

Because we live in an age of digital photography, it costs you nothing

#Photography technique: Birds Eye View

I experimented with this photo until I decided the Bird’s Eye View was best.

to take repeated photos of your subject of interest to see what image turns out the most effective.

Choose one as your dominant image; then, if you are not happy with the images, just delete the ones you don’t choose to use from your camera.

The reason I am using my fire pit as an example of “experimentation” is as follows.  I wanted an image of fire to match my headline, Surefire Ideas…  I was advised to shoot up when shooting flames.  I guess the rationale is it would give the illusion of them dancing.  However, I experimented and settled on the “Bird’s Eye View” for this shot.

Photography Infographic

These photography tips will enhance your blog posts.

Before I started blogging, I always photographed people.  As a mother and yearbook teacher, people were always my dominant images.  I have read that photos of people don’t perform as well on Pinterest, so, now I am always on the lookout for other subjects of interest.

Do I find this change to non-human subjects rewarding as the photographer?  Absolutely!  I feel creative attempting to apply these rules of photography.

Look at the kind of comments on my graphics I get now:

I always enjoy reading your tips and the little Canva images you create go a long way to helping me understand.

After all, isn’t that what blogging is all about–empowering our readers?  What can be more rewarding than that?

Readers, if you feel these photography tips can help others, please share.

What are your experiences with photography?  Do you try to follow any of these techniques? Has it resulted in increased traffic for you?  How many pinnable images do you have for each post?  I look forward to your views.

 Related post:

4 Practical Reasons Pinterest Will Make You a Better Blogger

Source: Pinterest

  1. Itsmine

    Thanks for sharing!!! Your posts always serve as source of information!! well done..!!!!!! Going to Share this 1 on all social media..!!!!!

    • Janice Wald

      Hi!
      Thank you so very much! I’m grateful for the chance to meet new readers. I’m glad you enjoyed the post. Thank you for writing.
      Janice

    • Janice Wald

      By the way, your Avatar is the cutest thing! That is the cutest little boy!

    • Janice Wald

      Hi!
      Thank you for reading what I wrote and commenting.
      Pinterest is a site where you can promote your blog posts. On Facebook and Twitter people post links to promote their posts. On Pinterest you post your blog post’s graphic to promote your post. People can find it if you use a hastag. For example, I used #photography to label the graphics from this post. If people find the graphic interesting, they might click on it which would bring them to your site and give you traffic and a potential new follower. This post explained how to use photography techniques to do that.
      Janice

      • Janice Wald

        Thank you as well for calling the post “amazing.” It meant a lot. I hope my answer in the other reply clarified the value of Pinterest. I does bring traffic to your site, more and more the more graphics you make.
        Janice

      • bhavpreet

        that’s nice to know .. thank you dear .. now how can i attach pinterest with my wordpress …. 🙂

    • Janice Wald

      Thank you again for your question. Others found it valuable. I am actually planning a guest post on the value of Pinterest for authors.

      • bhavpreet

        that sounds really great and valuable .. kindly also tell how to properly use it .. i mean m not able to understand that … 🙁

  2. hsampson

    Thank you an wow! Janice, as usual your information is useful, well-researched and wonderfully written.

    Really thank you for this!

    • Janice Wald

      Hi!
      Thank you so much for your kind words. As yearbook teacher who teaches photography tips to students I was able to combine my photography knowledge with blogging. Thanks for reading what I wrote and writing.
      Janice

  3. john doe

    Another great post. But every day with all the information you provide, if one follows all your tips, It seems a simple post, with all the research, it takes hours the write, promote, and as you say the most important thing, network. Who has all that time to do it correctly?

    • Janice Wald

      I actually have two posts answering that very question in the works. On this particular post, however, I didn’t have to do too much research. As yearbook teacher, I already knew the information since I teach these tips to my students.
      Janice

  4. john doe

    By the way when you showed the Birdseye view of your dog I wish you would included the link to that post you wrote about him I’d really like to read it again

  5. Amelia Richardson Dress

    Thanks for this! Photography is my weakness but I appreciate it when done well. This gives me some simple things to get started!

    • Janice Wald

      Thank you so much. I actually have a follow-up post in the works about special effects in photography. I’ll add you to my mailing list, so you don’t miss it. Thanks for visiting, reading what I wrote, and writing.
      Janice

  6. clanton1934

    Thank you for casting your “pearls” out on “my” internet. If you are watching in the near future, you may see me using your suggestions in my posts. Enhanced communication improve the entire community. c

    • Janice Wald

      Hi!
      Thank you so very much. Wow–pearls. What a beautiful metaphor and a nice thing to say. I have a follow-up post in the works on special effects in photography. I’ll add you to my once-a-week Email list, so you don’t miss it. I checked out your blog this morning. If you read my comment, you know how much I enjoyed your zebra photo. It inspired me to work more with lines and patterns.
      Janice

  7. The Chaos Realm

    Excellent! I was a photographer hopeful in one of my past incarnations (in this life). LOL

    • Janice Wald

      Hi!
      You sound as funny as your are kind. Do you use photography to make graphics for your blog posts?
      Thanks for writing today and once again for your retweeting my links on Twitter.
      Janice

  8. purpleslobinrecovery

    Whoa! I have soo much work to do!! I just started out with words, then I added stock images, then I added my own photos. Now I have to add Pinterest. Good thing I don’t have a job! Your articles amaze me, with the wealth of knowledge therein. You are one of my mentors now, as well as Blog BFF. Hurry up and tell me your fave color!
    Melinda

  9. karmashadow

    Reblogged this on karmashadow's Blog and commented:
    Yep, it’s a distant met, sleep I mean, but yep I get it! What I would really like is more hours in a day – that’s not going to happen, anytime soon!

  10. D.G.Kaye

    Thanks again Janice for sharing your knowledge. I didn’t know that Pinterest had such great advantages to bring more readers to our blogs with photos. I do always include at least one photo in all my blogs. I will have to investigate Pinterest when I get a spare moment. Can you tell me if you feel Instagram has the same advantages? 🙂

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Debby!
      1. I told my husband I was glad he shared with me that Derek Shepherd died. I feel it brought us closer. =)
      2. I read that the more photos our posts have, the better our posts perform. Good news: I find that to be true. Bad news: Often, especially on a school night, I don’t have time to make more than one pinnable graphic.
      3. It is on my “to do list” to read about how Instagram can help bloggers. I heard it can help tremendously, but I’m still not sure how. I have an Instagram but haven’t explored the potential yet. I had planned it for summer reading.
      Thanks again for writing.
      Janice

      • Janice Wald

        Hi,
        Working on Instagram information right now, and the answer is yes, I do think it’s just as valuable.
        Janice

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  13. Anonymous

    Hello Janice
    Thank you for sharing this informative article.
    May I ask as I am not a photographer myself, so is it alright if I could use google images? I have been using google as my main source for images, well sometimes I do mention the source in my article but sometimes don’t. So my main concern, will there be any copyright issue? or if there will be, how would I know which image is copyrighted and which is not?
    Regards,
    Fahad.

  14. Fahad

    Hello Janice
    Thank you for sharing this informative article.
    May I ask as I am not a photographer myself, so is it alright if I could use google images? I have been using google as my main source for images, well sometimes I do mention the source in my article but sometimes don’t. So my main concern, will there be any copyright issue? or if there will be, how would I know which image is copyrighted and which is not?
    Regards,
    Fahad.

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Fahad,
      I just sent you your free, private infographic for signing up through MailChimp.
      I have written a post answering your question, so I sending you the link so you can read the answer in my article. It is under Tip #3, Free Photo Sharing Sites http://wp.me/p5jxvv-i6
      Thanks for writing and your interest. Great to be connected outside of LinkedIn!
      Janice

  15. Mamapotamus

    I’ve been trying to make my blog more “pinnable” so I found this article very helpful. I know that my graphics are my weak point, but I struggle to make them better.

  16. Janice Wald

    Hi,
    Thank you so much for your kind words about my article. I hope you don’t mind, but after reading your comment, I went to your site to check out your graphics and made a suggestion about uploading your photos to Canva to spruce them up a little. I have many posts on how to use Canva and other ways to make your photos more “pinnable”. I have an upcoming post on special effects in photography as well. I will add you to my once-a-week mailing list, so you are kept apprised of my posts. Nice to meet you.
    Janice

  17. Janelle

    Great tips!! I didn’t know any of this, and I didn’t realize the rule of thirds meant to NOT put the photo in the center, lol! I’ve been working on creating a pinnable image, but I don’t have a lot of patience with my photography. Will definitely be pinning this post! Dropping by from SITS!

  18. Debbie Rodrigues

    Photography is my nemesis. I am working hard on it, but I know that I have lots to improve. Thanks for the tips! #SITSblogging

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Debbie!
      Thanks for clicking on my link over at SITS. My photography post had a lot of interest. Apparently many don’t have confidence in that area! Thanks for reading and writing me.
      Janice

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  21. cherylsart1 - CherylsArt on Zazzle

    Interesting read. I’ve read some of these photography tips before and also found some new ones. Thank you for posting about this.

  22. Janice Wald

    Hi Cheryl,
    Thank you so much for reading and commenting on my article. You said you also found new ones. Can you share some examples? That way if I ever want to do a follow-up with more tips, I can include them. I write posts like this regularly. I added you to my once-a-week mailing list, so you are kept apprised. Thanks for writing.
    Janice

    • cherylsart1 - CherylsArt on Zazzle

      I should clarify, I found new ones in your article that I hadn’t seen before.

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