Have you ever received an email that made you jump for joy? Well, recently, I got one that did just that! A photo editor reached out to ask for one of my images to grace the cover of their upcoming magazine issue.
Not only was it a moment of validation for my work, but it was also the second magazine cover opportunity that landed right in my inbox, without any pitching on my end.
You might be wondering how this happened. Let me tell you, it’s not because I’m the most popular photographer out there or because I rubbed a genie lamp.
It’s all about the strategic ways I’ve gotten my images out into the world.
In this article, I’m sharing a simple 3-step strategy you can start using today.
As you see the how-to steps, you’ll how easy it is for you to get your work out into the world where it can do the work for you! Get ready to take your photography game to the next level.
Step 1: Create a compelling photo portfolio that tells a story
The first step involves creating content that tells a story through visuals as well as words. Gather up a portfolio of photos related to one particular theme or topic. Think of it as a mini-essay about that particular subject. Make sure that the images all makes sense together.
If you’ve never curated a portfolio before – or simply find it to be a struggle – be sure to check out this tutorial on how to curate a stunning photo portfolio in 5 steps.
Then, write an article around those images that is both informative and entertaining. This will provide potential viewers with the context they need to appreciate your photographs in their full glory.
Step 2: Write an article or blog post on your website around that portfolio
Once you’ve gathered up a visually beautiful photo story or essay, it’s time to transform it into an article. Here’s what to keep in mind as you write.
First, focus on creating content that is of high value.
Be sure that the article that you’re writing is well-researched and well-written. It should be more than simply a journal entry. Make it something interesting and educational.
You want to write an article that when visitors see it, they’re engaged and want to share your article with others.
Second, take some time to research and use search engine optimization (SEO) best practices for online articles.
Just a handful of simple steps will go a long way.
If you do only a handful things for SEO, do these:
1. Break your article up into sections using subheadings
Subheadings help readers to easily scan your article to understand what the main concepts or main points inside the article are, so that they can scan down and read just that section.
2. Format your subheadings in H2 and H3
Formatting your subheadings accomplishes two things. First, it helps Google understand better what your article is about, which can help with search ranking. Second, it helps readers easily skim the article. This is a more pleasant reading experience for visitors, which in turn, is rewarded by Google in search ranking. Win-win!
3. Be sure the subheadings clarify what’s in the paragraphs below it
Rather than being cute or clever with subheadings, use them to make it really clear what the next batch of text is about. Readers don’t want to guess at what they’re about to read, they want to know what they’re getting into. So, make it clear in the subheading exactly what the upcoming paragraphs are covering.
4. Keep paragraphs short
Break paragraphs up into just a couple (or even one!) sentence. This makes it far easier to read, especially on a screen.
If you do just these few things, you’re already ahead of the curve when it comes to SEO!
But, if you’d like to dig deeper into best practices, one of the best resources that I can recommend for learning about SEO Is Neil Patel. It is a great place to get started with lots of little tidbits of information.
Step 3: Pepper your article with those storytelling images
Once your article is written, it’s time to add those beautiful images you spent time curating in Step 1.
As you add the images, consider image searchability. This is the magic that helps your photography be discovered organically by photo editors.
Simple steps that help your article get found and ranked highly in search results include:
1. Use a descriptive file name
A descriptive file name helps Google understand what the image is about. So, instead of naming your file “image_57864”, name it something short and about the content, such as “brown-bear-cubs-playing”.
(Note: I personally keep the file number at the end so that I can easily locate the file in my archive if needed. So I’d name it, “brown-bear-cubs-playing-57864”. It’s a compromise between Google and me.)
2. Add a description, captions, and alt text (where appropriate)
When you upload the image to your website, add in additional information about that image. This includes a description, a caption, keywords or tags, and alt text. Most website platforms have areas to add this in on the back end.
While it can seem a little annoying or time-consuming, the extra five minutes it takes to complete these steps will help ensure that search engines can find your images and that your images then turn up at the top of results in searches by photo editors.
And that’s it! Just 3 steps to turning your photos into well-crafted visual stories that editors can find in organic searches.
Does this replace pitching? Absolutely not.
You still 100% have to get comfortable with writing and sending pitches if you want to make real progress as a published photographer.
But I’m all about maximizing your potential reach.
And this is one strategy that has worked for me on many occasions, even opening doors to working with photo editors on an ongoing basis.
With this strategy in place, you can greatly increase the chances of having your photos featured on magazine covers or online publications.
Not only does this boost your credibility among the photography community, but it can also open up new opportunities for you to explore and grow as a creative!
Don’t forget to keep updating your content when necessary — doing so will help make sure your article remains relevant and shows up higher in search results.
Good luck, and have fun with this!
