Effective start of a new blog – interview with Daniel cell boxes
Daniel cell boxes operates inter alia an online magazine on the subject of digital photography and Imaging.
DOMAIN.COM is a mix of blog, website and online magazine and is a good example how to reach a specific audience very well.
Daniel are many tips and insights to start a new project in this interview.
Then we want to start times.
1. Please introduce yourself and your Blogmagazin “DOMAIN.COM” my readers.
Hello, my name is Daniel cell boxes, I come from middle Franconia and go on a secondary school. For many years, my interest is photography and the Internet with all its facets. In addition to the school, I run a small business as a photographer, designer and PC service for about a year, I am also active for several years in youth work.
DOMAIN.COM is an online magazine for digital photographers has grown little by little with my knowledge and which has developed now becoming the “mind me”.
Besides the HOWTO’s on topics of in image processing, presentation and photography there are current news, a monthly podcast, a terminology lexicon for photography, a TV calendar for shipments to photography and more in the magazine.
2. With your 18 you are running Yes a relatively long various sites (5 years). How did you get this?
How it came to exactly, I know no longer. But I started with a free modular system on the Web. But even then I wanted to make “right Web pages” and not for modular systems typical “Hello, I am…” – pages.
After I some baby steps behind me had and I could acquire a little knowledge, got a server space I beginning 2005 and one domain rented. After a further half year I realized that restrict his side to a main topic and write about everything should, what comes one just so.
By the way I acquired the basics in HTML and CSS. Continually I read more and more information, me it acquired new techniques, many “professionals” simply asked for advice (questions costs Yes nix ;-)) and above all much tried.
Now I launched some websites in life, various projects for customers and learned a lot. But learning goes on!
“3. On DOMAIN.COM” digital photography and post-production revolves around. Why did you choose this topic and how do you usually come to your website topics?
Photo HOWTO is pretty easily explained. I have always liked photographed and increasingly expanded my knowledge in this area. For this reason, it was reasonable to create a page of photography.
I was convinced there was virtually no other page which would deal with digital photography in Germany still “firm” ;-). That was the motivation to call this page in the life for me.
Since I am not connected to the analogue photography, I chose ultimately for digital photography. Take up the issue of image manipulation is digital photography must.
I think, you still can improve a good photo in post processing, but can make a really good photo from a bad on this point.
4. How was the launch of “DOMAIN.COM” and how did you know the blog? What marketing measures were particularly effective?
The start was unspectacular. I had at that time very little experience with marketing & co. in fact I wrote a basic treasure of articles, posted this in the network and in two forums, announced that it would now available together with the invitation to take these pages but even look at.
In the early days two or three marketing measures have proved particularly effective. Once, and that may be mentioned often enough, a good and exclusive content. A quality article is one that often quoted link or simply recommended.
The second pillar is in the photo forums show presence and is currently developed by me. Visit i.e. various forums and there build an account representing good, informative answers. So definitely no Forenspam.
Such an account has been established, it can point finally in the signature on your website. I wouldn’t do this but only in a corresponding reputation.
Contacts and search engines, here specifically Google are the third leg. Contacts with operators with thematically similar content have proved very effective. That not necessarily the direct competition, but if a nice person behind it, is nothing, however, basically.
And it goes without saying, the article titles are appealing, ever can be rather away a search engine user address. But here it is necessary to develop a style which specifically addresses these users.
In addition to these common strategies I test some non-standard methods. If I have more facts about the success or failure, I will report in due course.
5. “DOMAIN.COM” is more a magazine (with lexicon, TV Guide etc.) than a blog. What is the idea behind?
There are several reasons. Once I was and I am of the opinion that there are enough magazines and blogs which promptly introduce camera news, so mostly focus on current events. Admittedly this is theme, but the focus with us. It comes me relatively timeless content to give the topic focus.
Is clear that the page is both visually and content still in an initial phase me. I am hopeful but to optimize this further.
The additional functions you mentioned are another. I think they simply fit to a magazine than a blog.
Some bloggers may argue that a blog can present timeless content, here but I think that this rather a magazine is designed if you look at it from the basic idea.
6. You committed also podcasts and videos in addition to “normal” articles. Why and how does this?
“You’re a podcast on photo howto.com, so the site is a blog.” I recently had to listen this conclusion.
What have I answered?
No! Podcasts and videos loosen the ordinary items to diversify into the page. And just because the site has a podcast, you have to be long time no blog.
I must say very clearly here photo HOWTO should be no classic magazine but a contemporary; this includes also the use of podcasts, and videos. And in photography some explain more in video form.
What other effects it has, is quickly said. It takes visitors. Just in the last days you observed well that about the video with the “increase of sun rays”. Article with video links of various pages and not only on the side, but also email it gave a series of comments.
7. How important is the community? How bindest a you with your readers?
Photo HOWTO here is still in the early stages. Conditionally format “Magazine” there is no right community. But slowly the emergence of a comment community can be observed even if we are still far from a blog comment numbers.
Direct communication with the reader is available via email. As in the previous “letters” requests, inquiries or requests contact me via email almost every day.
Readers but usually only at competitions or the photo competitions are directly involved.
8. Can you tell us a few statistical figures for the current state of your blog?
Because there was a change of concept recently – which well received by users – I can provide here only averages of the last months.
Photo HOWTO lists unique visitors between 5,000 and 10,000 a month, generate between 20,000 and 30,000 page views (impressions) and spend a few minutes on the page. Here one finds the concept of the page. The user who wants just a piece of information is of course appreciated; however, users who want to stay longer and read a magazine are the specific target group.
What maybe for one or know others quite interesting, is the number of articles published weekly. Currently published approximately three new articles weekly.
9. What is the business model behind your blog? How “earn” you something?
Clear next to the main thoughts, sharing knowledge and the fact that I learn a lot about on the basis of research and intensive discussion with photography, I would like to earn something with the Web page.
Here I offer the possibility to book advertising banners each monthly on the page and otherwise put Google AdSense. Also I get from various software to the test. This I suppose but like, but the company is a positive evaluation does not automatically or not even necessarily buy a mention. Photo HOWTO is an independent online magazine and should remain so continue.
Orders I get when potential customers by photo HOWTO on my small businesses as PC service, photographer and Web designer did are a major source of income.
10. What are your top tips for someone who wants to start a “Fachblog” today?
Clearly, my first tip: addiction you something from you makes fun and for her since, even insert a “night shift”. The reader remembers if the author has fun in the topic and writing.
My second Tip: crawling the market. Trying to accurately find out what other blogs there are documents, what goals they pursue how often there is new content, these are how profound and so on and so forth. To learn the best way is the competition, and just the right good competition to analyze to learn from her.
My third Tip: Finds supporters who are perhaps familiar on the whole subject of your Fachblogs but in specific areas. They don’t even need to write, but you must know how it comes to good information. At this point, I thank my two “colleagues” Julia Stern and Borys Sobieski regularly linked me and advice. Thanks also to all the others, I and torment with questions ;-)
Creates exclusivity! Imitate other blogs or even copy nothing brings in the long term. Ensures that your Fachblog has a specific direction, the it not so often, or in the ideal still does not exist.
I hope to have given you an insight into photo HOWTO and I help you. If you have any further questions, so you can contact happy me. Peer, thanks for the interview.
Also you thanks Daniel
The detailed responses from Daniel provide many tips and many experience.
So I find the “content” by Daniel very nice and also quite typical. The constant there is something surely the most self-employed on the net would sign.
The online world is changing so rapidly that one can learn simply always something new to / needs.
Based on his blog/magazine Daniel are a few nice tips. He has beautifully described the start of a new project in my eyes.
Good consideration, exclusive content plus the right marketing efforts each blog should allow a good start.
But the use of podcast and videos is well done and shows the potential on which blogs and Web sites have.
I can recommend each DOMAIN.COM is interested in digital photography and Imaging.
Learn more about starting a blog can be found in the 10-teiligen series “Blog start Project”.