Wordpress Blogging for Photographers and Artists

Artists and photographers who actively blog are positioning themselves within a community of practitioners, who act as peers, mentors, critical friends, and even potential colleagues. This course, through the acquisition of new skills and attitudes, encourages students and practitioners to reflect upon and evaluate their work in a worldwide context.

Blogging provides a platform for the dissemination of focused practice: ideas, visuals, the written word, opinions and thoughts all foster dialogue and critical feedback skills. For the student studying photography and creative arts courses, the practice of blogging helps to create a well organised individual – capable of consistent reflective thinking and assessment; of their own and others work. This course also develops students’ writing skills, which are necessary to become an effective communicator and promoter of ideas and practice.

Through workshops, structured lessons, and a hands on approach you will learn how to use the free WordPress blogging platform to build a new digital portfolio of your images and words and reach a potentially worldwide audience. Your first posts will receive constructive feedback from the group and a whole new audience for your work.

Topics Covered

• What are blogs? Why create a blog?
• Good blogs and good practice
• Blog set-up
• Identifying your audience
• Writing a personal statement
• How to write for the Web
• Optimising your content – Keywords, Description and SEO for Google
• Practice idea-generation techniques
• Introduction to ‘Themes’ and ‘Premium Themes’
• Tools and functions of blogs
• 'The Top Ten Tools' for each and every post
• Understand Pages vs. Posts
• Uploading pictures to make a variety of galleries and slideshows
• Publishing and growing your content on Social Media platforms
• Maintaining your Blogging practice

Course Outcomes

By the end of this course you should be able to:

• Create your own WordPress.com blog using your own photographs, artwork and writing
• Possess skills, both technical and practical, to consistently maintain and adapt your blog
• Receive and engage with worldwide feedback and new followers

Who Should Attend
Photography and creative arts students, creative professionals, and anyone looking to build an online presence.

Level
Beginner: Students will have one or two projects that are ready for sharing via the WordPress platform.

Follow Up Courses
After you have completed this course you may want to continue your digital education with Web Design: HTML and CSS or promote your website with Social Media Marketing.