Photo Feature

Some of my favorite blogs have some kind of daily photo feature. Pictures are a good way to communicate with readers and also let them draw their own conclusions for interpreting the image. I know I enjoy photo posts, so I started a similar feature on my local blog.

The "Almost Daily Photo" is just that - a random photo I've taken of the Long Beach landscape, posted about three times a week. I wondered about posting the photo alone or typing a little info about it. I decided on a one-liner that puts it into context.

Always looking for monetization ideas, I'm thinking about compiling the daily photos into a calendar for sale in December. I'm no professional photographer, but I do have an eye for interesting shots. As I started posting the images, I realized how eclectic they are. The photos are starting to show how much there is to enjoy in Long Beach and maybe others will be drawn to the beauty, just like I am.

Another good thing about features is that readers come to expect that certain experience from your blog, making it unique from competitors in that respect. I have not gotten any feedback on the photo feature yet. I will post otherwise if I do.

One bit of good news is that the Google bot finally crawled The Long Beach Observer yesterday. I know I messed up the rhythm by the big gap in posts I had from when I first started this blog last Spring and finally jumped into it again recently. Glad to see Google's giving me another chance!

Traffic Update: Still dismal, under 5 hits a day. But 2 new subscribers gained this week! See total in sidebar.