How to write better text

5 WRITING TIPS for photographers & wedding vendors

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but the same is also true the other way around; words can paint the perfect picture.

Giving context to your photos is sometimes almost as important as the photo itself, especially when you’re a wedding photographer looking for new clients. You don’t want your potential clients to just see themselves in your photos; you want them to imagine how it would feel to be there too.

This can be a problem for people who are not natural storytellers, especially when it comes to the written word.

We are very passionate about photography, so it was no problem for us to find the best design and photos for our website, but when it came to writing the texts to accompany them, we learned a few valuable lessons that we’ll now share with you (so that maybe you can skip a few of these lessons yourself!).

How to write better text? Here are the top 5 tips that helped us become better at writing our own website’s copy.

Having a beautifully written copy on your website and social media is a must nowadays and can make quite a difference in your business.

1.
WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE?

Choose your tone, writing style and choice of words according to your audience

In this scenario, your audience is your potential clients. Start by asking yourself what type of people your clients are, or more importantly, what type of clients you are trying to attract.

When you have a clear definition of your audience, you will also know how to engage them with your writing.

Should I go formal or informal?

If you’re trying to attract younger, Gen Z couples, then an informal and relaxed tone is your best bet. If you’re trying to attract a more mature audience (Millennials and Baby Boomers), make your writing a bit more formal and in-depth

Since we are creating texts for a wedding photography website, add a little flavor with some empathy and a few emotional phrases here and there.

Keep your language simple

Your audience will range from everyday people to rockets scientists (everybody can get married!) so keep your language simple and friendly. Don’t be afraid to use abbreviations and contractions (for example it’s, can’t aren’t…), but adjust their frequency to your audience.

2.
CREATE A SIMPLE FRAMEWORK

BEFORE YOU EVEN BEGIN WRITING, THINK ABOUT HOW YOU SHOULD ARRANGE THE TEXT TO MAKE IT INTERESTING AND EASY TO READ

Section your text

Nobody wants to read a wall of text. If your text is one long paragraph, you will have your potential clients’ eyes glazing over before they even get to the 5^th sentence.

Catch your client’s attention with a relevant and captivating opening sentence. Present them with a small detail they will find interesting (e.g., about the scenery, the photography style you used, the special light the golden hour brings…).

You can even begin with the most important detail first. Instead of building up to the relevant information, just start with it in a few simple words, and then explain the details in the following sentences.

Follow up your first sentence with a detailed explanation in a paragraph or two but try to keep the paragraphs succinct. If you’re writing a blog post, 7-8 sentences per paragraph should do it.

Alternate between short and long sententces

Adapt the length of your sentences to avoid monotony and to add a rhythm to your writing.

Short sentences make the text seem quick and dynamic and are used when you want to emphasize the action (for example a characteristic of your services). Long sentences slow the action down and can be used to describe the situation (for example, when you want to go deeper into one particular feature of your offer)

Example:

We want you to feel comfortable. Our collaboration doesn’t start on your wedding day, it starts during our meetings, where we get to know each other and talk a little bit about your expectations. The more we know about you, the better your photos will be. Do you prefer a more relaxed approach, where our cameras catch candid moments of love between the newlyweds, or would you like a more structured approach that will make your photos magazine-worthy?

When possible, use active voice

Active voice makes your writing more engaging for the reader so try to use it whenever possible. Passive voice sentences are usually longer and can be used when you want to describe the action or circumstances, instead of emphasizing the people involved.

Example: You are describing a photo of a bride while she is throwing her bouquet.

Active voice: The bride tossing the bouquet into the air.

Passive voice: The bouquet being tossed into the air by the bride.

The active voice emphasizes the action, while the passive voice brings the focus on the bouquet instead.

But if you want to describe a detail in the photo, the passive voice will help you keep the focus on that instead of the action going on in the photo.

Example: You are describing a photo of the happy couple kissing before a stunning glacial lake surrounded by mountains.

Active voice: We confirmed the perfect backdrop for our photoshoot after a quick walk around the venue.

Passive voice: The perfect backdrop for our photoshoot was confirmed after a quick walk around the venue.

Which of these sentences brings your focus to the scenery behind the couple faster?

Avoid abstract concepts

Some familiar figures of speech, metaphors, or expressions can help you illustrate a point, but you still need to make the point first. Keep your language clear and concise so that your potential clients can easily understand what you are trying to say.

You are reading How to write better text – tips for photographers and wedding vendors.

3.
CONTENT

WHY ARE YOU WRITING YOUR TEXT?

Knowing what you’re trying to achieve with your copy is as important as knowing who you’re writing to. You can write the most eloquent piece of text, but if it doesn’t get the potential client to contact you or even consider you as a choice, you’ve failed.

Knowing what the purpose of the text is will keep your writing focused on that purpose and will guide your client to take the action you want them to take.

Just write

You’re just testing, so don’t try to make it perfect on the first try. Your first draft will probably be about as good as your first photo of the day.

Write down whatever is in your head and ‘clean it up’ with revisions later. Writing down your basic thoughts on the matter is also a good way to have the idea fall into place without much effort. Sometimes saying things out loud already helps make them clearer; writing is no different!

Tell a story

Everyone loves a good story, and those you draw on from your personal experience are usually the best ones.

Don’t force it (it can’t be done with every copy on your website), but if it feels natural, include a relevant story or anecdote you experienced, to paint a clear picture for your client.

4.
OPTIMIZE YOUR TEXT

how to write better text with seo in mind

Search engine optimization (SEO) is important because looking for answers online is now part of our routine. People search for everything online and search engines present them with what they think is the most relevant piece of information.

Below we’ll cover the bare necessities that you should pay attention to.

Use relevant keywords

When people look for your services, what do they google for? What phrases, and more specifically, what words do they all use? The words that they use most often are your keywords. Include them in your copy, so that the next time a potential client looks for your services online, your website will be relevant.

Make it easy to read

By that, we specifically mean for people on phones.

Making your site mobile friendly is great and will help with your overall search engine ranking, but once potential clients get on your site, you must also keep them there by making the text easy to read.

Segment the text into readable chunks and keep your paragraphs short.

Add images & links

Intersperse your text with images and relevant links to break the monotony and re-capture your reader’s attention.

Don’t forget about meta descriptions

You know that little bit of text that appears under the title links in Google search results? Treat it like an advertisement for your services.

It’s the first text your potential client will see when they search for your services, so make it relevant to what they’re looking for. Give a short explanation of your services, emphasize a unique feature that only you offer; in short, make yourself stand out.

5.
PROOFREAD EVERYTHING

Typos, grammatical errors and garbled sentences can make you look unprofessional and give your potential client the wrong impression of your work.

Besides fixing grammatical errors, take a few moments and make sure your text flows and has a natural feel to it. If you stumble when reading the text that you yourself wrote, your readers will have even more difficulty getting through it. Remove or revise any parts that you feel are redundant or too difficult to read.

Use an online tool like the Hemingway app to speed the process up.

Ask a friend to read through and give their feedback. An external opinion can provide a new perspective or let you know if a crucial piece of information is missing.

not sure if you can pull it off?

Spend your time doing what you do best & let us write your texts instead!

bonus tip

To create a compelling piece of writing, you must first know what it looks like.

Check the sites of top-ranking photographers to see what their copy looks like. How do they form sentences, what phrases and words do they use to capture a potential client’s interest?

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