Blogging Tips Part II: Pictures

Need to catch-up? Read Part I: Writing here!

Hello again all! Time for round two of Blogging Tips! I am your hostess, mistress of ceremonies, and all-around AWESOME gal of AWESOMENESS, Angela! ;-) After reading my previous entry about writing, we're now experts, right? (Ahem. Right.) Today, we delve into the complicated world of PICTURES...or images if you prefer!

1. Include Them
I know this seems a little basic, but it's true. Include them. People are more likely to read your post if it includes an image in it. It doesn't have to be a personal image. Any image will do actually. Pictures spice up the continuous droll of text and give readers some eye candy to keep their minds interested. Seriously.

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2. Quality
The quality of the images you include should be decent enough to NOT see the graininess of them. A grainy-ish cell phone pic every ONCE in a while is acceptable, but every image should not be from a cell phone. When selecting images from the Internet to use, make sure you check the resolution...or the number of pixels (# x #) of an image before posting it. If it's 100x100 or smaller and you try to post it as a "medium" sized picture in your blog, it WILL be grainy. Use your eyeballs and ask yourself if it looks grainy. If it does to you, then it probably will to your readers, too.

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3. Size
The size of the image and the size you post them are directly correlated as stated above in the mention of pixelation and graininess. HOWEVER, you also have to consider which size fits the best in each blog entry AND for your blog. If the blog post area on your blog's homepage is 650 pixels wide and you post an image as "Extra Large," the image will bleed over into the margins, causing your blog to look weird and unprofessional. If you upload them directly to Blogger, (I can't speak for Wordpress or any other blogging site since I use Blogger) you can choose the size of the image by clicking on the image inside of the blog post entry box and choosing from small, medium, large, extra large, or original size. If an image is 1300x1300 as the original size, it is NOT a good idea to choose original size. If the image is 150x150, then it IS a good idea to choose original size. If you're unsure of which size to choose, choose one then click Preview at the top of the entry form and see what it looks like on your blog. Adjust accordingly. (See the difference below!)

Original Size (128x128)

Small

Medium

4. Position
 Where you place images in your blog posts is crucial. It's ok to change it up a bit. They don't ALWAYS have to be centered. They don't always have to be right or left aligned. You can place an image inside of a paragraph on the right side of the text where the text wraps round the image. You can place an image at the end of the post. You can place it at the beginning. It doesn't matter what your preference is, it just matters that it LOOKS good. Again, previewing your post before it is available to the public is a good idea. How something looks in Edit Mode is NOT how it looks in Public Mode.

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5. Sourcing
This is the BIGGEST pet peeve of mine and the BIGGEST blogging faux pas bloggers make. YOU MUST CREDIT YOUR IMAGE SOURCES!!! Read that 3-25 times...until it truly sinks in. Every time you use a non-personal image (i.e. one you didn't take/make) you are using something that does NOT belong to you. If it is not up for public domain (i.e. created for free use when sourcing is not required) then you must Must MUST give credit to where you found the image. If you do NOT give a link back to where you found the image, you are BREAKING THE LAW. It's called plagiarism. If you look at the image above, I correctly sourced back to the original blog posting. I didn't necessarily need to since it is my OWN image and my OWN posting, but I did it for sourcing's sake. You may also notice that I did NOT source my images displayed in that image. That is one of my first blog entries before I knew any better. Learn from my mistakes!!!
It's easy to source your images. You can do it in multiple ways. I choose to "Add Caption" to my image, type the word "Source," and link the text to the source of where I got the image. Some people use "Via" or "Here" instead of source. Some use a symbol. Regardless, if you choose to go this route, you need to link the caption text back to the image's location. Another way you can source credit is at the end of the post. You simply number your images in the caption text and then create a list at the end of the post linking each image. You may not like either of these ideas, and that's fine. You just need to come up with a way to source EACH image, within the post the image is in, to avoid plagiary.

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I hope these tips are helping you become a better blogger! I know they've definitely helped me in the past! Tune in on Monday to read Blogging Tips Part III: Overall Look

If you could take 2 seconds and give this a click, it would mean so much to me! Thank you!!

Blogging Tips Part I: Writing

Before I even begin, please know that I am NOT an expert on blogging, nor do I think I am. I did not go to school for blogging. I did not take a professionally led class on blogging. Instead, I've read hundreds of blogs. I've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. When one immerses oneself in a field, one tends to learn some tools of the trade. Here are some tips I've learned along the way!

1. Focus
There is NOTHING worse than reading a blog entry that starts talking about puppies and ends up talking about global warming. It's ok (even good!) to have a lot to say, but try not to get off topic TOO much in a single post. If you DO get off topic for a bit, try to bring it back in and refocus on the post at hand. Before hitting the submit button, re-read what you wrote. Does it add to the topic of the day or is it too off topic for it to really matter? There's a difference between a cute little side note and a confusing jaunt out into the wilderness that has your readers questioning your writing abilities.

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2. Proof Read
Holy cow. This is a big one in my book. I hate reading blogs that have poor grammar and spelling...especially in the age of grammar/spell check. Most browsers have a spell check built into their systems (that's what that red squiggle is that appears under some words.) Sometimes, you have to enable it for it to check your spelling. Most of the time, it's automatically enabled. Most browsers also have it to where you can right click on the squiggled word and they'll give you spelling options! Very handy! If for some reason your browser does NOT have spell check, you may want to run your text through Microsoft Word, Open Office, any word processing program, etc. to make sure your spelling isn't atrocious before posting. You can do the same thing for grammar if you have MS Word or Open Office, but don't expect it to catch everything. If your grammar isn't as well off as you'd like, then take the time to learn some of the basics. You can pretty much learn grammar for free online these days. Take advantage of it. Your readers (and I!!!) will thank you!

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3. Paragraphs
If your entry is longer than 5-7 sentences, you probably need to hit enter every so often and separate your text/thoughts. A new paragraph should begin whenever you move from one point to the next, one event to the next, etc. Blog writers who type in one continuous paragraph make it difficult for the reader. It also just looks highly unprofessional. You wouldn't write an entry without separating your words using the space bar, right? Well, in the same respect, you shouldn't write an entry without separating your thoughts using the enter/return key, either.

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4. Humor/Sadness/Joy/Emotions
Including emotions in your blog entries is key. No one wants to read something if it's boring. No one wants to read a long list of what you did last weekend. Readers enjoy details. They enjoy identifying with the writer. They enjoy emotions!! Now...don't get me wrong. You shouldn't turn every entry into a sob story about money troubles or how your boyfriend/husband is pissing you off. Readers do NOT want your drama; they want your heart. Share your joys, share your sorrows, share your pain, and share your love, but DON'T share your drama. Oh and I'd like to add that humor is almost always welcome...except when you're bad at it. Not everyone does humor well. Not everyone should incorporate humor into their blog. Toy with it a little on your blog. If YOU don't (honestly) find it funny, then no one else will either. Just be honest with yourself and with your readers and you'll be a better writer for it!

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5. Write What You Know
I cannot stress this enough! It is all too evident when a blogger writes about things they are unfamiliar with, not passionate about, etc. Stick to what you know and/or educate yourself on what you don't know. Just because 10 other blogs in your blogging circle write about cooking, doesn't mean you have to, too...especially if you can't cook a box of mac n cheese. Just because no one in your blogging circle blogs about Sailor Moon, doesn't mean you shouldn't blog about her! (If you find yourself blogging about things on a regular basis that no one in your blogging circle seems to care about, you might want to find more like-minded people to add to your blogging circle.) Don't be afraid to be different...as long as you're still interesting to your readers!

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All-in-all, when it comes to writing your blog, use common sense. Think to yourself: "Would someone want to read this? Does this make sense? Does it read well? Is it about something that I know?" If you do all of the above and reflect to yourself about each entry, your blog will be MUCH more successful!! (And it won't make me want to punch you for your poor writing skills!)

Next up on Thursday is Blogging Tips Part II: Pictures!

If you could take 2 seconds and give this a click, it would mean so much to me! Thank you!!