The Expert Advice, Made Easy Blog

Twitter is not just a great platform for brand building; thanks to its reach, it is also the ideal way to announce new products, promote your business and direct customers to product pages.

Let our expert advice made easy help guide your business into gaining a wider audience in the Twittersphere.

Using Twitter for Promotion

A single tweet can reach millions of people, making it as potent as TV advertising when it comes to promotion – and tweeting costs nothing. Therefore, if you have something to promote, whether a product or service, Twitter is the ideal tool. However, there are drawbacks to promoting on Twitter, and many people fail to use the platform correctly.

Including a promotional link in your tweet is a great way of attracting your customers to a particular product or offer.

Balance

People will soon tire of you if you just send out tweet after tweet promoting your products or services. Users expect a little promotion, but if that is all you are doing, you will simply cause them to unfollow you. You need to get the correct balance between putting out engaging and useful content, and promotional material. While there is no hard-and-fast rule, it is perhaps not a good idea to send out more than one promotional tweet for every three tweets that contain non-promotional content.

• Hot Tip: Try to include powerful and evocative words, just as headline writers do. The more you can grab a reader’s attention, the more likely it is that they will click on your link.

Tweeting Promotional Content

With just 140 characters, you cannot use a tweet as a sales pitch. The key to promotion on Twitter is to drive traffic to your website or sales page using a link. However, in order to get people to click your link, you will have to be creative.

• Benefits: Rather than try to sell a product in a tweet, outline a main benefit.

• Tease: Tempt users to click a link by making them want to know more about your product. 

• Reward: Offer discounts or freebies to make Twitter users feel privileged.

Think before you type: make your promotional tweet sound too good for people to resist.

Composing Promotional Tweets

A promotional tweet has to centre on your link. Even if you are using a link shortener, space is going to be at a premium, so you need to compose your message as concisely as possible. 

Social Media Tools

All sorts of tools and Twitter clients can help you with your promotional efforts. Many of these allow you to do things that you simply cannot do using Twitter’s main interface. 

Using Twitter Clients

Twitter clients have some useful tools for promotion: 

• Scheduling tweets: Send out your promotional tweets when your Twitter users are most active.

• Automating tweets: Automatically generate tweets whenever you have a new product or service to promote, or send automatic responses to tweets when you are not online.

• Multiple accounts: Manage several accounts at once.

• Group: Separate your customers from your other Twitter followers.

Useful Twitter Clients for Promotion

We have covered some of the best Twitter clients in Chapter Five (see pages 174–78), but some of the most useful for promotion include the following: 

• TweetDeck: Twitter’s own desktop client that has plenty of tools useful for promotion.

• HootSuite: One of the most popular Twitter clients available – and essential for any business managing multiple social media accounts.

• Zendesk: Lets you search for relevant content and import tweets into your business software.

Advertising on Twitter

If you really want to reach large numbers of people and tap into the huge audience potential of Twitter, you may consider Twitter advertising. Twitter offers businesses three types of advertisements, so it is important to choose the platform that you think will be most effective for your brand building. 

• Promoted accounts: Appear on people’s # Discover page as Twitter suggestions of accounts worth following.

• Promoted tweets: Appear on users’ timelines with their other tweets.

• Promoted trends: Appear on the list of trending topics.

Promoted Accounts

Promoted accounts are useful for building up a larger following. You can select the people you want to reach according to their interests, location or even gender. This ensures that you are only recommended to users who are likely to want to follow you.

Promoted Tweets

These appear in people’s Twitter feed. However, you can target users according to their interests, to specific keywords they have tweeted or to their location, thus ensuring that you are only advertising to people relevant to your brand. 

Promoted Trends

Useful for promoting projects or campaigns that you are running, promoted trends mean that your trend will appear at the top of certain users’ trending topics. Again, you can target the people who will see your advert and your promoted trend lasts for 24 hours.

How Twitter Advertising Works

Twitter’s advertising prices are based on pay-per-action (PPA). This means that you only pay when a person follows your account (promoted accounts), replies, retweets, favorites or clicks a link in your tweet (promoted tweets), or clicks your promoted trend link. This pricing system is based on bidding, which means that you set the maximum amount you are willing to spend per follow or click. 

There are several stages to advertising on Twitter:

1. Visit https://business.twitter.com/ad-products, and click the Let’s go! button, as shown to the left.

2. Select your business location from the drop-down menu and your estimated monthly digital advertising budget.

3. Fill in details of your business and advertisement.

4. Choose the type of Twitter advertisement you would like.

5. Choose how you would like to target your tweets, such as by keywords or interests and followers.

6. Set a daily budget for your campaign (Twitter will stop showing your ads once you hit that figure).

7. Place a click-through bid.

8. Select a date for your promotion to begin.

Links

• Get inspired by these 7 Twitter marketing campaigns to learn from

• Have a look at some more Twitter client tools here

• But always reamina aware! You don't want to end up like McDonalds after this Twitter nightmare

For a business, the Twitter profile is crucial to get right. It is your opportunity to explain to the Twittersphere who you are and what you do. It is also important if you want to build your brand identity, as it helps to distinguish you from the competition. Let our expert advice made easy help you create the Twitter profile that will serve your business best. 

Twitter Handle

As with all users on Twitter, a business needs a unique username. Of course, in an ideal world, this should be the name of your company. However, due to Twitter’s popularity, another business or user may have already taken your desired name. This means that you will need to come up with an alternative, but it should be something that is identifiable with your brand.

• What you do: If you cannot use your company name, choose a username that describes what you do, such as @onlinePCrepairs. 

• Add your location: If you find that your company name is already in use, adding where you are based might allow you to include your business name in your Twitter handle, e.g. @LondonPCrepairshop.

If your desired username is taken, chose an alternative that enables your customers to identify your buisiness, such as your location. 

• Hot Tip: Try to keep your Twitter handle short and choose something easy to spell. Also, remember that you cannot use spaces and, as people often use mobile devices, avoid punctuation to make it simple to type.

Using Personal Names

People prefer speaking to actual individuals on Twitter rather than companies. For this reason, it is often a good idea to attach a name to your Twitter handle, such as @PCshopjohn, which can add that personal touch. This is especially effective if you intend on having more than one person tweeting, as each individual can have his or her own Twitter account.

Company Name

Along with your Twitter handle, you will need to add your company name to your profile. There are no limits to how many people can use the same company name, so you do not have to worry about somebody else having the same business name as you. As your company name is what will appear next to your tweets, choose your normal brand or trading name so that people will be able to identify you.

As an established business, MacWorld are lucky to have been able to use their company name as their Twitter handle; newer businesses may not be so fortunate. 

Profile Images

Remember that Twitter lets you upload two types of image to your profile, and it is important to take advantage of both.

• Profile photo: Use either your company logo or a headshot if you intend to include individual names in your Twitter handle. 

• Header image: This could also be your logo, albeit enlarged, or it could be a custom design using your branding colours. It could even be an image of one of your products.

Profile Background

You want your profile page to be as appealing as possible. This means taking advantage of Twitter’s many customizable features, including using a profile background. Ideally, you should design your own and upload it. Many companies now specialize in creating bespoke Twitter backgrounds, but if you do it yourself, use your company branding and keep it simple.

• Hot Tip: Make sure that your logo, profile header and background all go well together. Overdoing the use of your logo or brand colours can make a profile look garish.

When it comes to designing your profile background, follow the example of successful brands, and keep it simple. 

Company Biography

Your biography is the one chance you get on Twitter to explain to potential followers who you are. With only 160 characters, you should not waste space by including mission statements or your business philosophy. Keep to the point and explain what you do.

• Location: Make sure that you fill in your location so people can find you. Be specific, as your Twitter followers may be from another country and therefore not know your local area. 

• Benefits: Try to explain the benefits of your products or services, such as convenience, low cost or high quality. 

• Approachable: Try not to come across as too formal. You want to sound friendly, personable and approachable, yet remain professional.

When you write a profile bio, ensure that you include keywords applicable to your business, so that you can be found easily through search engines. 

Keywords

Your Twitter profile is searchable outside of Twitter. In other words, people may come across it when using Google or other search engines. Therefore, try to include a couple of keywords in your profile which will make it as search-engine friendly as possible, thus giving you a better chance of appearing high up in the rankings.

Website

You need to take advantage of the fact that Twitter lets you include a link in your profile. However, you need to decide where you are going to send your Twitter followers when they click this link.

• Hot Tip: Consider creating a specific Twitter landing page, where you can provide information tailored especially to your followers. This will also help you to monitor your web traffic more effectively.

A Twitter landing page is designed specifcally for people who have come through to your website from your Twitter profile, such as this money-making blog. 

Using Links

Before you include a link, consider your followers and what they will want to see, as well as what you are trying to achieve with your Twitter marketing. Remember that social media is not a sales tool and people may be after more information rather than wanting to place an order. Therefore, rather than sending people to a sales page or your main landing page, consider using a link to a blog or an ‘About us’ page. Some businesses do include an additional URL in their biography and, although this will not be a clickable link, it can be copied and pasted into a browser.

Links

• Check out 16 creative ways to use Twitter for business here.

• Have a look at 5 must-have Twitter tools here.

• Make sure your business stands out by using these 4 Twitter search tricks.

Beyond the basic elements, Twitter has many useful features that can help you to maximize your experience. This article discusses some of the best ways to utilize Twitter, as well as how to handle some of the negative aspects of using social media.

Using Twitter

Once you start getting to grips with Twitter, and are tweeting, replying and mentioning others in your tweets, you will find that there are additional useful features that you can use to engage with other users. Using Twitter can go beyond just regular tweeting and replying, and you will find many different ways of socializing, promoting or finding useful information.

Favorite Tweets

Sometimes, you might come across a tweet that you want to read later. Twitter provides you the facility to ‘favorite’ a tweet, which places it in your ‘Favorites’ folder, located on the Me page on your Twitter interface. The person who wrote the tweet can see who has favorited it on their @ Connect page. There are several reasons why people favorite tweets:

• Save for later: If a tweet has a useful link that you do not have time to visit there and then, you can favorite it so that you can find it again easily later. 

• Showing appreciation: When you favorite a tweet, it lets the user know that you liked what they tweeted. 

• Draw a user’s attention: Favoriting somebody’s tweet can help to get you noticed by the person who posted it, who may decide to follow you.

How to Favorite a Tweet

1. Hover your mouse over the tweet you want to favorite. 

2. Click Favorite. A yellow-bordered star should appear in the right-hand corner of the tweet. 

3. You can un-favorite a tweet by clicking the Favorite button again, and you will see the yellow-bordered star disappears. This will remove the tweet from your Favorites list.

Topic Searching

With over 200 million users constantly tweeting about everything and anything, Twitter contains a wealth of useful information. However, with so much traffic, gaining access to what you want is not easy. Thankfully, Twitter’s search function is a useful tool for finding the information you need, and you can use it in several ways:

People: Use the @ symbol to find Twitter handles or  simply type in a person’s name. 

Keywords: Enter the keywords to obtain a list of tweets containing that topic. 

Hashtags: A more direct and easier way to gain the information you want.

Making Searches on Twitter

Twitter’s search engine has some useful features to help you find the information you want.

• Suggestions: When you start typing, Twitter will make suggestions based on the most popular topic searches. 

• Fluid searching: As people are constantly tweeting, when new results come in, Twitter will alert you to the new tweets at the top of the search results page.

Search Limitations

The biggest problem with making Twitter searches is the sheer volume of tweets in the archive. Since it is impossible to list everything, you may find that most searches are limited to just the last few days or weeks.

Advanced Searching

For a more specific search, you can use Twitter’s advanced search feature, located at https://twitter.com/search-advanced, which allows you to be more specific with what you are looking for. For example, you will be able to include and exclude certain keywords and hashtags or specify people and locations for Twitter to search.

Trending

Another great tool for finding information – particularly things that are currently happening in the news – is Twitter’s trending topics. Trends, which can be seen on the left-hand side of your Twitter feed, are the most commonly tweeted-about subjects at any given time. They are based on both keywords and hashtags, and are often a great way to determine what is going on in the world.

Tracking Topics and Trends

You can take advantage of various third-party services that can help you to track certain topics and trends. These are particularly useful if you are using Twitter for research or business promotion, as they allow you to receive the very latest news and discussions on certain topics. Here are some of the most useful ones for tracking trends and topics:

• hashtags.org: A website that shows you the most popular hashtags. 

• HootSuite: Lets you track topics and receive the latest tweets containing certain keywords. 

• twitter.com/Trendrr: Allows you to track trends and keywords.

Expanded Tweets

Although tweets are meant to be just 140 characters, Twitter now includes an expanded tweet system, whereby if you tweet a link to a certain web page from one of Twitter’s partner sites, Twitter will automatically summarize a version of the web page beneath the tweet. This allows you to see content previews and images, and even to play videos. Some of the partner sites you can link to include the following:

• Dailymotion: When you link to a video on Dailymotion, a Twitter user can expand the tweet and watch the video. 

• Amazon: If you send a book link, Twitter users can expand it to see the cover and summary. 

• Time: Post a link to an article on Time magazine and Twitter users will see a preview of the page. 

• Newspapers: Expanded tweets also include links to news stories in the Wall Street Journal and other popular online newspapers.

Expanding a Tweet

1. An expanded tweet will contain a link saying: View summary or, in the case of a video, View media. 

2. Click the link to expand the tweet. 

3. Click Hide summary/Hide media to shrink the tweet again.

Tweet Details

Your Twitter feed contains the most essential elements of tweets, namely the content. However, you can see other details, such as the time and date when the tweet was sent, if you click the link that says Expand. If a tweet is a retweet, this feature also shows the number of retweets and favorites that the person who originally posted the message has, and pictures of some of their followers you may wish to follow.

Following Discussions

Often, you may come across a reply to a tweet and be interested in following the discussion; thankfully, Twitter makes it easy for you to follow conversations. If a tweet is a reply, it will contain a ‘View conversation’ link which, when clicked, will show the tweets in that conversation. These may include messages from a number of different people engaged in the discussion.

Tweet Chats

Thanks to the ability to interact with large numbers of people in real time, Twitter is a great place to hold discussions, forums and Q&A sessions. Tweet chats are usually arranged in advance at a specific time, when a Twitter user will host a conversation enabling those interested to ask questions and discuss certain topics.

• Hot Tip: If you host a tweet chat, come up with a hashtag that users can include to filter all tweets into one conversation and which will make it easier for people to get involved.

Tweet Permalink Page

All tweets have their own webpage, as do conversation streams. If you click ‘Expand’ or ‘View conversation’, you should see a ‘Details’ link next to the time and date when the tweet was sent. If you click this link, you will be taken to the tweet’s unique page, where the message will appear much larger and you will be able to see all details and replies to it.

Sharing Tweets

Tweets are very easy to share; you can send links to them by copying and pasting the URL from any tweet permalink page. In addition, you can share a tweet by email.

1. Click the More link on the bottom right of the tweet you want to share. 

2. Click ‘Share via email’. 

3. In the pop-up window, enter the email address of the person you want to send the tweet to. 

4. Add a comment if you wish and click the box to include or exclude your own email address. 

5. Click ‘Send email’.

Integrating Twitter with Facebook

While Twitter is incredibly popular, Facebook is still the world’s number one social media platform. Fortunately, it is easy to integrate your Twitter feed with your Facebook account. You can automatically post tweets to your Facebook wall or to your fan page, which means that all your Facebook friends and fans can see everything you tweet, even if they are not on Twitter.

Including a Twitter Feed on Facebook

1. Log into Twitter, click Settings (in the gear wheel menu) and then click Profile. 

2. Scroll down and click Connect to Facebook and link your accounts 

3. In the pop-up window, sign into Facebook. 

4. Select where you want your tweets to appear, such as your timeline or profile page. 

5. Click OK. Your tweets will now appear on Facebook, along with your Twitter handle.

Integrating Twitter with LinkedIn

If you are using Twitter for business, you can also automatically tweet your LinkedIn status updates.

1. Log into LinkedIn and go into ‘Account & Settings’ (top right: the person icon). 

2. Click ‘Privacy & Settings’. 

3. Click the ‘Manage your Twitter settings’ link. 

4. Click ‘Add your Twitter account’, and enter your Twitter username and password or, if you are already logged in, click ‘Authorize app’. 

5. Click ‘Save changes’.

Email Notifications

In order to help you keep track of your interactions, Twitter can send you email notifications so that you do not miss that all-important tweet, reply, direct message or mention. You can receive an email for all sorts of things.

• Favorites: You can receive a notification when somebody favorites one of your tweets or a tweet that mentions you. 

• Mentions: Twitter will email you if you are mentioned in a tweet. 

• Retweets: Whenever one of your tweets is retweeted, Twitter can let you know. 

• Direct messages: If somebody sends you a DM, you can read the message in your email rather than logging in. 

• Replies: Email notifications let you know if somebody has replied to a tweet. 

• Followers: If you have a new follower or somebody from your email address book joins Twitter, you can be notified.

Turning Notifications On/Off

You can turn all notifications on or off, as well as receiving notifications tailored to you (from your followers) or relating to any interactions.

1. Go into the Settings menu (gear wheel icon on the top right). 

2. Click on ‘Email notifications’ on the sidebar. 

3. Check the relevant box to turn on a particular email notification and uncheck to turn it off. In the drop-down menu, choose whether to receive notifications from interactions from ‘Anybody’ or ‘Tailored for you’. 

4. Click Save changes to save your preferences.

Automated Tweets

Twitter is a platform for people, not robots, but many tweets you will come across are automated. Automation can be useful, but it is very easy to overdo it. In addition, Twitter has some guidelines about automated tweets regarding things you should and should not do:

Using Automation

Twitter accepts that it is fine to automate some things.

• Feeds: Twitter does not mind if you automate blog feeds or status updates from other social media platforms. 

• News and weather: Automated tweets that provide useful information to Twitter users are also fine. 

• Updates: If you have posted a video on YouTube or written a new blog post, it is OK to send an automated tweet about it.

Automated Account Actions

Twitter does not like it when you automate certain account actions:

• Replies and mentions: Do not automate replies and mentions, as this can get your account suspended. 

• Retweets: Automated retweeting is also against Twitter’s guidelines. 

• Following: Accounts that use automation to follow and unfollow people may also be suspended.

Spambots

Due to the ease of automation on Twitter, spambots (software that sends tweets) are a common problem. Often, these copy tweets from real people in a bid to appear human. If you think a spambot is sending you messages, you can report it by using the ‘Report Tweet’ link in the More drop-down menu at the bottom of the tweet.

Links

• For some further information on Twitter automation, click here.

• Read about 5 small businesses that found success via social media here. 

• Let's finish on a high note: This is the best Twitter conversation you will read today.
  

• If you want to know more about using Twitter, check out our book Everyday Twitter Made Easy here
  

So you have a twitter account and you're happy so far. You follow interesting people and interact with them as much as possible. But why aren't your tweets getting as much attention as others? Let our expert advice made easy outline the ways in which you can utilise Twitter as both a fun social distraction and a powerful media tool. 

Composing Your Tweet 

Once you have signed up to Twitter and created your profile, it is time to send your first tweet. This can be daunting. After all, what on earth do you say? And how do you actually compose and send it?

The Compose Box

When you send a tweet, you write it in the compose box, which can be accessed in two ways. You can either click the box on the left of your Twitter homepage, where it says ‘Compose new tweet’ or you can click the blue icon on the top right-hand side (the one that looks like a quill), which can be clicked no matter which page you are on. 

Character Counter

Since all tweets have to be fewer than 140 characters, the compose box contains a counter on the bottom right. This starts at 140 and if you exceed the limit, it turns red and will have a minus sign, showing how many characters you have exceeded the limit by. In some browsers, the excess characters will also be highlighted.

• Hot Tip: Before you start tweeting, you could retweet what other people have been saying so that you can get used to Twitter and also introduce yourself slowly to the Twittersphere.

What to Tweet About

Perhaps the most challenging aspect of Twitter for a new user is knowing what to say. The first few tweets are always the hardest, but once you start tweeting, it soon becomes second nature. The great thing about Twitter is you can say almost anything. Here are some ideas.

• Introduce yourself: For your first tweet, why not introduce yourself to the Twittersphere?

• News: Comment on something interesting that you have seen in the news.

• Entertainment: Tweet about a film you have seen, book you have read or album you have listened to.

• What you are doing: If you are doing something interesting, let the Twittersphere know.

• Send a link: Link to something interesting you have seen on the internet.

Cramming it All in

The second most challenging aspect of tweeting for beginners is getting down what you want to say in just 140 characters. In order to tweet successfully, you need to learn how to write concisely and edit your tweets until they are the right length.

Tweet Editing

Perhaps the simplest way to learn how to edit down a tweet is to write out exactly what you want to say, ignoring the 140-character rule, and then go back and cut down your text so that it fits.

• Abbreviations: Use common abbreviations where possible. 

• Symbols: Use common symbols, such as ‘&’ instead of ‘and’.

• Cut: Remove extraneous words, such as adverbs and modifiers. Instead of saying: ‘This website is very interesting’ just write ‘This website is interesting’.

• Reorganize: Rejig your sentences so that they use as few words as possible. 

• Spaces: Try removing spaces after commas and stops.

• Word length: See if you can use a shorter word instead of a longer one.

• Twitter Speak: Learn the common Twitter phrases and abbreviations to save space.

Sending Your First Tweet

That first tweet can be the most daunting, but once it is out of the way, you will be surprised at how quickly you get accustomed to talking to the Twittersphere. Additionally, sending a tweet is incredibly simple:

1. Click the compose box and type in what you want to say.

2. If necessary, edit down your tweet until the character counter turns black and is not showing minus numbers.

3. Press ‘Tweet’. Your tweet is now live.

Location-based Tweets

Twitter has a feature that allows you to add your location to your tweets. Although it can be a good idea to let people know where you are if you are travelling around or communicating to people in other countries, you may not want to broadcast your location if you are away from home and your house is empty. 

Turning Tweet Location On and Off

You can set your tweet location on and off in your settings (that's another post), but also in individual tweets:

1. Compose your tweet as normal.

2. Click the pin-shaped location icon next to the camera icon on the bottom of the compose box. A box will appear asking whether you want to include a location in your tweets. 

3. Press the blue ‘Turn location on’ or click the ‘Not now’ link.

4. Send tweet as normal.

Deleting a Tweet

When you send a tweet, it is visible for the whole world to see, but if for some reason you wish to remove it from the Twittersphere, you can. Remember, however, that you cannot delete tweets that other people have retweeted.

1. Click ‘Tweets’ on the top left of the compose box.

2. Find the tweet that you want to delete.

3. Hover your mouse pointer on the tweet and click the Delete link when it appears.

Protecting Your Tweets

When you send a tweet, it is not just your followers who get to see it; anybody can find it in a search, retweet it and spread it around the Twittersphere. This means that a tweet can reach thousands and even millions of individuals. However, some people just wish to use Twitter as a place to connect with their friends and do not want their messages visible to the entire world. Twitter enables you to protect tweets so that only your followers can see them.

Making Your Tweets Private

1. Go into your Security and Privacy settings (click the gear wheel icon, select Settings and click ‘Security and privacy’).

2. In the ‘Tweet privacy’ section, tick the box beside ‘Protect my Tweets’.

3. Click ‘Save changes’ at the bottom of the page. Twitter will usually ask for your password to confirm the changes.

• Hot Tip: If you protect your tweets, your followers cannot retweet them, and anybody who wants to follow you or see your messages will need your approval first.

This article is based on an extract from our bestselling book Everyday Twitter: Made Easy (ISBN: 9781783612345). Have a look at it on Amazon here.

Links

• Don't worry, it's not always easy getting started. For instance, check out these 10 twitter faux pas commited by celebrities. 

• If you're feeling geeky, you might be interested in the 22 best twitter apps here. 

• Not for you? Lightening the mood with these hilarious twitter fails. 

They say a picture is worth a thousand words and, in blogging, this is certainly the case. Using images and photographs is crucial to capturing people’s attention, but using them comes with plenty of pitfalls.

Why Use Images?

As with other forms of publishing, images serve various purposes on blog posts:

• To catch the eye: An image can draw attention to a blog post and entice a visitor to read more.

• To break up text: Long blocks of text can be off-putting to readers, but images can improve the appearance of a blog post and make it look more palatable. 

• To provide explanation: An image can help describe what the post is about, or help emphasize a particular point. 

• To set the tone: The right images can help set the tone of a blog post. 

• To boost visibility: People search for information in various ways on the internet, including using image searches. Having images on your blog increases the number of ways people can find you.

Selecting Your Images

You have to be selective when including images in your blog post. An image has to be relevant to what you are writing about, as well as reflecting the tone of the post. For instance, if you are writing about a serious subject, you do not want to use a humorous image or cartoon, but for light-hearted posts, you will want a frivolous image. The best images to use are those that tell a story or clearly explain what your blog post is about.

• Hot Tip: Images of people pulling different facial expressions, such as shock, anger or happiness, are a great way to set the tone of your blog post.

Searching for Images

These days, finding appropriate images for blog posts could not be easier. Tools such as Google Image search, Flickr and Photobucket mean that, with just a few keywords, you can find an image for almost anything. However, while finding images on the internet could not be easier, using them is fraught with problems, especially when it comes to copyright and licences.

Legal Issues

Just because the internet makes it easy to find images, this does not mean you can use anything you find. Images are usually subject to copyright. This means that, unless you get permission from the rights holder, using an image could result in legal ramifications. The internet is full of horror stories of how bloggers have been sued for copyright infringement, so it is important to understand copyright rules and know what you can and cannot publish on your blog.

Copyright Myths

Many people fail to understand copyright law and many myths have developed about using images on blogs and websites.

• An image is on another blog, so I can use it: This is simply not true. An image is protected by copyright, no matter where it is published.

• Only images with a copyright symbol (©) are protected: Again, not true. All intellectual property, including images, are automatically copyrighted when they are created. Just because you do not see a copyright symbol does not mean you can use the image. 

• You can use an image if you attribute it: Some bloggers think by referencing where they got an image, it makes it okay. Not the case; you may still be infringing copyright.

Seeking Permission

Before you can use an image, you need permission from the rights holder. This is not an easy process. It may not be clear who the rights holder is. If it is a photograph, normally the photographer owns the copyright for the image. However, as it is possible to sell and license rights to other people, you may have to follow a long chain until you find the owner of the image.

• Hot Tip: If you see an image on the internet that you want to use on your blog, contact the blog or website where you found it and ask who owns the rights.

Image Resources

There are easier ways of finding images for your blog. Not all images are subject to copyright, and there are numerous ways of using images on your blog posts without falling foul of the law.

Taking Your Own Photos

The simplest way to avoid the headache of copyright is to take your own photos for your blog. These days, you do not need an expensive camera to take a good-quality picture, as most phones have decent digital cameras on them. In addition to providing you with images to use, taking your own photos means your blog will be more original than those that use stock images from an image library.

Stock Images

Stock images are those from an image library. Often, these are called royalty-free images. However, this does not mean the image is free. A royalty-free image simply means you pay a one-off fee, which entitles you to use the image for multiple purposes without having to pay royalties to the rights holder. When using royalty-free images, it is important to read the terms and conditions carefully, as some pictures may be subject to specific stipulations of usage, such as how often they can be reproduced or whether they can be used for commercial purposes. Some of the most popular stock image libraries include:

• iStockphoto: One of the largest image libraries on the internet, iStock has millions of images. Users purchase credits, which they can trade for images, many of which work out at less than a dollar (60–70 pence).

• Shutterstock: A huge library of images available to users who purchase a subscription or image-on-demand package, which vary from £29–£139 ($45–$220) depending on the size and quantity of images required. 

• Getty Images: More expensive than other stock libraries, Getty Images is aimed more at businesses and corporate websites and blogs.

Free Image Resources

Not all image libraries charge. If you do not have the budget to buy stock images, you can find numerous places on the internet where images are free to use on your blog.

Creative Commons

Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization that licenses creative works, such as images, free of charge for the public to use. Some of the top Creative Commons image resources include:

• Wikicommons: Contains free-to-use images and other media files, many of which are used by the online encyclopedia Wikipedia. 

• Flickr: An image-hosting website where users can upload images under the Creative Commons licence. 

• Photobucket: Another image-hosting website full of free-to-use Creative Commons licensed images.

Creative Commons Licence

Not all images on the above websites are free from restrictions. Some images are marked ‘All Rights Reserved’, which means you still need permission from the rights holders. Other images may fall under one of four licences:

• Attribution generic: You can use the image in any way you like, as long as you credit the rights holder.

• Attribution noncommercial generic: As above, but you cannot use the image for commercial purposes. 

• Attribution no derivative works generic: Means you must credit the rights holder but cannot alter the image in any way, such as by cropping.

• Attribution noncommercial no derivative works generic: As above, but you cannot use the image for commercial purposes.

Links

• Check out 11 places to get free and legal photos for your blog here.

• Read an article about a blogger who was sued for copyright infringement here.

• To keep up-to-date on our latest posts and download a free Made Easy ebook click the link below and sign up.

A successful blog is not just one that brings in a lot of visitors, but one that can nurture a loyal community of people who repeatedly come back to your blog and can help grow your audience for you.

What Is A Community?

All successful blogs have a community based around them. This is a group of loyal followers who regularly read and comment on blog posts. A community is made up of like-minded people, and this core audience can help generate further interest in your blog by referring to it on social media platforms and bringing it to the attention of other people with similar interests. 

Audience versus Community

There is a difference between an audience and a community. Audiences are passive. They visit a blog to read information, nothing more. A community, however, will actively engage with a blog. People will visit to comment, exchange ideas and debate the subject area. To encourage a community, you need to create an atmosphere that enables interaction, engagement and commentary. Communities also need something on which to focus.

• A niche topic: Communities often form around subject topic areas, such as science fiction films, sports teams or hobbies and pastimes.

• Products and manufacturers: Blogs centred on products and manufacturers, such as Apple’s iPhone, acquire ardent fans of the technology.

• An idea or belief: Like-minded people like to have their ideas and beliefs affirmed. Politically-based blogs, or those that centre on particular ideas or core beliefs, generate loyal communities.

Leader Or Conduit

When it comes to building a community, you need to decide on what role you as the blogger are playing. Some bloggers thrive on controversy and self-opinion. Their views are what attract people to the blog and the community is very much centred on the blogger. Other bloggers take a different approach. They take more of a back seat, acting as a conduit and presenting the information for others to debate.

• Hot Tip: Try to write your blog posts in the same way as you speak. Imagine you are discussing the topic with a friend over a drink to ensure your blog does not sound too formal and your personality is coming across.

Be Yourself

Whatever role you decide on, you need to be yourself. Write directly to your audience and let your personality show in your writing.

Starting A Community

To start a community, you need to encourage interaction. Openly ask for opinions in your blog posts by posing questions in your conclusion. When people make a comment, acknowledge it and thank them for their views. If they have a blog, link to it and promote their comment on social media. Your community can grow from these early commentators, so make sure you cultivate them and encourage them to make further comments.

Identify Leaders

When you start getting comments, identify the people who make the most frequent comments, hold strong opinions, sound the most informed or get the most responses from other readers. These people bring value to your blog, so empower them. Ask if they would like to guest blog or to give suggestions for new posts. Consider their views and come up with blog posts that they are likely to comment on.

Write for Your Community

Provide your community with the information they want. Early on, identify those blog posts that are getting the most views and comments. Tailor your posts around these subject areas. Write things that you think the community will appreciate.

Become Part of The Community

You cannot expect a community to suddenly stumble across your blog and form around it. You need to be part of the community you are trying to build in the first place. This means you need to be active in places where the community hangs out.

• Other blogs: Post regular comments on other blogs and include a link to your own.

• Forums: Become an active member of forums related to your topic and make regular contributions.

• Social media: Join social media groups relating to your subject area.

• Hot Tip: If you are struggling to get comments, identify people who regularly comment on other blogs and forums. Invite them to comment on one of your posts or ask them to write a guest post. 

Snowball Effect

All communities start small and, once you get one or two readers who regularly comment, you will be surprised at how quickly you can grow your community. However, you need to ensure you are looking after your early community members and providing them with content they want.

Nurturing Your Community

Once a community has started to form around your blog, you need to nurture it. A blogger can never relax, expecting his or her community to remain loyal. A community needs to be fed and, unless you are providing engaging content that its members can discuss and debate, they will soon go elsewhere. As the community gets bigger, blogging may become more demanding and you may need to find new ways to keep your community engaged.

• Contact contributors: Once you have an audience and community behind you, you may be able to convince authoritative sources to contribute to your blog. 

• Share your community: You are not in competition with other blogs, but part of a wider community, so do not be afraid to link to other bloggers, promote their blog posts and ask for guest contributions.

Don’t Forget the Quiet People

Just because people are not commenting on your blog posts does not mean they are not part of the community. You will find that, for every person who regularly comments, dozens more visit your site. While the community members who make regular contributions should be looked after, do not ignore those who do not. 

You can encourage people who do not like making comments to contribute in other ways.

• Polls: Conducting polls makes it easy for people to voice their opinions without having to write comments.

• Votes: Like polls, asking for votes can encourage interaction without people having to voice their opinions.

• Allow anonymity: Not everybody wants to be known. Allow people to comment anonymously. 

Content is King

Above all, to keep a community happy and loyal, you need good content. Make sure you do your research. 

For your blog to be a valuable resource for a community, you need to be an authority and provide good information that sparks debate and encourages interaction.

This post is based on an extract from our bestselling book, How To Blog Made Easy by Richard N. Williams, ISBN: 9781783612314) – where you can find more on the above and further help and advice on blogging. Have a look on Amazon by clicking here.

Links

• Check out  24 impressive blog plugins here.

• Do you know the 10 commandments of blogging? Read them here.

• If you're thinking of blogging for someone else, brush up on these Guest Blogging Faux Pas.

• To keep up-to-date on our latest posts and download a free Made Easy ebook click the link below and sign up.
  

Blogging software provides you with the tools you need to blog. Choosing the right platform for your blog can be quite confusing. Blogging software can vary tremendously, but if you understand what you want from your blog, it can help you decide which is best for you.

Blog Management

Blogging platforms are software programs that enable you to create and manage a blog. Sometimes called blogware, these programs are specialized Content Management Systems (CMS), which enable the writing and publishing of blog posts, as well providing tools to stylize and manage a blog.

Design and Layout

Few people that go into blogging are experienced web designers, but with blogging software, you do not need to be. Most platforms provide a simple way to personalize and lay out a blog, enabling you to make it different to the millions of other blogs in the Blogosphere. The amount of freedom you have to get creative with your blog layout will depend on the platform you use and your technical experience. 

Scheduling and Posting

The main function of blogging software is to enable you to publish what you write. Most blogging software provides the facilities to draft and edit blog posts, schedule them to appear on a certain date, as well as insert images and other multimedia. Nearly all blogging CMS work to the principle that the newest blog posts will appear at the top of a blog, while older posts appear below.

• Hot Tip: You can write blog posts on word processing software and paste them into the blog platform. This enables you to take advantage of the advanced proofing tools offered by programs such as Microsoft Word.

Control

Blog platforms also allow you to categorize blog posts, insert links and tag posts. You can also set up blogs to accept comments from readers, with the software allowing you to moderate what people post. Furthermore, many blog platforms allow you to keep track of the number of visitors you get on your blog and find out which are your most popular posts.

Hosted Or Self-hosted

The first decision you have to make when choosing your blogging software is whether to opt for a hosted or self-hosted platform. Hosting is simply the term used to describe where your blog will be located. All websites need to be hosted somewhere. A hosting company will store your blog on their servers and ensure it is visible on the internet.

Hosted Blog Platforms

Hosted blog platforms are the simplest way to get blogging. These online services provide everything you need to get started: a domain name, a location for your blog, and the software and tools to upload your posts. Some of these platforms are free too. However, what you gain in simplicity, you lose in control. With a hosted system, you may be tied to the platform’s subdomain (such as www.myblog.wordpress.com). In addition, some hosted blogs do not permit advertising on their blogs and have strict rules as to the type of content they permit. Furthermore the customization features are often limited.

• Hot Tip: You can start on a hosted platform to see if blogging is for you, and then transfer your content to a self-hosted system later on, as it is possible to export all your blog posts.

Self-hosted

Self-hosted blogs offer far more freedom. With these platforms, you may have to pay for the blogging software (although some do offer it free) and may also have to pay a third-party website to host your blog. The big advantage of these platforms is their flexibility. You are not tied to a particular domain name, so can purchase your own, and there are no restrictions on advertising or content. Furthermore, the customization features are far more advanced. However, you do need some technical knowledge to get the most out of them.

Choosing Your Blogging Software

Understanding what you want from your blog is key in deciding your software platform. If you have specific goals and requirements, you may find self-hosted software your best option, but if you are lacking in technical skills, you may struggle with the added complexity.

Establish Your Goals

If you are starting a corporate blog or wish to make money out of blogging, a self-hosted platform will be the best option. A corporate blog should really be tied to a business’ website with the same domain name. Your customers may regard a hosted domain as unprofessional or amateurish.

Customization

With any type of blog, it is important to stand out from the crowd. While most blog software allows you to change the layout, background colours, fonts and other elements on your blog, you may want something more bespoke. If this is the case, a self-hosted platform will be better for your needs.

Budget

Hosted blogs allow you to blog for free. Unless you can afford licence costs and subscription charges for the software, domain and hosting service, you are better off opting for a hosted service.

Technical Skills

Unless you have a basic understanding of blog software, you may find a self-hosted solution a little daunting.

Paying For Third-party Services

If you opt for a self-hosted blogging platform, there will be things you will need besides the blogging software. 

• A domain name: The website address for your blog. 

• A web-hosting service: The third-party company that hosts your blog on their servers.

Domain Names

Domain names, also known as URLs, have to be both purchased and registered. There are numerous companies that make it easy to buy and register domain names, such as www.123-reg.co.uk and www.godaddy.com, but because of demand, you may find your chosen domain name has already been taken.

• Hot Tip: For a corporate blog, upload your blog to a subdomain of your company website using the suffix ‘blog’, for example, www.mybusiness/blog.com. This will save you having to pay for a new domain name and incurring hosting fees.

Web Hosting

Web hosting does not have to be expensive. Many hosting companies, such as www.gatorhost.com and www.1and1.com, offer hosting for less than £5 ($7) a month, although business users pay extra.

This post is based on an extract from our bestselling book, How To Blog Made Easy by Richard N. Williams (ISBN: 9781783612314) – where you can find more on the above and further help and advice on blogging. Have a look on Amazon by clicking here.

Links

• Avoid common blogging mistakes by checking out this article. 

• Read 5 tips for starting a niche blog here.

• To keep up-to-date on our latest posts and download a free Made Easy ebook click the link below and sign up.

So you've established yourself as a 'runner'. You're healthy and happy with your progress, but what if you want to take things a little further? Let our expert advice made easy help outline the ways in which you can develop your running; this be be via your personal health or by entering competitions – the world is your oyster!

Extra Motivation

There are days when even the most dedicated runner may lack motivation. Keeping things fresh and interesting can be a challenge in itself, but a few simple steps will keep things moving. Two of the most motivational things to do are keeping a log or journal and joining a local club. Runner’s Log Whether you are a sociable or lone runner, there is no better way of tracking your progress and chasing your goals than keeping a log of your running. At its simplest, this can be an old-fashioned diary in which you keep track of your times and miles covered, but far more flexible, motivating and accurate is joining one of the many online running communities. There is generally no cost involved in either registering for or using your online log (indeed, be wary of any that do charge), and with the increased use of both GPS watches and smartphone apps, you will even be able to update your status and distance automatically.

Nutrition and Hydration

As your distances and the time you spend running increase, it is vital to maintain a diet that supports the level of exercise you are undertaking. Continue to monitor the balance of carbohydrates and protein in your diet, and always avoid junk foods when training hard for an event.

Salt for Sleep

It is not uncommon for runners who have suddenly increased the intensity of their training (perhaps in the lead-up to a race) to find that their sleep becomes disturbed. Some studies suggest this may be due to an imbalance of body salts – sodium, potassium, magnesium and zinc. Use rehydration salt tablets (available from high-street chemists) after long or hot runs to help rectify this. 

Working the Core

There are many definitions for what exactly constitutes the core muscles, but broadly speaking they are the stomach, side and lower back muscles that form the foundation of strength throughout the body. Building the leg muscles with running (or additional cross training or weight training) is a great starting position, but a strong core is the foundation upon which long-term running is based.

The key benefits to a strong core are:

• Encourages good posture 

• Improves performance 

• Reduces back problems 

• Improves distance running

Joining the Race

Running in an organized race is not the ultimate (or even intermediate) goal for all runners. If it’s not your idea of fun, then just continue enjoying your training and running purely for its own sake – and the sake of your health. However, with increased confidence and ability, many runners find that they wish to participate in an organized event.

Take Your Pick

With the use of the internet and listings in running magazines, it could not be easier to identify a race to suit you. Make some simple choices about where and when you would like to race (leaving plenty of time for training), pick the type of event and distance you want to run, pay the fee – and you’re ready to go!

Be Realistic

Make sure that your race goals are a balance of achievable and challenging. If you can already comfortably run for an hour, aim for a 10k race. Happy running for 90 minutes? Try a 10-miler or even a half-marathon. Push yourself and stay focused.

Keys to Successful Racing

When you’ve signed up for a race event, there are some top tips to keep in mind to have a successful day.

• Stay Safe: Write emergency contact details on the back of your number.

• Follow orders: Always obey safety instructions and advice. Enjoy yourself: It will all be over (relatively) quickly!

• Cool down: Walk for five to 10 minutes after finishing.

5k Races

There are plenty of short race distances – usually classed as ‘fun runs’ – but the 5k is probably the first race distance a new runner comes across and considers tackling. If you have followed even the most basic training plans in this book, a 5k race should be well within your capabilities.

• Top Tip: If the potential speed of a 5k feels intimidating, consider sticking with your training and pushing straight through to a 10k race.

Too Fast?

It is worth noting that because of their short distance – although it may not seem short to you yet – 5k races are often much faster and attract a considerable number of club runners aiming for league points and personal-best times. Don’t let this put you off! However slowly you intend to run a 5k race, you should always feel just as welcome and valued as the most proficient runner.

10k Races

There are thousands of 10k races across the country that you can choose from. A popular distance for runners of all abilities, the 10k can present its own challenge in terms of distance or, once you are comfortable with the distance, it can be a great event at which to test your speed. Mix It Up 10k races take many forms (including both road and trail), but, because they are quite short, many also take a more novel form to increase the challenge. These ‘novelty’ races may include obstacles, river crossings or other natural challenges to keep things interesting. Prices vary, but 10ks generally begin at around the £10 mark, making them very affordable. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you begin to accrue finishers’ medals and other mementos. As with other distances, running clubs are a great source of information on local races and events. Most clubs also take part in leagues, which cover a series of races in the local area.

Half-marathon

Half-marathons are one of the most popular and increasingly staged distance runs. With a little dedication and training, this 13.1 mile challenge should be achievable for almost any runner prepared to put in the miles. Almost every city that holds a famed marathon also stages a half-marathon (not always at the same time), which means that if you love the half-marathon, but feel unable to step up to full marathons, you can still enjoy the experience of cheering crowds from London to New York.

A Happy Half-marathon

Here are some top tips for running a successful half-marathon.

• Fuel up: Make sure you have eaten and drunk adequately before the race. 

• Plan ahead: Check how regularly drinks are provided along the route.

• Be prepared: Stay well hydrated pre-race. 

• Keep it steady: Start at the same pace you aim to run throughout. 

• Count down: Mentally tick off each passing mile. 

• Drink and eat regularly: Fuel your run. 

• Stick to what you know: Never try new kit, gels or bars on race days. 

• Set a target time: But stay relaxed about sticking to it.

Marathon

For many new runners, the marathon, a gruelling 26.2 miles, is either the ultimate goal or a seemingly unobtainable distance – the reserve of either the elite or the insane. But, as with all running, the secret to undertaking this legendary event is slow, gradual increases in both confidence and ability. As long as you take it step by step, you can achieve that golden distance!

Think It Through

It is often said that a marathon is far more than double a half-marathon and, in all but the most mathematical terms, this is true. Diligently following a training plan might get you through, but mental preparation is equally important. There are times during a race of this length when even the most experienced runners will begin to wilt mentally. Be prepared more than any other distance, carefully studying a race route is crucial; picturing each stage in the mind’s eye, and sticking to a strict hydration and nutrition plan will prepare you for the miles ahead. As the old adage has it: ‘Plan your run and run your plan.’

• Top Tip: Both half- and full marathons are traditionally marked in imperial miles (as are training plans). To convert to metric, multiply miles by 1.6. A marathon is approximately 42 km.

Hitting the Wall

Anyone preparing for their first marathon will have heard about – and undoubtedly feared – ‘the wall’. Sometimes this simply refers to the point on the run when you feel both mentally and physically spent, sure that you can’t take another step. Technically ‘the wall’ really means a state of hypoglycaemia, the point at which blood sugars plummet. Careful attention to both pre-race diet, and hydration and nutrition during the race, should help you break through to the other side. 

 Links

• This blog post is based off information from our bestselling title, 'Running' by Justin Bowyer (ISBN: 9780857753892). Check it out on Amazon here.

• Have a look at some more in detail tips on running a 10k race here.

• Going further? There is some advice on marathon running here.

Many new runners are reluctant to head out when the seasons change for the worse, but running on a cold, bright winter’s day has its own charms. Even running in rain and snow can be hugely invigorating and, as long as your clothes are fit for the weather, you will quickly discover the joy of year-round training. Besides being comfortable, winter running gear should serve two purposes: it should keep you at just the right temperature and keep the weather on the outside. 

Temperature Control

One of the most common mistakes – even amongst experienced runners – is overestimating how cold a run will be. Put on multiple layers of clothing, hats, gloves and even scarves, and you’ll regret the decision within a mile or two. Modern sports materials are designed to regulate your temperature; this includes the ability to trap warm air between the skin and the clothing, which acts as an inbuilt thermal layer.

• Top Tip: When you start a winter’s run, you should just be able to feel the cold. Feeling warm as soon as you set out is a sure sign of overheating ahead. 

Base Layers

In extremely cold conditions, particularly when there is a biting wind, consider wearing a base layer beneath your running top. However, you should make sure that each layer has good breathability and that the layer closest to the skin can still effectively wick away sweat.

Top Layers

If a base layer feels too warm, try a light running jacket over your top instead. Many of these are designed to reduce the impact of cold winds and have the added advantage that they can be unzipped for ventilation as required. A degree of waterproofing in jackets is also typical, but do not expect the kind of full protection a much heavier hiking jacket would provide. Getting wet (often through to the skin) is all part of winter running, but as long as your tops, shorts and socks have comfortable seams, this should not be a problem.

• Top Tip: Some winter running jackets have additional vents that can be unzipped either at the sides or under the arms to tailor the amount of heat they retain.

Wet Winter Feet

Some running socks incorporate a fully waterproof layer or membrane. These work exceptionally well if you run in shoes with plenty of mesh (generally lighter-weight shoes), but be aware that if water does get inside – for example, over the top in deep puddles – it will be trapped inside and may cause blisters. It is usually better to just choose slightly thicker, well-wicking socks and avoid puddles as far as possible! Socks made from a mix of merino wool and silk are particularly luxurious; consider buying a spare pair to pamper your feet.

Gaiters

Waterproof gaiters, similar to trail gaiters but made from water-repellent materials, can be useful on wet runs to stop water trickling down the legs and into the tops of shoes or soaking the tops of your socks.

This post is based on an extract from our bestselling book, Running by Justin Bowyer (ISBN: 9780857753892) – where you can find more on the above and further help and advice on running. Have a look on amazon by clicking here.

Links

• There is some further advice for running in the cold here.

• Check out some useful tips for running in the snow (with pictures) here.

• To keep up-to-date on our latest posts and download a free Made Easy ebook click the link below and sign up.

As your running improves and you begin to go for longer distances, a few additional gadgets will become increasingly important. Any run longer than an hour or so is going to require hydration. This means water, which in turn means you need a way of carrying a water bottle. This might seem straightforward, but the array of bottles available can be bewildering. Similarly, ways of carrying running gels and bars for half-marathons and marathons are amazingly diverse, and when it comes to backpacks there is also a multitude of options.

Hydration Solutions

At some point on your journey to becoming a fully fledged runner, you’ll need to carry a supply of water with you. Unless the conditions are extremely hot, this is likely to be at the point when you are running for an hour or more.

Basic Bottles

The simplest water bottles are tough but lightweight plastic with a typical capacity of 500 ml. Enter a few races and sooner or later a free one will turn up in your finishers’ prize bag; enter a lot of races and you’ll find you accrue quite a few of these. 

If you do need to buy a water bottle, look for ones that are marked as being dishwasher safe, so that they can be thoroughly cleaned after use – water bottles left to fester are a haven for bacteria. Always look for bottles marked ‘BPA-free’ – BPA (bisphenol A) is a compound found in older bottles, or some cheaper imported bottles, and is believed to have adverse health effects.

Ergonomic Bottles

Because a regular bottle can be difficult to grip on the run – particularly in sweaty hands or with gloves – many bottles are contoured for an ergonomic grip. Fancier ones are constructed in an elongated loop design, in which the water fills the handle as well as the bottle. These are often available in smaller capacities, generally 250–300 ml, and can be excellent for shorter runs in hot weather.

Straw Designs

Bottles with flip tops and integrated straws that draw water up from the bottom of the bottle make it unnecessary to have to tip the bottle to drink. They are usually intended for use with running backpacks, which are designed to fit one (sometimes two) bottles in loops or pockets built into the straps. This more technical design adds to the overall weight of the bottle.

Bladders

Soft, flexible bladders are designed for use in specialist running backpacks or belts. They offer several advantages over bottles that need to be carried by hand. Generally they have a larger capacity (2 litres or more), making them best suited for longer runs such as marathons, or for extended trail and adventure running.

Because they are flexible, they mould to the contours of the hips or back for maximum comfort. Integrated ‘feed tubes’, which can be clipped to a running top, mean that water is always at hand (or mouth), and this encourages more frequent hydration. Look for a bladder that incorporates an antibacterial compound to ensure that the water you carry is always safe to drink.

• Top Tip: Carefully wash out the bladder after use, then store it in a freezer to prevent the build-up of bacteria. Remember to thaw fully before using. 

Carrying Gels and Bars

With longer runs comes the need for nutrition as well as hydration, and in most practical terms this means gels, bars or similar running snacks. A run of up to 90 minutes will probably require little more than a single gel (in which case, a small pocket in your shorts or shirt will be adequate), but half-marathons and beyond will certainly need multiple gels and bars.

Keep it Simple 

One of the best solutions for carrying gels and bars is an elasticated race belt. This comprises little more than a double twist of elasticated material, which secures around the waist and allows the gels to be tucked through the loops of fabric. These belts weigh next to nothing and can cost as little as £5/$8. Some feature a small extra zip pocket for storing keys.

Bum Bags

If you opt for a bum bag/fanny pack to carry your running snacks, look for a sports-specific make. These will cost around £25/$40, but they are low-profile – designed to sit close to the back to minimize bouncing, which can become unbearable over time. Weight is important, but look to balance this with some degree of padding on the side that will be pressed against your back/bottom. Choose a bum bag that fits just the number of gels you need – excess space leads to a temptation to overfill with things you almost certainly will not need.

Pre-loaded Belts

Running magazines are often awash with adverts for running belts that come complete with a range of energy gels, recovery bars and other sports-nutrition products designed to get you through a marathon. Unless you are absolutely sure that these are products you know and like, they are best avoided. Every runner has different needs and tastes, so a one-solution-fits-all belt is unlikely to be value for money.

• Top Tip: Backpacks and bum bags are likely to be worn for long periods. Always try before you buy – ideally test a friend’s pack and really put it through its paces. 

Backpacks

Running with a backpack might seem to be going against the purity of stripped-down exercise, but there are many good reasons to consider one. Running to and from work is becoming increasingly popular as a way to stay fit whilst avoiding high travel costs and time wasted in congestion. And as your running distances increase, you may want to carry more kit with you.

Specialist Sports Packs

Although considerably more expensive than normal backpacks or rucksacks (around £60–150/$90–240), sports packs are specifically designed to be comfortable, durable and to have weight distribution that takes the motion of running into account. Make sure that the straps are flat and comfortable, and if they have a larger capacity – and are thus likely to be heavier when fully loaded – ensure that they incorporate a chest (or sternum) strap to take some of the load away from the shoulders and hips. Never be tempted to overload a backpack – neck, shoulder and back problems can result from excessive weight. A variety of other features may be included, but chief amongst these should be reflective visibility strips on both the back and front straps.

• Top Tip: Female-specific backpacks are available, generally with a shorter length and ergonomically designed for a smaller frame. 

Water for Packs

Most running packs will either incorporate a water bladder or have somewhere to store a bottle. Check that your water will be easily accessible; water carried but not drunk is dead weight and dehydration can be dangerous.

Checklist 

• Need vs. want: How worthwhile is the latest gadget? Make sure your money is well spent and avoid buying something that just looks good. 

• Stay hydrated: Make sure you can safely and comfortably carry enough water for a run. Consider the wide range of hydration solutions carefully.

• Pack fit: From bum bags to full race packs, make sure you can comfortably carry all your food and water, but never overload yourself when setting off for a run.

This post is based on an extract from our bestselling book, Running by Justin Bowyer (ISBN: 9780857753892) – where you can find more on the above and further help and advice on running. Have a look on amazon by clicking here.

• Have a look at 10 specific running gadgets that might help you here.

• You might enjoy these funny running stories, just click here. 

• To keep up-to-date on our latest posts and download a free Made Easy ebook click the link below and sign up.