The Expert Advice, Made Easy Blog

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.