8.1 Why you should not rely on text alone
Whilst there will always be people who prefer to obtain information via the written word, images and videos add an extra dimension to your blog content. Your blog readers now have more demands on their time than ever before - and an increasing number of options, when it comes to deciding how they will spend their time online. Adding visual media can make your readers feel more interested in your content, meaning that they are more likely to return to your site at a later date. Moreover, incorporating images can also help you to
enjoy the process of blogging, as it can be an effective means of creative expression.
In this module, you will learn how visual media can help promote audience engagement and how to ensure that you are using images and videos in a legal manner. You will also learn how to optimise images, to help your website rank higher in search engines.
8.2 The best times to make use of visual media on your blog
Certain types of blog post lend themselves especially well to images and videos.
Here are some instances in which you may wish to consider adding another media element:
When you are writing a personal post
A personal photo or portrait allows your audience to connect with you on an immediate level and gain a sense of your personality, surroundings and daily routine. If you want to appeal to your audience's emotions, a video in which you and others speak directly to the camera can be highly effective.
For example, if you are creating a post designed to spark interest in a new product available via your online store, then a video can be the perfect medium to use in generating excitement. Video can also be a good way of capturing an interview, so if you have the opportunity to interview someone in your niche, consider posting a video of the conversation to your blog.
When you are reporting on an event or experience
Good writing can transport the reader to a new place and convey how it felt to experience something special, but images are a valuable supplement to even the most well-chosen of words. For example, if you have recently attended a major conference that will be of interest to your readers, posting a few photos of the crowds and most popular trade stands will give them a greater sense of what it was like to be in attendance, rather than a few paragraphs of written description.
When you wish to review a product or service
If you are writing about a product for the purposes of review or promotion, your readers will appreciate an image showing what it is you are describing. This will encourage them to take your review more seriously and help them to envisage how the product looks and performs. You could take a photograph of the image in its original packaging, followed by a video showing how it performs during use. If you write a positive review, send the company an email or social media message and let them know. If they like your post, they may spread a link to your blog via their own blog or social media channels. This can be an effective means of generating extra traffic to your site.
When you want to break a difficult concept down into simple ideas
Infographics are a popular way for bloggers to convey ideas using a combination of text, shapes, colour and graphics. They are an effective way of communicating various steps that make up a procedure or presenting a series of statistics that provide the reader with an overview of the important facts on a particular topic. You can make your own infographics using software that you may already have, such as Microsoft Word or PowerPoint. There are also online services that help you create infographics to use, at little or zero cost. Two examples are Venngage (venngage.com) and Piktochart (piktochart.com).
When you want to demonstrate how your audience can best carry out a project or learn a new skill
Tutorials are often best presented as a series of images, or in video form. For example, if you run a craft based blog and want to teach readers how to create a knitted hat, they will probably find it easier to learn from a video showing close up shots of the knitting process, compared to a lengthy written description.
8.3 Legal issues you must consider when re-using other peoples' images and videos
All bloggers wishing to incorporate other peoples' content on their website need to do so in accordance with the law. The rules around copyright and intellectual property law are extensive and vary between countries, so a comprehensive overview is beyond the scope of this module. Fortunately, you do not need to be an expert on the subject to use other peoples' content in an ethical and legal manner. To ensure that you do not invite legal action when using material on your blog, follow these guidelines:
Unless you can be certain, always assume that any media you find is under copyright
Even if material is publicly available online and can be downloaded with no cost or effort, you should assume that it is subject to copyright protection, unless otherwise specified. This means that you cannot simply use another individual's content on your blog. Giving credit to the creator and linking back to the original source is not a solution, because unless you have asked them for permission, you have still violated their right to control how their content is reproduced and shared.
An idea cannot be subject to copyright, only its expression
This means that you do not have to give credit to someone if you are inspired by their content, or if you are making use of an idea behind some or all of their media. An example will illustrate the implications for bloggers. Suppose you are running a blog about British wildlife and decide to create a post about native butterflies. Having recently read a post on another blog titled “Top 10 British Butterflies”, in which ten butterflies are photographed then described in detail, you decide that you like the idea and will compile your own post based on this concept.
If you were to use the photographs and text via copy and pasting without asking the creator's permission, this would represent a copyright violation. However, you would not be breaking any law simply by compiling your own list of top ten British butterfly species, because doing so is copying an idea rather than content. It would still be a good idea to credit the creator with inspiring your post, but failure to do so would not result in legal action against you. If in any doubt, always track down the owner or creator and ask for their permission to use the
material
If you find that the same image or text has been posted across multiple websites in such a way that leaves you confused as to whether it is available for reuse, find the original creator and ask them for permission. If you cannot find their information, it is safer not to use the material at all.
Be clear that you understand the various content licenses now in use on the internet
Although most of the material you will find online is under copyright, some creators choose to make their material available for reuse under a certain set of terms and conditions.
For example, some decide that their text and photos are available for others to use, providing they are used with credit and a link back to the original source. Other types of license specify that a piece of content can be used, provided that the intended use is not commercial in nature. The concept of Creative Commons (creativecommons.org) was devised to allow people to share their creations with others and allow them to control how their content is used, without resorting to the full intellectual control of regular copyright. Those who wish to make their work accessible and available for legal reuse under various terms and conditions can use the free licenses and logos from the Creative Commons website.
For example, the terms and conditions of a work licensed under the “Attribution CC BY” License are as follows:
“You are free to:
Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.
Adapt — remix, transform and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms, as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
What does "Attribute this work" mean? The page you came from contained embedded licensing metadata, including how the creator wishes to be attributed for re-use. You can use the HTML here to cite the work. Doing so will also include metadata on your page so that others can find the original work as well.
No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Notices:
You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain, or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation.
No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.”
Source: Creativecommons.org
You can search for works available for use under Creative Commons licensing by using the advanced search options on search engines, photo sharing sites and databases, such as Google (google.com) and Flickr (βlickr.com). Although every license requires you to give credit to the original creator of the work, other terms and conditions may vary. Make sure that you have reviewed and understood the terms and conditions of use, before incorporating any media into your website.
Activity: Locating Images Available To Use Under Licence
Time: 10+ Minutes
Visit Flickr.com and practice searching for images which are free for you to use under a Creative Commons license.
Begin by searching for images, by using keywords relevant to your blog topic. Experiment with the search options.
Try to find at least five suitable pictures that you would like to use in your future blog posts.
Use paid stock photo sites, if you cannot find exactly the right kind of image you need
If you cannot find any free images that can be used under license, you can purchase the rights to use an appropriate photo from stock websites such as Shutterstock (shutterstock.com) or iStockPhoto (istockphoto.com). These sites also offer illustrations, vectors, icons and infographics. The cost per image may vary, depending on the image quality, rarity and size. Be sure to read the small print before making a purchase, because you may have to pay extra if you wish to use an image more than a particular number of times, or for certain commercial purposes.
Use common sense and do not use other peoples' images or videos in such a way that would cause them distress
Always treat other peoples' material with the same respect you would want them to accord you. For example, do not use images of human models in such a way that suggests to a reader that the individual in a photo is personally involved in any wrongdoing. If you must offer commentary on an image or video, do so in a constructive manner, to avoid inciting any unnecessary hostility and placing your reputation in jeopardy.
8.4 The public domain
Some material is available for anyone to use in whatever way they wish, with no restrictions whatsoever and no obligation to credit the original creator. Such material is said to be “in the public domain”. The rules around the public domain vary between countries, but in general a piece of content passes into the public domain 70 years following the death of its creator. This rule applies to music, text, film and visual media. However, a creator can also decide to release their work into the public domain whenever they choose. Furthermore, much of the content produced by the UK and US governments is also in the public domain from the time it is created.
When you use an image that is in the public domain, you are free to publish it, change it and use it as the basis for your own works, without fear of legal action. The Public Domain Review (publicdomainreview.org) is a good resource for learning more about the concept of the public domain and for finding images you can use with no restrictions. Pixabay (pixabay.com) is a library of public domain images - mostly of a contemporary nature - which is updated frequently.
8.5 Making your own images and videos
There are several advantages to creating your own visual media, rather than using those created by someone else:
It could save you money
If you need to find an image depicting an unusual object or subject matter, the number of free images available for you to use may be limited and you may have to pay money to use material from a stock photo website. Taking your own photographs can save you this expense. With some effort and imagination, you will probably be able to capture a shot that will perfectly illustrate the points
made within your blog post.
It will ensure that you will avoid any legal problems later on
When you personally produce a piece of media for your own use, you know for certain that you own the copyright and are therefore free to do with it exactly as you wish. You will not have to worry whether you have properly understood any terms and conditions associated with the image, as it is your intellectual property.
It gives you the chance to express yourself
Taking your own photographs and scripting your own videos forces you to use your creativity and communicate your message in a unique way. It can be a rewarding process that allows you to develop potentially transferable skills. If you want to further your skillset, you could invest in some image editing software such as Photoshop. In producing material for your website, you could take the first steps towards a new career.
It may provide you with a product to sell later on
If you are able to take high quality photographs, you may be able to sell them to stock image sites later on. You can also use images to sell merchandise via platforms such as CafePress (cafepress.com) and Zazzle (zazzle.com). These sites allow you to upload your photographs, graphics and illustrations to be printed onto T-shirts, mugs and other products that are printed and sold on demand. If you want to open an online shop with products unique to your blog, creating images can be the first step to marketing your own merchandise.
It will lend your blog a degree of individuality
When you use images and videos that you have created, your blog will stand out from others. Everyone has their own style and if you consistently produce your own media, your audience willcome to recognise and appreciate your unique brand.
Activity: Creating Original Content
Time: 15+ Minutes
Think about your most recent blog post, whether or not it is currently published online. If it contains no visual media, can you think of a photograph or video you could create and use to make the content more engaging?
Once you have come up with at least three ideas, choose your favourite and then implement it over the coming week.
8.6 Optimising your visual content
The best way of attracting traffic from search engines is to produce a blog made up of high quality, relevant, long form written content. However, there are also steps you can take when using images and videos to help your website appear early on in the list of search engine results. When you insert an image into a blog post using your blogging software or platform of choice, you will be given the opportunity to describe the image using text based descriptions known as “tags”. When a search engine trawls the internet looking for content relevant to a user's search, it will not only register the text in your written posts, but also the tags associated with any images you have chosen to use.
When optimising the images on your blog, your two primary considerations ought to be Alt tags and Title tags. The way in which you will edit these tags will depend on the blogging platform you are using, but the following is an overview of their purpose and a few tips on how to improve your images' performance:
Use keywords in your file names
When you take a photograph and upload it to your site, make sure that the image has a descriptive, relevant file name, before you include it in your post. For example, if you take a photograph your camera may automatically label the image as “image_001.jpg”, which will not allow a search engine to determine the content of the file. Instead, use a filename that accurately portrays whatever you have captured within the image.
Make good use of the alt tags
If you have ever tried to load a webpage only to realise that an image has not displayed properly, you will know that within every image on the internet is a text based description of the content. If an image cannot be displayed, the alt tag is the text that will appear in its place. You can sometimes see the alt tag, when you hover the mouse over a fully loaded image. It is best to use honest, straightforward descriptions in your alt tags. It may be tempting to βill the tag with keywords in the hope that your site will be ranked higher in search engine results, but this is counterproductive as Google and other search engines make use of sophisticated algorithms that can detect likely instances of someone trying to “game the system”.
Show multiple angles or views of the same product if you are writing a review
If you have a good reason to include several shots of the same product in a blog post, then take the opportunity to do so. This allows you to include multiple alt tags on one page, all containing keywords that can help draw visitors to your site via search engine results.
FACT
Presentations that contain images are 43% more effective in persuading viewers to adopt a particular attitude, compared to those without.
Source: University of Minnesota School of Management
8.7 General guidelines for using images effectively
Ensure that your images are of an appropriate size
Excessively large images can confuse your readers, as they will wonder why you have felt the need to include an image that takes up so much space on the page. At the same time, small images can frustrate readers who will not appreciate having to squint at the screen or zoom in to fathom the subject matter. Look at other blogs in your niche and take note of how they use images. How large are their photos and illustrations and where do they position them on the page?
Do not use too many images
Only use relevant images that add value to your post. Including images for the sake of it will not enhance your readers' experience and in fact, may discourage them from returning to your blog. It is better to choose just one or two suitable illustrations, than to incorporate as many as possible. Furthermore, an excess of images can cause delays in page loading times, which will irritate your visitors.
Take or find only high quality images
If you are taking your own photos, take the time to learn how to shoot clear images in which the subject matter can be clearly seen. If you are using images from the internet, make sure that they convey the right tone - quality and professionalism - and look aesthetically pleasing, before publishing them as part of a blog post. Using blurry, badly edited, or inappropriate images will communicate to your audience that you have not devoted much time or effort to your blog, which may in turn lead them to question why they should bother reading it.
Check that your images look good on both desktop and mobile versions of your site
Many of your visitors will be viewing your blog on mobile devices rather than traditional desktop monitors. It is therefore essential that your images load easily on both kinds of device. Most blogging platforms are now automatically optimised for mobile viewing, but you should still be sure to preview your posts on large and small screens before publishing.
Place your image immediately to one side of the first paragraph of your article
An image reduces the amount of text confronting the reader, when they take their first glance at an article. When you use an inline image, the lines of text immediately to the left or right will appear shorter, making it easier for the viewer to get drawn in. This provides you with an opportunity to hook the reader in and encourage them to read an article in its entirety.
Include images of people and animals rather than, or in addition to, objects
As social creatures, humans tend to enjoy looking at other people. We also find animals (especially furry mammals and domestic pets) aesthetically appealing. Make these the focus of your blog images, where possible. If you need to feature images of objects, try to βind some way of incorporating a human or animal presence if possible.
Avoid clichéd stock photos
Once you have spent a few minutes looking at the material available on major stock photo websites - whether free or paid - you will start to notice that certain themes and visual clichés appear on a frequent basis. As a general rule, you should not use any image that has a “familiar” feel to it, or that your readers might recognise as a cliché.
For example, it has become quite common to see stock photos depicting a person writing a word or phrase on a whiteboard, especially on blogs focusing on business related topics. A few years ago, this may still have been a fresh and interesting visual message, but it has since been so over used that it has lost much of its impact.
Another common mistake is to use stock photographs of models, who are pulling unnatural facial expressions. Unless you are writing an article about unnatural expressions, do not use this kind of material on your blog. It is distracting and may give the impression that you do not know how to identify normal human faces. Remember - only use an image if it is relevant to the point you are making in a blog post and βits with your site's message as a whole.
Make use of free online software to improve the appearance of images on your blog
There are many websites that offer you tools to develop and refine images, whether you created them yourself or are using someone else's work with permission. Canva (canva.com) and AddText (addtext.com) both offer simple web based interfaces, which allow you to add captions to photos and undertake basic edits, such as re-sizing.
Module Summary
Adding images, videos and other visual media to your blog is a great way to increase visitor engagement and increase the chances that they will share your content. However, you need to make sure that the media you use is available for legal use. Unless otherwise stated, all online content is under full copyright. This means that you do not have the right to reproduce the material and use it on your blog, without permission from the creator. Always secure written permission, if you want to use copyrighted material. It is usually easier to search for content that has been made freely available for anyone to use without written permission.
Creating your own content is often the best option, as it will not only add unique value to your blog, but is guaranteed to be free and legal for you to use. Always try and create high quality media that illustrates the points you are making within your written content. In order to help your site rank well in search engines, images should be optimised. This entails formatting tags, captions and descriptions in such a way that search engines accurately categorise your site and send those searching for relevant information straight to your blog. You can also consider presenting audio content without accompanying visual cues - i.e. in the form of a podcast or recording - on your blog, as a different way of providing your readers with information.
.svg)
