How to Use Visual Elements Effectively in a Blog Post
Using-Visual-Elements-Effectively

How to Use Visual Elements Effectively in a Blog Post

I’m a writer; by profession. I love putting words into sentences and stacking them into neat little paragraphs and watch them fill pages and pages for eternity. But I hardly do what I love, for what I love is not compatible with what my readers want.

Now, my readers, well most of them, are a very busy bunch; so busy that they choose to read while commuting and use their mobile devices to do so. They don’t even read the introductory paragraph that I put so much effort into, they skip right to the second headline where I list the things I want to say.

If the paragraph is too long they avert their eyes from it and pay attention to the bullet points under it, with no shame whatsoever.  And if there is an image or a graph illustrating the facts, they would abandon all the words, sentences and paragraphs in a heartbeat!

Readers, they love it so much when there is actually nothing much to read!

I would complain as a writer, only I do the very same thing most of the time!

What You Need to Know

If you skipped the introductory paragraphs and came here hoping that I would start talking about the point at hand here (already!), I don’t want to disappoint you!

The point at hand is…

Visual Communication

See what I did there, I made you finally look! (At least I hope you did and now you really know that this blog post is about visual communication!!).

What is Visual Communication?

Let’s start by answering this simple question; visual communication is illustrating and conveying the meaning of things using visual elements such as images, graphs, charts, diagrams, infographics, posters, maps, props etc. The hand gestures and facial expression of a communicator can also be considered as visual communication elements.

What is visual communication

How to Use Visual Elements Instead of 1000 Words

Use Images at Regular Intervals  

An image is worth a thousand words, but make sure that image is relevant to the situation you are referring to. You can add an image of a puppy and a kitten playing in a blog post that talks about the importance of visual communication, but it won’t work. The image will certainly steal the attention of the reader, but it will neither properly convey your message nor retain his attention.

When you are using images in a blog post make sure that they,

  • reinforce the idea you are trying to convey
  • are clean and uncluttered (you can clean up or resize images using photo editing software)
  • give copyrights to the relevant source if they aren’t original ones

Adding a featured image at the very beginning of the article is a guaranteed way of directing the attention of the busy reader to the introductory paragraphs they overlook most of the time. And when adding images make sure to do so at regular intervals; however, unless you are writing a manga, only add one image for every 350-450 words.

A cat and a dog playing

Use Graphs and Charts to Show Quantitative Data

Edgar Dale, the American educationist, says that we remember 10% of what we read, 20% of what we hear, 30% of what we see, 50% of what we see and hear, 70% of what we discuss with others, 80% of what we personally experience and 95% of what we teach others.

Or I can put it this way;

Pyramid Chart

Pyramid Chart

As you can see, numerical data make more sense and seem more appealing when they are visualized using graphs or charts. For example, with the above pyramid chart, I’ve been able to show the hierarchy among the data I have mentioned above.

Complicated data can easily be simplified with graphs and charts. However, it is important to make sure that you use the correct type of chart or graph to visualize the relevant statistics at hand.

  • Bar charts – for comparisons
  • Pie charts – to show how data is composed or how the whole breaks down into parts
  • Pyramid charts – to show the hierarchy of data
  • Line graphs – for comparisons and to show a correlation or pattern among data

Use Visual Elements to Show Qualitative Data

While quantitative data can be measured and reduced to numbers, qualitative data represent qualities that cannot be measured. For example the number of fingers on your hand is quantitative, and the color of your skin is qualitative. Just because a piece of information cannot be broken down into numbers, it doesn’t mean that it cannot be visualized.

There are some methods that you can use to visualize qualitative data;

  • Diagrams to visualize concepts and processes – There are many diagram types you can use to represent data. For an example the flow of a process (i.e. decision making process) can be depicted through a flowchart, or the structure of a system can be depicted through a block diagram (i.e. a sitemap or a network diagram).

A diagram type you can use to visualize concepts or show relationships between different variables is mind maps.  Check the mind map below that illustrates a few benefits of visual communication that we should all (as writers and readers) know about.

Advantages of Visual Communication

Example of a Mind Map

  • Word Clouds – A word cloud is an image that consists of several words related to a particular subject. The size of each word varies according to its significance. This is a great way to emphasize characteristics of a certain subject in a visually appealing manner. For example, the word cloud below highlights aspects of online marketing.
Example of a word cloud

Example of a word cloud

  • Comics – Comics can be a unique way of communicating a message or a process to a reader. For example, Google interprets its key engineering decisions through a series of comics, proving that this unconventional method of visual communication is a great way to explain complicated technical concepts to not so tech-savvy users.
Google Chrome Comics

Google Chrome Comics

  • Logos and photographs – these can be helpful visual elements in highlighting facts you are trying to point out in words. For example, when you quote someone famous in a post, you can add his or her image next to it; likewise, you can add logos or icons next to the text to represent the subject under discussion.

Focus on Color and Typography

Visual communication applies to the color palette and typography as well; both play a major role in communicating your message to the readers and provoking a response from them.

Choosing a color for your font should be as important as selecting the words you write down. For example red indicates a sense of urgency, and writing a message in red would not only draw the attention of the reader, but it would also encourage them to respond immediately. On the other hand green would stimulate a sense of calmness, encouraging the reader to peacefully internalize the message without hurrying. Thus, when selecting colors, whether for the design of the page or typography, make sure they agree with what you are trying to say.

Typographical elements, such as the font, font size, the space between sentences etc., also contribute to making an article visually appealing.  Using a larger font for the title and the subheadings are techniques commonly emphasized. In addition, you can either italicize the text or make it bold to draw the attention of readers to an important message.

This post consists of more than 1000 words; if I hadn’t added any visual elements, most readers would have skipped reading it altogether. I’m sure some at least went through the images while scanning the content. This is why it is important to use visual elements in a blog post; they draw and retain the attention of the reader while helping you drive your point home!

What I Have Learnt from Blogging for Over 4 Years
Blogging tips

Blogging tips

When I first started my blog, I had no idea what I was doing. I loved writing (which I still do!) and I was a full-time copy writer; a blog seemed like the most practical thing to do!

I hardly had any followers during the first few weeks (aside from my best friend and my mom who would leave positive comments all over my articles!), but then I started implementing a few tricks I learnt from work and picked from expert articles I read; what do  you know, visitors started flowing in!

Today, I have over 1 million monthly visitors!

So I’m writing this post to share the tips and tricks I implemented to get this far and the lessons I have learnt on the way, hoping that it will help you get your blog up and running.

Let’s dig in!

Pick a Niche!

My first post on my own blog was about content writing; I basically shared everything I knew. The post had over 3000 words. Then I started writing my second blog post; it was on climate change and how I felt about it.

I was about to publish it, when it hit me that there is no absolute connection between my first post and the second.

When I published my first post, I hadn’t decided on a niche, or a target audience; I simply wanted to share my knowledge on what I’m good at. Then there was it; content writing! My target audience could simply consist of those people who want to know information on what I am good at. So I based the next series of articles on content marketing. It was an effective move, for I was able to attract a few curious visitors.

A target audience is a crucial element in blogging, for without one you cannot even begin to think of promoting your blog, let along generating traffic. Pick your niche first, and pick one that you can genuinely share your knowledge with.

Be Consistent!

This is something I learnt at work.  I maintained our company’s blog and our senior editor had advised me not to publish more than two blog posts per week; so I published one every Monday and Friday. I never broke away from this routine.

I implemented this strategy on my personal blog as well, publishing only two blog posts a week. This was easier for me as well, for it gave me plenty of time to write my blog posts. Most importantly, it helped boost traffic to my blog. Plus by now my followers know when exactly to expect the latest post from me.

Consistency is key to driving traffic to your blog. So, it’s important to create a schedule for your blog posts and stick to it.

Use Social Channels!

It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that social media literally saved my blog from getting buried in the sea where all other unsuccessful blogs go to die!

I vigorously promoted my blog posts (sometimes even publishing the same post 2-3 times a day) through all my social channels (Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Facebook etc.). It generated a significant amount of traffic to my blog; plus it helped me gain a lot of new followers who have stuck with me through out time.

  • Make sure you add social share buttons to your blog!
  • Include images or videos when you share your posts on social media platforms
  • Add click to Tweet links in your blog posts
  • Publish your updates during times when your audience is most likely to be online

These are some of the tips I used when integrating social media channels to my strategy and they worked like a charm!

Listen to Your Audience!

The lifeline of your blog is your audience! I would like to emphasize it even though it is obvious.

It is important to listen to them, understand them and give them what they want. I used my social media channels to figure out what my readers were interested in. If I find something that sticks out, I would start writing about it the very next day. This way I was not only able to cater to the satisfaction of my current followers, but was also able to get a plenty of social shares for the articles.

Now, while you focus your energy on bringing in new visitors to your blog, you shouldn’t abandon the existing followers. I regularly engage with my followers by replying to the comments they leave on my articles and on social media platforms. This practice has helped me gain quite a lot of loyal followers who regularly visit my blog.

Guest Posts on Other Blogs!

Guest posting is a great way to promote your blog. In the middle of the second year, when I had already published a little over 100 blog posts in my own blog, I started reaching out to other sites that accepted contributors.

Now, I made sure that these blogs I reached out to, targeted similar niches I catered to, and this helped me both create exposure to my blog and gain new readers.

When writing guest posts, I did my best not to violate their guidelines, and by creating truly unique pieces that I really put an effort to, I was able to get them published without a hassle.

This is the trick to getting your post accepted by another blogger; avoid spamming your article with links to your blog, simply write an original and informative post and use the author byline to add the relevant link.

Note: make sure the blog you reach out to allows do-follow links to your own website or blog!

Learn SEO!

At first I had a very hard time wrapping my head around all the SEO mumbo-jumbo. But I did a little research, and found a ton of SEO guides for writers of various proportions. I might have read all of them, and the key points I memorized were;

  • Do thorough keyword research before every post
  • Use the primary keyword (s) in the title, meta tag, meta description, beginning of the article, (a few times) in the body of the article, subheadings, at the end of the article and the slug
  • Make sure the article is always more than 300 words (the longer the better!)
  • NEVER plagiarize content!
  • Use short paragraphs and include bullet points
  • Don’t ignore meta descriptions
  • Link to relevant resources (always make sure the sites you link to are trusted!)
  • Add images and optimize them (remember to add the primary key word in the Alt Tag!)
  • Do a lot of link building (via guest posts on other blogs, leaving comments with a link to your blog on question-and-answer sites like Quora etc.)

Build the Email List!

I did not have an email list during the first 4 months; I didn’t even have a call-to-action on my blog asking readers to subscribe to my blog (let alone a newsletter!). In many articles I read on promoting blogs, I saw how creating an email list was repeatedly emphasized. It wasn’t until I added an email subscription form on my blog, did I realize the true power of an email list.

It wasn’t easy getting readers to sign up at first, but I, with the help of a designer who happens to be my best friend, created a unique and attractive subscription form that soon was able to gather email addresses from plenty of readers. I used the list to promote new posts I write to my readers directly. It had quite the impact on boosting traffic to my blog.

 

I admit it, finding readers for my blog was a very slow process.  It took me more than a year to get a little more than a thousand readers. But by practicing these methods on a regular basis, I was able to increase traffic to my blog eventually. I hope these lessons I have learnt in my journey would guide you to instant success with your own blog!

 

The Dos and Don’ts of Creating a Blog for Your Startup
WordPress is perfect for a startup blog

Creating a blog for your startup business is a great way to generate an interactive community centered around your business culture. By regularly posting thought-provoking content to your blog, you are creating a platform for sharing ideas, and inviting your viewers to interact with you and your startup.
A blog for your startup is a great tool, but there is a right way and a wrong way to build and operate a blog. Below are several dos and don’ts for business blogging.

Do Use WordPress

There are several services, like WordPress that make blogging incredibly easy. I recommend WordPress, because it is by far the most popular and best blogging platform on the web.
WordPress has loads of free themes, or designs, to choose from, so you don’t have to be a web developer to create a great looking site. There are also more business appropriate themes that can boost the professional image of your blog. If you want a fully customized design then you need to hire a web design company. Just make sure to use a wire-frame software or a user interface mock-up tool to clearly communicate your design to the other party.
Other features that WordPress offers include thousands of plugins (features that extend the usability of your site, like a search bar, calendar, social media buttons etc.), great technical support, and SEO benefits.
WordPress is very user-friendly, but it can be difficult to know where to start if you’ve never used it before. Refer to the guide below, created by Simply Business, for detailed information about every step in setting up a WordPress site.

WordPress is perfect for a startup blog

Detailed Guide to Creating a WordPress site.

Click image to open interactive version (via Simply Business).

Do Plan Ahead

It’s important to map out your goals for blogging. Are there themes you want to cover? Is there a series you want to write about? Are there topics your readers are suggesting? It’s usually best not to blog randomly, because you can cover a wider breadth of information if you plan out your posts.
Many business blogs cover a particular theme for one month (i.e. agile marketing for your business), or conduct a series (i.e. ways to increase employee productivity), which allows them to anchor their readership in a particular idea. Your readers will be more likely to follow your blog over the long term if you follow an organized pattern of thought. Mind maps are a great way to organize your thoughts. Use Creately to create mind maps online or simply browse our mind map examples to get an idea.
There are plenty of ways to organize your ideas for blog posts. If you’re into planning apps, there are several that allow you to quickly add notes, if you’re struck with an article idea and need to jot it down, and allow you to plan in detail over the long-term. Apps are great if you need to plan on the go, or want to go paperless. Of course, if you need to actually write down your ideas, instead of type, there are plenty of planners that come in all varieties, so you can plan however works best for you.

Do Use Photos

The best blogs always use photos, and plenty of them. Why? Because they capture your readers’ attention, provide your page with visual interest, and give your text a balancing component. Just because you’re blogging about your startup doesn’t mean you have to go without photos.
Using photos in your blog posts can be fairly easy. If you have a quality camera, take pictures of your business, employees, products, or service in action (if, you own a restaurant, take photos of your food being prepared or served). If you cannot afford a quality camera, do not post poor quality pictures to your blog.
Poor pictures will instantly make your blog look low-quality, which is the last thing you want your business to be associated with. If you don’t have a great camera, try using stock photos, which are fairly inexpensive.

Don’t Go It Alone

There are thousands upon thousands of other startups blogging about their business, which means there is a vast community full of resources. Especially if you use WordPress, there are people who know the ins and outs of blogging from a business platform. Don’t hesitate to reach out to other business blogs and ask them about their common problems, reader responses, or solutions.
There are also plenty of forums and resources specifically for startups that can help you navigate new territory successfully. It’s important for you to embrace partnership with other organizations and businesses, as they can often provide you with great tips and information.

Don’t Get Too Promotional

If your customers wanted promotional materials they would be looking at your ads, instead of your blog. Your blog should be about quality content, not marketing. By producing quality content, you will be branding yourself as a business that is focused on great idea sharing, which will attract you more readers.
Don’t fool yourself into thinking you don’t have anything to blog about but your brand, there are plenty of businesses in “boring” niches that are creating great content within their markets.
Services like WordPress know that content that is too promotional will not succeed, because readers want genuinely helpful or insightful content. Under WordPress’ terms of service, they say “content is not spam… and does not contain… unwanted commercial content.” Blogs that are driven by content give their readers real information that will be helpful to the reader.

Don’t Be Hands Off

Don’t just schedule your blog posts and leave it at that. Engage with your readers by responding to their comments on your articles, asking for feedback, and suggesting other resources for them to check out. You can also invite guest posts, which will engage other audiences and writers.
The internet evolves quickly, which means your blog needs to evolve quickly too. WordPress has automatic updates, which is nice because you don’t have to worry about keeping up with the latest format, but as far as your content goes, you need to be engaged with your readers very often in order for your blog to be successful.

Is a blog a must for a Startup

We at Creately thinks so. The blog provides us a way to provide useful information about diagramming, to share our experiences as a startup and to share information about our latest features. Every startup has something interesting to share and a blog is simply one of the best ways to do that.

About the author: James Daugherty is a blogger from Seattle who love technology, marketing, and snowboarding. Follow his thoughts on Twitter – @jimmydaugherty