A Beginner’s guide for sharing your WordPress posts

Blogging. How To Serve Up Your WordPress Posts To A Hungry Audience When You’re Just Starting Out

Publishing your post having written a Great article shares the same stakes as inviting readers to come read your work. It’s a road many of us have taken and at one stage or another, all of us were new to this game called blogging. The thing is, it’s not a game. It’s a serious attempt to get your business noticed. It is also a very time-consuming task that not all of us can afford to spend too much time on. Then there’s the effort it takes to plan, broadcast and promote your new blog on social media platforms. Fortunately, someone gave this thing a lot of thought and there is a host of tools available to give you your time back and share your work as well.We’ll be covering techniques that will offer methods to help you share your WordPress posts and we’ll reveal some plugins, scheduling tools and most important, social networks’ built-in options.

Why Do You Need to Share Your WordPress Posts

Sharing WordPress articles can improve your reach providing you’ve got a solid social media marketing strategy in place. You will also drive traffic to your site and assist your site’s search engine optimisation. Facebook alone is the catalyst for reaching out to people beyond the realm which encloses many of us in a selected area. 76% of people use this platform not only to reach out but also to hunt down interesting content. It is also a fact that over 40% of people purchase a product they’ve seen or learn about on Facebook.

There Are A Lot More Tools To Include In Your Assemblage

Sharing occurs in ways that engage readers or through the use of plugins or even the settings that are built into the platform. With a little thought, organisation and wise usage of these techniques your content can broaden its reach beyond even that you imagined. It might seem so obvious, but adding share buttons to your posts is almost a no-brainer. And you can do this by using Monarch a dedicated plugin. Just having them on your site encourages your visitors to share your article easily and effortlessly and people love to share quality content. With Monarch, you’re able to utilise the power of social media to its full extent with these very up to date buttons that invite people to follow. And the beauty is you can situate them anywhere you wish to put them on your site. They’re prominent and they’re attractive but they’re also customisable so that you can have them as a draw-card that not only looks great but suits your site. There’s a choice of six button locations, six triggers for pop-up and these are the calls for action with a comment and can be time delayed to suit your preferences. We’ve offered Monarch to those who hold an Elegant Themes membership but there are other options for social media sharing plugins for WordPress. One we suggest as a free choice is MashShare which uses no external scripts and therefore load times are more rapid because all code is loaded directly from your website. And another we recommend is codecanyon, easy social share buttons for WordPress. Install and activate the Monarch plugin by navigating to Tools > Monarch Settings in your WordPress dashboard then you’ll be presented with a screen with the Locations tab and there you’ll be able to set your buttons where you want them. You click on your location and you’ll see a green check mark which will indicate all the locations you’ve chosen and then you just need to click on Save Changes and you’re finished. The next tab is Networks which enables networks you wish your visitors to share with. Click on Add Networks and a pop-up will appear indicating all the available social platforms that are available and this is where you select the ones that are relevant to you. There is an array of tabs that give you the opportunity to customise each location button you’ve selected and it’s here you can resize, reshape, alter colours and counts. You get to decide which pages you’d like the buttons to appear on from here.

Time to Link Your Social Media Accounts

Everyone who visits your site now finds it easy to share your posts, but what about saving even more time by using Jetpack? Imagine how every time you publish a post it appears on several social media networks automatically. This is what jetpack does. All you do is navigate to settings > sharing in your dashboard, click the connect tab next to the social network you want to connect to, log in to the social media site you want to share to and authorise the connection. When you’re ready to publish your post, just click publish and whatever services you chose, you’ll see it show up there. If you want to opt out from a particular network, click the publicise edit link, uncheck the services you don’t want and you’re done.

Schedule Your Posts

Sometimes it’s better to schedule your posts whilst aiming at your target audience. Whilst you’re not driving everyone crazy with a bounty of incessant posts, you can maintain the timing and get posts out consistently and at a time that is inclined to suit the reader. You don’t want your posts aiming at the moon and landing among the stars. There are resources you can use to figure out when your optimal times are and when people are most likely to read your post. Using the right tool for this kind of application makes sense and when you’ve got a lot of posts to release at certain times of the day or night, Hootsuite might just be the tool you’re looking for. It’s an auto-scheduling tool that chooses the time to send out your articles according to your preference. Another auto-scheduling tool is CoSchedule which acts like a calendar and where you can get your posts out there from a ‘one-stop-shop’. Try Buffer, a free schedule and publish tool also located in the same 'one-stop-shop’ and also acts as a secretary, getting your posts out for you while you focus on other tasks. Buffer is free for the individual application and gives you only one platform but starts at $10 per month and gives you ten social accounts.

Wrapping it Up

Whatever your choice of 'secretary’ gives you a chance to keep up with social media demands and those of your followers. Whatever you choose to do, you’ve now got time on your side. Choose whichever application is going to fit your needs and you’ll find a whole lot more is done for you rather than you having to do it yourself. So your WordPress posts will be professionally handled, will go out on time and will reach those people all over the globe in time zones that won’t even cause you loss of sleep. Everything is on schedule and that’s being punctual because you care about your potential customers.

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How to create a memorable logo

We’re Sharing The Secrets To Creating Memorable Logos

Logos. Who needs ‘em? You do. But they’re everywhere. I mean, they’re colourful, and they’re powerful but how is anyone going to recognise my business in an ocean of logos that often don’t make a lot of sense in any case? They may not make a lot of sense but they’re unforgettable, aren’t they? And that is exactly what the logic of this valuable exercise is all about. Memorability. Creating memorable logos is a combination of clever colour choice, relevancy to your business and identity. So where should you start?

Brand Identity

What you do may not be unique but who you are is inarguably unique. With your point of view in all you do, and in where your passions lie, this is where you begin. Regardless that you may be running a generic business that is certainly not unique due to its broad emphasis on commonality, how you present it to your customers is your gateway to accomplishment and attaining a loyal following. To make this process simpler, ask yourself how you define your brand. In other words, who are you? Your business reflects the elements that make you, you. What are two words that reflect you, your business and what you want to achieve accurately? Once you have them, you’re on your way. For example. You might offer your services as a life coach. Do you empower people; offer encouragement and hope, support and improvement? As a financial advisor, you’re offering financial improvement, abundant mindset and or budget sense. Brainstorm, write down your words then slowly go through the processes of elimination until you’ve arrived at the two words that inspire you.

Colour Behaviour

If emotions could be viewed in various hues you’d probably find a lot of reds, blues, pinks, yellows, greens, purples, golds and oranges are generated. Yellow, however, is the colour the human mind understands thus the eyes notice first. Then comes orange, being the central character between the yellow and the passion of red. Red is bold and commands attention while pink is gender specific and purple is the cousin of the primary colour blue. Blue is somber. Black is Authoritative.

• Red is a powerful attention chaser. Once captured, it has the ability to stir emotion and hold the visitor to a page. However, overdoing it with too much red will chase away your customers.
• Blue is trust. It is cool and unhurried. As a primary colour, blue lends itself to expansion and mixed with supporting colours will often offer the best results.
• Yellow spells confidence. It is also a very powerful colour that commands the attention of your audience but also lets them know you’re capable of what you do.
• Green is inviting, healthy, environmentally friendly and sends out a message of goodwill. It is also the main colour of many global currencies and reminds the subconscious mind of wealth.
• Purple is royalty, elegance, and prestige and spreads a message of refinement. Purple is class, grace, and refinement. Not to be used haphazardly.
• Gold is also aristocratic but with its reputation, holds more powerful energy than purple. With an element of power no other colour can surpass, gold is the epitome of heritage.
• Orange is just full-throated fun. It oozes energy, seizes attention in a very subtle way and is a comfortable colour that makes visitors feel relaxed in the knowledge they’re dealing with a reputable business.
• Black is easy to choose. It is also classically elegant and balanced with white can express dominance and authority. Go easy though, too much can send a message of emptiness.

Understanding the messages behind colours can increase your understanding of how colours affect people’s emotions and how far reaching their connection to colours can be. Colours spell the effectiveness of your business’ branding methods. Know also that people generally make a subconscious judgement about a product within 90 seconds of viewing it, so you need also to understand they make that judgement purely on colour alone.

Logo Simplicity

Again, it cannot be impressed upon enough, less is more. Enter the mind of a child and design from that point of view. Leave out the frills. When you’re done, your logo should be dispassionately edited. Forget the gorgeous hues the rainbow makes on your logo unless your business delivers rainbows door to door. Now, erase, erase, erase. Keep honing until you’ve got the power and the clarity of simplicity.

Simplicity Is Impact. It Needs No Assistance.

When you play with white space, you’re creating a puzzle. The human mind cannot help but try to figure out what’s behind the white space as it’s complimentary colours are introduced. White space is as valuable as any colour. When you allow a single letter or symbol to seemingly protrude, see for yourself how bold an impact it can make on the entire design, and how long you linger while figuring out what you see. Conclusion, If your logo never fails to deliver a pleasurable experience consistently, you’ve got yourself a winner. On the other hand, if your design is a constant reminder of a flat experience, your logo may be memorable for all the wrong reasons.

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How To Get Traffic With Your Website Content

It’s a mystery, and every marketing guru out there is still trying to decipher why blogging, written content, call it whatever you want, has the mere power to promote changeability. Mystery governs a niche. It alters the way people think about a specific thing. But like a pregnancy, if you don’t commit to consistency, the interest is only at its peak for nine solid months and after that wanes into nothingness. So why is it so controversial and why does it seem that unless you’re an insider, you have no privileges to the secrets of conversion, traffic and more visitors than you ever dreamed of? Ah yes, there are plenty of websites out there, all boasting more than 450K visitors and all of those visitors remain loyal no less.

• So what’s behind the scenes?
• Why isn’t everyone informed?
• Isn’t everyone a deserving being?
• Hell yes! But have you been listening?

That very same content you’re writing has been trying to tell you ‘Keep Up or Get Lost.’ Not Take a Hike in the literal, sarcastic sense, but if you insist on just keeping going in the same direction and doing the same thing over again, then you’re certain to have your wish and will surely get lost. There’s nothing pleasant about wallowing around in a cesspool of broken blogs or even soggier, poorly written blogs that have never been or will be read. The name of the blogging game has been and always will be, particularly in the future, to focus on the creation of engaging, interesting, cannot-put-it-down content for potential and loyal customers. To be able to reach out and retain visitors you need to encourage them to linger longer on your website. So, with all that said, do you know what you’re doing? Have you deciphered the mystery? Probably not and that’s why we’re here. Content marketing is what it is, it’s a necessary evil, but without the secret confessions having been revealed and the mystery unshrouded, how can one conquer complacent blogs?

There are 3 categories to Content Marketing Strategies

• Just Blogging
• Formats
• Products

Every blog takes time and effort to give it flavour and interest and an element of unputdownable ness. Now you might think writing a blog is easy; and products, well, they’re part of your goods and services as a business. That formatting is just something expected, and once you’re done, you publish then sit back and wait for the traffic. We’ll put that myth to rest. We’re sorry to say; it’s not all it’s thought to be.

Just Blogging is

• Easy to read blogs covering the basics of your business. A published article about a new product or trend.
• Techniques you’ve discovered that ensure ease of use of a particular product you’re promoting.
• Information about your business overall with a view to attracting visitors and making them aware of your services.

Formatting is

• Infographics that are a vital measure to any blog and have the power to say a whole lot more than words ever could.
• Animations that are not only entertaining but have the wherewithal to lend a boost to a person’s memory. If you’re out of inspiration, you’ll find what you’re looking for here.
• Used to target your audience. Why not head over to Buffer who created a marketing tool called Pablo which is where you’ll find hundreds upon hundreds of images.
• Videos that have become a customary trait offering more than words and graphics can in a heartbeat. With clever consideration, (think like a director) you can publish a video on your website that showcases your business in all its glory.

Products are

• The blood in the veins of the business. Content marketing needs products, and those products include new stuff, new services and expansion of your reachability. All of this is a link in your business chain.
• Have a product that lives in the Now rather than one that is more of a passing fad. Use your services to bring awareness to the fact that you’re here to stay and you have the goods to prove it.

Content is King

Blogs are published every moment of every single day, and their content is consistent. So you need an audience with a consistent interest. Ideally, topics like finances, health, weightloss and social media are topics that have that changeability element and people want to read about it. Avoid becoming stagnant and writing as though your vocabulary vehicle is just spinning its wheels. To avoid that from occurring, see if you can find an audience who is networked with each other. You can find common threads on social media and use those particular niches that are relevant to your business and products, to hurl a bucketful of awareness at them (after you’ve joined the group). Try to find other bloggers or podcasters or even some best-selling authors who have built their audiences. On the whole, there are generally about 8-10 influencers around who already dominate the niche space. There’s plenty to learn from them. Keep your blogs interesting to readers who are aged between 30 and 55 and with their interests changing and flowing, if your blog is viable you’ll have an audience you’ll enjoy writing for. That in itself is one of the biggest secrets to keeping a blog alive. Mystery unveiled simply says, if you don’t like your audience, your blog will suffer because you won’t have the incentive to write. You need to like your readers out loud.

Wrapping it Up

So the mystery has been uncovered, and you’re now aware that content marketing is so much more than just publishing a bunch of words to fill a stack of white space. Allow your content to reel in your customers by letting them know of the new approaches you’re taking with your business and products. Show don’t tell that you care about your audience but don’t pander to their every whim either. Keep your marketing strategies simple but make them exciting. You’ll never get lost if you use a little imagination like breathless, engaging content, video, animation, and infographics. More than anything, enjoy what you do and do what you enjoy the most. When your flavoursome blog has all the ingredients that your audience is searching for, watch out for the traffic jams.

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What Is The Best Platform For Blogging?

It seems everyone is either starting a blog or writing one but if you’re still sitting there pondering the ‘hows’ we’ve got some step by step guidance to give you a head-start. Everyone has something to say and being able to shout it out to the world is easier than it has ever been. With a blog, you can write how you feel about the price of living, or you can give that a wide scope and opt to write how your business is booming since you designed and published your website. Blogging is fun, but it can also create quite a challenge if you’re just starting out. You’ve got to ask yourself what you’re going to write about, how you’re going to launch your blog once it’s finished and then there’s that decision you have to make on which platform to use. And how can you get yourself a growing bunch of readers? We’ll tackle the bigger picture first and suggest ways and which platform you can choose to blog from. We’ll ask you some of the questions you’ll finish up asking yourself when you get around to choosing a blogging platform and then we’ll walk through some of the successful ones while letting you know why one might be better than the other.

Think About The Blogging Platform

Ask yourself:

• Do I want only a blog or do I want a website to work from?
• Do you want to be hosted or will you self-host? Being hosted saves you from having to deal with code and a head full of technical knowledge. If however, you wish to self-host your own website and domain name, here are some guidelines.
• How does your budget feel about monetising your blog? Self-hosted sites do require feeding, and you’ll need to pay for hosting and a domain name. There may also be monthly fees to keep your site live.
• Are you looking to earn money with your blog? Because some platforms limit your ability to earn money from your blog, you may want to look at one that doesn’t present any restrictions.

So, now that those questions have been sorted and you’re clear on your direction, we’ll journey through some of the blogging platforms and from there you’ll be able to make a choice.

WordPress.org

WordPress has a self-hosted version. It’s called WordPress.org, and it’s a popular platform due to its adaptability. It’s quite clever. You can use it as just a blog from which to reach out to people with your opinions or you can expand it to become a website over which you can obtain full control and monetise it however you like. With themes and page builders available to use, you’re able to create stunning websites, and you don’t even have to know anything about HTML code or design. WordPress is free. All you’ll need to pay for is hosting and your domain. For further information

WordPress.com

This is a free and an easier solution, particularly for beginners. Hosting and domain names aren’t necessary as all you need here is a username and away you go. However, you’re pretty well controlled in what you do and changes that are afforded to those whose site is on this free platform. And if you’re thinking you might use this platform to monetise your business, WordPress won’t allow it. If all you’re wanting is a blog and a little enjoyment along the way, then this might be the way to go. For further information

Medium

This blogging platform is very different and serves the blogger well in that you get a built-in audience with Medium. Should any of your blogs become editor’s picks, they have the potential to go viral, but there’s a catch. You don’t actually own your blog at Medium, but it is free and hosted at medium.com. Another is you can’t customise it either nor can you monetise it but if you’re just looking for a happy platform to give your thoughts and opinions an airing then this is it. For further information

Ghost

Ghost is the new kid on the blogger’s block and looks and feels like a leaner interpretation of WordPress and is a blogger’s paradise. Ghost is downloadable for free if you’re going to host it yourself or you can opt to pay $19 per month. Fully hackable, this platform is for creating and running a consistent online publication. But again, it doesn’t offer the same flexibility as does WordPress. For further information

Tumblr

Tumblr is more for the image conscious and although it is a free hosted platform this one is not really too focused on text. If you want to tell a story, you tell it in pictures instead. This doesn’t mean you can’t use Tumblr for text, you can, but it’s the pictures that say the most. Tumblr also has its own built-in audience and with plenty of people to see your posts, like Medium you will lose the ability to customise and monetise if you’re going to use Tumblr. For further information

Blogger

Blogger used to be stepping out with WordPress, but for a few years now, it lost it’s dancing shoes and remains just another platform. It is a free hosted blogging platform, but again you’re compromising your ability to customise your site. You’re pretty much under the control of blogger. However, you can display targeted ads on your blog so that you can earn a little money while writing what you’re passionate about. Although focused on the written word, Blogger is easily integrated with AdSense; it’s all done for you when you display your ads. For further information

Squarespace

With Squarespace, you are able to create a blog and a regular website which is hosted, but you will need to pay for the use of this platform. For the business owner, this is a site that will focus on blogging and content. With everything in place to showcase your images, you’ve got a good choice of templates to choose from. This is more for the artist, the photographer and the chef. Musicians will get a delightful taste of what’s available here while wedding planners will also find this platform easy to use. Beginning at $12 per month its worth considering. For further information

Conclusion

The sites provided here are with the beginners in mind. Whether you’re the type that likes to journal your daily experiences or showcase a host of photographs, include audio or video, you’ve got the world at your feet. Sharing is fun and if you want to share your anecdotes, your dog’s daily antics or just your thoughts, consider working with Medium or Tumblr. For those who want to share more meatier blogs and don’t care for the monthly fees, then a blogging platform where facts, figures, graphs and strong advice can be included is often a better to one to run with like WordPress.com or even Blogger to get your message across. However, if you want absolute flexibility and freedom of move, then a self-hosted version of WordPress would be your better choice.

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How to Create Images That will Display Perfectly on Retina Screens

Frustration is born from fuzzy visuals on your iPhone, particularly when you’ve spent so much time ensuring your website is perfect. You used high-quality images, but now they’re not displaying correctly. Why? Devices being introduced now days, particularly Apple, use advanced display technology which can sometimes affect the ability of an image display. But there are techniques to use so that the images you use on your website are optimised and will be displayed perfectly on any iPhone. There is such a thing referred to as Retina Display, and you’ll be shown how to create image assets that will display perfectly on Retina screens.

Who/What is Retina Display?

It was Apple who came up with the term ‘Retina Display’ which is now a brand name used to describe the screens of their newest devices. These new screens are extremely clear and viewable. Retina screens do not display pixels that are visible to the naked eye but deliver text and images as sharply as possible. Due to its variance in size, Retina Display is not a standard screen. A good example is a watch screen compared with a tablet and how close to the eyes a typical user would have the screen to enable readability. Pixel density equates to the number of pixels a display can fit into a fixed distance. Not the same as resolution which is the number of pixels across the entire height and width of a device, the screen of an iPhone with the same resolution as a larger one (such as an iPad) would have a greater pixel density. Dividing the physical width of the display by the number of pixels displayed horizontally gives us the pixels per inch. The Designer’s Guide to DPI will impart more information. So for the best quality image display on retina display devices, working with higher resolution images ensures that the image will be displayed at a pixel density appropriate for the later screens.

Using Photoshop to Create Retina Display Images

While you’re working with images that are double the resolution, you’ll probably find you have to zoom in to see the fine detail. Extremely large images files tend to bring a lot of challenges with them when it comes to storage and performance. Many designers have had to resort to multiple layer creation and groups then turning them on and off while using the comps feature in Photoshop. Or they’ve worked on the original resolution exporting the required sizes using an action like recognise.it. With both methods, you cannot see multiple images at the same time. You must switch between them or export and then rework them. Time consuming at it’s best. But now Adobe has a function that makes these actions easy and instantaneous. You have the ability to have a multitude of canvases on your screen using the artboard feature. From there you’re able to produce multiple image sizes using Generate.

How does it work for retina displays?

Generate an Artboard with the Artboard tool which is found in Photoshop CC 2015, is concealable by using the Move tool. Either click on the tool in the menu or use Shift+V to switch between Move and Artboard. Now to create an artboard, click and drag in an area and the artboard is displayed in the Layers panel under a default filename Artboard 1.

Setting Up An Artboard

Add layers to your artboard, and they’ll be nested in layer groups that will enable you to produce layer structure. Whilst adding your shapes and type, have them appropriately positioned before introducing your next step.

Make a Duplicate of Your Artboard

Duplicate your first artboard using the contextual menu. Right-click on Artboard 1 (the default file) in the Layers panel then select Duplicate Artboard. A mirror image of what you’ve created is produced; thus the same artboard; same size and position with the same layer structure are displayed.

Now Position Artboards

Having the advantage of seeing all your images is being able to position your artboards as required. You can move them in several ways.

• Use the Properties panel that is displayed when an artboard is selected. Enter the X and Y coordinates for the top left corner of the artboard.
• Drag the selected artboard to any position inside Photoshop. The artboard will automatically align multiple artboards, and their positions will lock in at the previous spacing.
• Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to move a selected artboard. An arrow key by itself will nudge the board by one pixel. Shift+Arrow will move it by ten pixels.

Resize Your Artboards

You have the option to resize your boards if you require.

• Resize them by clicking on the handles that appear when you select an artboard.
• The Options panel below the File menu lets you choose preset sizes, set custom widths or heights, or switch between portrait and landscape orientation.
• To change sizes, select the artboard, then the Properties panel that is displayed. Change the size and access the preset sizes.

Set Up the Generate Tool

Having created your artboards, you have the ability to export them, the layers and or groups via Generate by using a special naming syntax. It acts as a Save for Web shortcut. To ensure Generate is turned on for your PSD go to File > Generate > Image Assets Rename Your Artboards: Based on the options you set in the name of the layer group, your work is saved as you work. You can set your options by: File format. Add an extension such as -opt.jpg.gif or .png to save the relevant file. For example, header-main.png. The image assets are saved in the same folder as the PSD file, but with an -assets suffix. File compression. After the extension, you can add a figure denoting the level compression used. For opt.jpg you can use percentages, and for .png use 8, 24, or 32 for the respective bit formats – for example, header-main.png8. Output scale. Your scale is set by adding either the percentage or pixels (width by height) before the image name (e.g. 100% header-main.png8). Multiple images. By using a comma or a plus sign, you can separate image names when you export multiple images from the same artboard. So long as each image name is unique, for example, 100% header-main.png8, 200% header-main.png8, each image can have its own options. If you require standard images for all of your artboards, using the Generate tool gives you the ability to create a default setting to apply to each one. By adding an empty layer at the top of your document, you create this setting with the following options: Default keyword: The name must start with this to let Generate know to use it as the default. Output scale: As before, set the scale of the output with a percentage or pixels (width by height). Folder/suffix: Set the folder name where images should be saved, and a suffix to add to the filenames. Adding several options lets, you create the images you need for retina displays. For example, default 100% end/@1x, 200% end/@2x, 300% end/@3x. Now you can add extensions to any boards you want to export by using the default option.

How to Optimise Your Retina Display Image Assets

Always consider file size when you’re creating your website images; they have to load into your visitor’s browser. Slow loading images are a frustration and irrespective of the gorgeous website you’ve created, if it’s a slow download, it won’t be seen. Visitors don’t have the time to wait.Optimise your website images by ensuring you are using the applicable options when saving your files in Photoshop. Save your images as JPEG format which is preferred for photographs with many colours. It uses compression to reduce the file size. And the PNG format works best for screenshots and design images such as icons and buttons, however, it’s file sizes are larger.WordPress offers some assistance in optimising as it produces additional image sizes when uploaded to your WordPress site. It ensures the appropriate size image; thumbnails, for example, would be used in listings of multiple posts. Additionally, there are image optimisation plugins to assist optimisation as the images are uploaded.

Winding it Up

You need to consider all the options of preparation for using high-resolution images on your website. Consider download speed as a main for the finished product and all that work that went into will drift through the ether without anyone enjoying the scenery. Think about pixelation viewed on newer retina displays. It is easier to create retina display images in Photoshop one thoughtful step at a time. Without rushing and using each step as detailed above, you will save yourself the heartache of seeing an out of focus image on a display screen. Recapping the easy steps:

• Create your artboards. Set up the Generate Tool to assist in export. Duplicate and position them correctly.
• If required, resize your artboards before introducing images.
• Set up your files as default then rename them as necessary with Generate.

All the techniques above are designed to assist you to create images that are optimised for display on newer device screens. It’s the step to successful images that you just know are going to look the way you expect them to be displayed on all and new device screens. If you had discovered another click-able action while creating your new and absolutely beautiful website that is a joy to view on a retina screen, we’d love to hear from you by subscribing to the comments section below.

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How To Make Money Blogging With WordPress

You can blog your way to a healthy income if you discipline yourself to consistently blog valuable content.

To be absolutely up front with you, blogging can take months, sometimes years before you begin to see any reward for all you dedicated hard work. But if you approach this line of work in a way that has a clear future view, there is every possibility that you’ll have a business that you’re passionate about and that gives you back what you give to it.

Choosing a Profitable Niche

This first step will reflect the success for the rest of your blog’s life so you must have a clear plan. Without one, you’re heading into the writing world blind and will very likely finish up giving up your goal because of the lack of passion you feel for your niche. So make it work for you.

There are several thousand niches to choose from and a great place to begin looking for it is Google. Type in your interest. Let’s say its candles. You can get a pretty good idea about how the globe feels about them by looking at google trends where you’ll find a host of information.

Pinterest is another good place to check how where the money making niches are as is Facebook. You’ll have an idea as to where your target people are if the niche is strengthening or listing and it will save you a headache when you’re further down the line.

Starting A Blog

Making money from a blog requires self-hosted WordPress which is one of the most popular content management systems (CMS) because it’s easy to use. We suggest you also use BlueHost who are offering web hosting at $2.95 per month if you sign up for 36 months or the first month and then $7.99 per month plus a free domain and site builders. You also get support 24/7.

Choosing Your Domain

There are several easy alternatives for choosing a domain name and it doesn’t involve trying to think of one yourself. Lean Domain Search is one of the easiest, no fuss, name generators online. It spits out a host of names from a word you’ve chosen, and you can then choose one provided or be inspired by what is generated. Many non-technical people associate a .com with the internet, so Lean Domain will spit out only dot com domain names; it will check its availability and also if the name is available on Twitter.

Choosing A WordPress Theme

You’re almost there. You’ve registered your domain name, you’ve paid for your Bluehost hosting, and now it’s time to log in to your BlueHost account so that you can install WordPress on your hosting. You’ll have received an email from BlueHost with all the relevant details; your domain name and password.

Just go over to ‘Website’ click on Install WordPress, and you’ll set up quickly so you can get started on your blog. A WordPress theme is a template that has been pre-designed and which you can customise. You can either run with a free one or pay for one, but the choice is entirely yours. Just ensure your theme is in tune with your niche and your goals. So for example, if you’re writing a music blog you’ve got more freedom of showcase your expertise. If you’re more professional, keep it formal and clean. Also using a responsive design will allow the layout of your blog to be viewed on different sized screens like mobile phones and tablets.

Once you’re happy with your theme, it’s time to fill out the details on the About page, the social media links and other content that is all relevant and important. People want to know who is behind the scenes here and with an about page, they learn a little about you which is the bedrock for the trust foundations.

Bring On The Content

Without it, your blog is dead. You must always remember content is king, and that is summing it up in three truthful words. But beyond great content is visual. If you care about your reputation, you’ve got to care about your posts. Ensure they’re:

• Well formatted
• Contain relevant images
• Entertaining

Here’s a link to 17 Amazing Free Stock Photo sites that will give you a head start with your images. There are some stunning photographs here that will have you trying to decide which ones will fit your niche. There’s plenty there for everyone.

Building Your Audience

Write about what you love to do. Your hobbies, how you succeeded after several failed attempts. People will find you. That’s a fact. Whether it’s through Google+, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn or Facebook, your readership will grow. But you’ve got to promote it too. You can’t just let it sit there waiting to be found. Get it out there in front of eyes.

Differentiate between platforms. If your blog is professional, you might aim at LinkedIn or Google+ or both. If it’s a visual blog, get it on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest and focus primarily on those platforms. WordPress offer different plugins, so you’ll be able to put Share buttons on your posts to make it convenient for your visitors. Just remember to keep the number of plugins to a bare minimum. They tend to slow the blog down.

Marketing Your Blog

If you’re not sure where to start, you can begin with The Beginners Guide to Online Marketing which is chock full of information written by a reputable blogger who is passionate about his craft. 17 Insanely Actionable List Building Strategies is useful for learning how to build an email list and a cheat sheet for Social Media Image Sizes.

Monetizing Your Blog

You’ve got the foundations for getting your blog out there and when it is, if it is delivering high traffic volumes then Google advertisements can be the road to a steady passive income. If your blog is maintaining visitors who linger on your pages, then you’re set to go. Just check to see if your country allows you to run Adsense ads. If you’re not, head over to Google AdSense alternatives or info links.

Sponsored Posts

This is a well-paid arrangement wherein you may be asked to publish a post for an advertiser or even write a post that gives them or their product a mention. Usually, you can receive between $50 and $500 depending on the amount of content. So long as you advise your readers when a blog post is an advertisement, you will be okay.

Affiliate Marketing

If you’re interested in affiliate marketing (there’s a broad difference between it and referral marketing) you might consider signing up with an affiliate network. Shareasale and ClickBank will give you direction toward finding offers to promote.

Offering Your Services

If you’re creative, if you can write or design, then you might offer your own services on your own blog rather than freelancing. When you promote your own services you’re in a position to ask a higher rate than you can on a freelance network such as Upwork.

Wrapping it up

We’ve covered some ground, but with a little research, you’ll uncover a lot more. Just ensure your niche is your passion, that your content is relevant to your blog, that your images relate to what your blog is about.

Make it super interesting, expect nothing groundbreaking to occur overnight but expect that it will happen, and you’ll be earning those extra dollars as a reward for your dedication.

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Top 10 of the Best Social Media Content Tools For Web Designers

Web designers may be on the outer edge; like neglected souls on the latest technology who’re too busy creating websites to give social media content and their tools a second glance. And frankly social media is probably the last thing on their minds when it has the reputation of being a time consumer. And it’s a challenge in itself when you need to update and publish new posts. It has a real habit of eating into more time than if you were just sitting there posting cute pictures of your kids on Facebook.

But there are master tools available that are time savers and they need to be investigated. So we’ve gathered the top 10 tools that will reward you for the time it takes to set aside five minutes. It’s a promise. Who knows, what you’re looking for just might be in this list.

1. WeVideo

It was inevitable. To be able to leverage features like voice overs, branding, fast and slow mo video clips and create stunning visuals was all to difficult, not to mention the time invested took more slices than one could afford. WeVideo grabbed the cloud and made difficult and time consuming tasks quick and easy. This is the tool that enables you to create and edit your videos on your browser or your Android or your iOS. Further, WeVideo has a free package with the basics on offer, 1 GB of storage, a 5 minute video per month with the option to publish in 720p. Want more? Invest in the Premium package and experience more storage and more video time. You can begin there at $20.

2. Photovisi

Is being hailed as The Social Media Content Tool for Web Designers. Web designers love control and they like nothing more than to be given more control over their creation of collages than has ever been provided by Facebook and Twitter. Photovisi will enable you to show peek views of your stuff on Instagram, LinkedIn and those platforms where business is priority. Given there is also a selection of different templates for collage making, one has the option to add any graphics, backgrounds, or text to their collage.

Exploration and creativity gives one the freedom to create covers for Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Google Plus. With the premium version of Photovisi, you can have high-res, watermark free photo collages. And there’s a perk attached; Photovisi gives web designers an opportunity to earn some serious money with their designs through Photovisi designer. By uploading a Photoshop PSD to the design market you share the revenue of which 50% is yours while the rights of the design remain your property.

3. ThingLink

ThingLink is tool that gives you the ability to add multimedia overlays or text on images and videos. It is an interactive tool that allows your clients to hover over photos and link externally and listen to audio or watch videos. ThingLink comes with Facebook integration that increases conversions by adding several calls to action in a single post. The actions taken function within the wall and stream. Again, a free ThingLink package is available giving one the opportunity to test the potential of interactive images. If you’re satisfied, $20 per month will be invoiced annually for access to features, customisation, and analytics.

4. Piktochart

Using Piktochart turns ho-hum commerce stats into engaging visuals and is among one of the best tools designed to give your infographics, images, graphs and charts a spit polish. With the familiar drag-and-drop editor allowing you more time to focus on the details you wish to provide, you can create an infographic on your own. Pikochart has over 400 professionally designed templates that allow you to create quick and effective infographics to share on social media which are shared and liked more than any other form of content. Piktochart has a free-to-use version allowing you to explore and play with all the features and share creations on your preferred social media platforms. With Premium packages starting from $15 a month you might prefer an annual bill of $150. On offer is a greater upload limit, more privacy options, the elimination of watermarks rand high-res exports.

5. YouNow

Live videos have always been very successful on social media mainly due to their engagement and interactive ability properties. YouNow allows you to capitalise on something you may already do. Being able to create and host a live broadcast on different platforms at a moment’s choice is an advantage for business and commerce. YouNow requires an image for which you create a searchable hashtag and then click “Go Live” button. Free to use, you sign up with your Facebook, Instagram or Google + account and you’ve got a guide for beginners. There are no packages on offer with YouNow so just record your footage or go live from your iOS or Android device and you’re done.

6. Qzzr

With a name like this, this social media content tool enables one to make those fun personalised quizzes whereby adding animated GIFs, images, and text to them draws in the curious. Qzzr can be tweaked to match the look and feel of your portfolio or website and users can also, with the assistance of the experts at Qwizards, create amazing and fun quizzes that you can also appoint in another language. There are hundreds of famous translations and you have the ability to embed code directly in your website. Sharing is available for LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook and Qzzr’s basic version is popular and free to use. The Premium package begins at $25 a month or $299 annually and users are given access to advanced customisation, unlimited offer conversions and integrations which is more than is available for the basic offer.

7. Openr

Openr could be one of the social media content tools that web designers haven’t yet heard of. It is a conversation launcher that enables one to engage with social media audiences who are already familiar with your shared content. Openr allows you to create a link that can be used to run a poll, drive traffic, collect subscriptions or ask questions. Through Openr you are able to connect your social media profiles and share the Openr link directly, or use management platforms like TweetDeck, Buffer and HootSuite for the purpose. Openr does not have a basic package but does offer a free trial. Prices start at $39 per month which is billed annually. With the option to brand your Openr message, create campaigns and add links to messages, you get many more features like advanced tracking and vanity URL as the price per package advances.

8. Tagxedo

Tagxedo is for those who post quick visual analyses of their web design services on social media. Creating a word cloud from your blog, website or other content is done via Tagxedo and all you need is to enter the URL, choose a shape, colour and font and you’re away. Word clouds are usually used to display both personal and professional content and when you add the testimonials and comments you have received, being able to share them as a new content update means you can link them to the post that received engagement. Images as custom shapes such as a portrait can be used and Tagxedo is completely free.

9. Edgar

Edgar enhances the content you’ve already posted. It selects your best content and reuses it to attract more interaction. All publications via Edgar are arranged into a library where they are organised into categories such as “Blog Posts”. Edgar can create a schedule that posts from each category to your chosen source automatically sharing the right content at the right time. When and entire category has been published, older updates are re-shared so users receive new referral traffic on a constant basis of content they maybe haven’t seen before. Edgar’s price for a month-to-month subscription will begin at $79.

10. Babbly

Babbly works on the mantra “share others content to get shares to your content”. It’s the Karma tool and is simple to use. Enter the URL of the content you want to promote on social media; Babbly picks it up giving you an option to share content on multiple networks with a single click. There are options to schedule your posts and auto spread shares to be published in timed intervals. Akin to the workings of Hootsuite, Babbly allows you to sign in with Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn and it’s free to use.

On Closing

It’s a given; social media in and of itself is the greatest exposure tool to ever darken our doors. Populated by a global audience, the entrepreneur was given the liberty to expose the opportunities he had on offer and he was satisfied. But over the years, he began searching for the ideal way to save on time, patience and unnecessary frustration whilst streamlining his productivity. He now possesses the ability to connect with existing and new audiences with tools that will enhance his business acumen and thus his success.

The post Top 10 of the Best Social Media Content Tools For Web Designers appeared first on Web Wizards.

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