Visuals: Resources and Advice

About images, infographics, slides, graphs, quotes etc. Tools and resources for free images, editing and creation.

Resources

 * Why you shouldn't upload videos to WordPress (embed instead)
 * Illustration trends for 2017
 * Oct 13, 2015: Copyblogger about impact of images, which to use and where to get them
 * Older: Article on Copyblogger about why images are important

Free Textures/Patterns

 * Transparent Textures
 * Wild Textures
 * Subtle Patterns

Free Icons

 * FlatIcon
 * Icon8
 * Iconspedia
 * PNGFuel

Free Stock Images

 * Pixel Mob - best royalty free photography aggregator (pulls e.g. from Unsplash, Pixabay, Pexels)
 * 53 free image resources (Bufferapp - great collection!)
 * How to find pictures for my blog (Smart Passive Income)
 * Find great free images (Copyblogger)

Free Tools

 * Canva graphic design platform
 * PicMonkey for image editing
 * Piktochart to make infographics
 * More tools for infographics, graphs, visualizations etc.
 * Quozio to visualize quotes (make images with quotes)

The Power of Visuals
Big Brand System on the "Visual Multiplier" effect
 * Human brain processes images in 13 milliseconds
 * Good images: evoke the emotion you want and match your personality
 * Visual storytelling is very important! Show, don't tell
 * Literal vs. conceptual images:
 * Literal: literally show their subject (e.g. professional at work)
 * Conceptual: to sell an idea! It suggests the idea, doesn’t show it (e.g.: an opening door)
 * Make it resonate with reader’s everyday experiences
 * Inspiration: google search terms "conceptual" or "abstract"
 * Amplify your message: visual communication is the digital equivalent of a megaphone!
 * Ideas: spark
 * Words: kindling
 * Visuals: gasoline
 * Attention: visuals are almost impossible to ignore
 * Retention: visual information glues info to your brain. Just adding a picture dramatically increases the chances of people remembering your message.
 * Persuasion: images make information more believable
 * Proliferation: your message spreads farther, faster
 * Hence: you can make more of an impact with the same amount of information. To harness the effect:
 * Select 2-3 channels for dissemination - e.g. Facebook, blog, Instagram
 * Create simple visual media to use on those channels
 * Translate some of your key written ideas into visual content (photos, slides, graphs)

How to Use Images
Article on Copyblogger
 * People
 * Details, e.g. your work tools
 * Close-ups from your environment
 * Retouch images
 * Apply artistic alterations
 * Add text (high contrast)

Hand-drawn images!
 * Use filters to establish identity through colour/style
 * Design templates to include same elements across images
 * Date, logo, name, links...
 * For: quotes, announcements, sales, promos, competitions
 * They're personal and unique
 * Use them to illustrate core messages
 * Article on Copyblogger provides drawing inspiration

How to create Videos
Article on Social Media Examiner (Mike Bal, Jan 2015)
 * Choose the channel: e.g. Instagram, Vine, Youtube.
 * Style: time-lapse, stop-motion, standard video
 * Vine app allows you to shoot stop-motion
 * Article shows how, including sophisticated editing features
 * Hyperlapse app (by Instagram) for time-lapse video
 * Regular video:
 * Shoot a 5-10-second test video first!
 * Edit it after shooting - e.g. using iMovie app

What to Publish

 * Screenshots of reviews
 * Close-ups / zoom in on details (unusual perspective, highlights features)
 * High quality images that interest my audience
 * Share raw snapshots in addition to staged HQ images
 * Establishes variety and shows you're not just a glossy product
 * "Caption this" photos (game with community)

How to Publish

 * Always include "Alt" tags describing an image! Not everybody may be able to see the image.
 * Allow people to use my pics with backlinks


 * Captions: 2-3 sentences long
 * Feel free to use witty, relevant memes
 * Include text (messages, quotes, complete content) on images! (remember 20% rule for Facebook)
 * Link my photos back to Flickr (do this anywhere I share the photo)
 * Mix up the types of images I post (photos, banners, infographics, memes...)