*Actual stats from StatCounter

If you aren’t a regular StumbleUpon user, maybe you should be.

So, I’ve been doing a little copywriting for Tam over at Inspirationail and when she told me she was headed to PubCon in London I decided I couldn’t let her go empty handed.

Somehow we came up with the idea of Internet business playing cards…

Nailin’ It

Here’s the Paige Filler card, and If you want to see the rest of the deck you can find them over at Inspirationail.

Missed Out?

There are only about 100 in circulation (and 200 printed) so if you didn’t get one then you missed out on the best bussiness cards ever! according to a Mr Javier Moral.

Pubcon London?

As for PubCon? Tam said most of the people were cool and helpful, allowing her to learn a lot. Although those knocking her size should be careful.

If you are interested in attending the next Pubcon, be sure to read & leave a comment on Marketing Pilgrim’s SEM contest for a chance to win an all access pass.

Oh, and keep an eye on Inspirationail, there is some fantastic and fun viral stuff coming in the future. Lets just say it won’t be your usual crapbait.

What I Can Say

In addition to their listed prizes, I’ve added a couple of my own.
1. I enlisted the help of Frank Sinton to donate some free advertising ($1000 worth to be precise) on his video megasite MeFeedia. (disclosure: Frank is a friend and a client).
2. I will be giving away $300 of copywriting (or consulting if you prefer).

All you have to do to win is leave a comment on the post (you could potentially win one part of $11K in prizes).

Meanwhile…

A list of the judges.

• Danny Sullivan – SearchEngineLand.com
• Rand Fishkin – SEOmoz.org
• Jill Whalen – HighRankings.com
• Lee Odden – TopRankMarketing.com
• Michael Gray – Wolf-Howl.com
• Mona Elesseily – PageZero.com
• Barry Schwartz – RustyBrick.com
• Kalena Jordan – SearchEngineCollege.com
• Michael Jensen – SoloSEO.com
• Linda Bustos (our 2008 winner) – Elasticpath.com
• Joseph Morin – Storybids.com
• Todd Friesen – PositionTech.com
• Kim Krause Berg – UsabilityEffect.com
• Vanessa Fox – NineByBlue.com
• Joost de Valk – Yoast.com

Many of which have taught me a thing or two.

What are you waiting for? Think of something clever to say and head on over, I hope you enjoy the article.

Good luck to all of the other competitors and a special thanks to Andy Beal for providing this opportunity. Be sure to follow Andy on twitter and keep up with progress of the contest.

I noticed that the list is missing twitter id’s for everyone, so I took the liberty of collecting them into a list of my own.

100. Mike Filsaime
@mikefilsaime
Marketing Dot Com

99. Kevin Lange
@kmlange?
SMG Search

98. Sam Lawrence
@SamLawrence
Go Big Always

97. Dan Greenberg
@mrDAG
Stanford Entrepreneur

96. Jonathan Mizel
@jonathanmizel
Marketing Letter

95. Javier Barragan
@flycell
Flycell

94. Muhammed Saleem
@msaleem
Muhammed Saleem

93. David Bullock
@davidbullock
David Bullock

92. Dawud Miracle
@DawudMiracle
Dawud Miracle

91. Mack Collier
@MackCollier
The Viral Garden

90. Mitch Joel
@mitchjoel
Twist Image

89. Nathaniel Stevens
Not found
Yodle

88. Mohamed Marwen Meddah
@MMM
Start Up Arabia

87. Rod Roudi
@rodroudi
Zeta Interactive

86. Justin Palmer
@caged
Alternateidea

85. Liz Strauss
@lizstrauss
Successful Blog

84. Brad Fallon
@BradFallon
Free Line Report

83. Brad VanAuken
@theblakeproject
Branding Strategy Insider

82. Robert Pearson
Not found
Tattoo Bin

81. Wendy Piersall
@eMom
Sparkplugging

80. Jim Turner
@jim_turner
Social Media Marketing Mastermind

79. Doug Haslam
@DougH
Doug Haslam

78. Chad Sollis
@kingsol
Sollis Family Chronicles

77. Kevin Hillstrom
@minethatdata
Mine That Data

76. Alisa Leonard-Hansen
@alisamleo
Socialized

75. Greg Boser
@GregBoser
3 Dog Media

74. Scott Monty
@scottmonty
Scott Monty

73. Mark Earls
@herdmeister
Herd

72. Brian Kalma
@krianbalma
Brian Kalma

71. Alan Rimm-Kaufman
@rimmkaufman
Rimm Kaufman

70. Jeff Arbour
@jeffarbour
The Hyper Factory

69. Hugh MacLeod
@gapingvoid
Gaping Void

68. Adam Ostrow
@adamostrow
Mashable

67. Bruce Clay
@BruceClayInc
Bruce Clay

66. Francois Gossieaux
@fgossieaux
Emergence Marketing

65. Joel Comm
@joelcomm
Joel Comm

64. Leo Laporte
@leolaporte
Leoville

63. Chris Baggott
@chrisbaggott
Compendium Blog

62. Andy Sernovitz
@sernovitz
Damn I Wish I’d Thought of That

61. Tamar Weinberg
@tamar
Techipedia

60. Loren Feldman
@1938media
1938media

59. Gary Vaynerchuk
@garyvee
Gary Vaynerchuk

58. Stephen Denny
@Note_to_CMO
Denny Marketing

57. Valeria Maltoni
@ConversationAge
Conversation Agent

56. Sugarrae
@Sugarrae
Sugarrae

55. Michael Port
@michaelport
Michael Port

54. Vitaly Friedman
@smashingmag
Smashing Magazine

53. Patrick Altoft
@patrickaltoft
Blogstorm

52. Kurt Peters
Not found
Internet Retailer

51. Mike Moran
@MikeMoran
Mike Moran

50. Lyndon Antcliff
@lyndoman
Linkbait Coaching

49. Todd Malicoat
@stuntdubl
Stuntdubl

48. Michael Gray
@graywolf
Wolf Howl

47. Anita Campbell
@smallbiztrends
Small Biz Trends

46. Rohit Bhargava
@rohitbhargava
Influential Marketing Blog

45. Frank Kern
@masscontrolkern
Mass Control Site

44. Stephen Spencer
@sspencer
Stephen Spencer

43. Steve Rubel
@steverubel
Micropersuasion

42. David Alston
@davidalston
Tweetpr

41. Chris Garrett
@chrisgarrett
Chris G

40. Aaron Brazell
@technosailor
Techno Sailor

39. Chris Winfield
@chriswinfield
10e20

38. Ann Handley
@marketingprofs
MarketingProfs

37. Christopher Angus
PingPongPie

36. Dharmesh Shah
@onstartups
On Startups

35. Vanessa Fox
@vanessafox
Nine By Blue

34. Jeremia Owyang
@jowyang
Web Strategist

33. John Jantsch
@ducttape
Duct Tape Marketing

32. Neil Patel
@neilpatel
Quick Sprout

31. Danny Sullivan
@dannysullivan
Daggle

30. Michael Fortin
@michelfortin
Michael Fortin

29. David Meerman Scott
@dmscott
Web Ink Now

28. Matt Cutts
@mattcutts
Matt Cutts

27. Dr. Flint McGlaughlin
Not found
Marketing Experiments

26. John Reese
@johnreese
Income

25. Linda Bustos
@Roxyyo
Get Elastic

24. Brent Csutoras
@BrentCsutoras
Brent Csutoras

23. Andy Beal
@andybeal
trackur

22. Chris Brogan
@chrisbrogan
Chris Brogan

21. Bryan Eisenberg
@TheGrok
GrokDotCom

20. Geoff Ramsey
@geofframsey
eMarketer

19. Ben McConnell
@benmcconnell
Church of the Customer

18. Robert Scoble
@Scobleizer
Scobleizer

17. Chris Pirillo
@chrispirillo
Chris Pirillo

16. Richard MacManus
@rww
Read Write Web

15. Lee Odden
@leeodden
TopRank

14. John Chow
@JohnChowDotCom
John Chow

13. Arianna Huffington
@huffingtonpost
Huffington Post

12. Jason Calacanis
@JasonCalacanis
Calacanis

11. Jeremy Schoemaker
@shoemoney
Shoemoney

10. Avinash Kaushik
@avinashkaushik
Occam’s Razor

9. Darren Rowse
@problogger
Problogger

8. Jackie Huba
@jackiehuba
Church of the Customer

7. Aaron Wall
@aaronwall
seobook

6. Pete Cashmore
@mashable
Mashable

5. Rand Fishkin
@randfish
seomoz

4. Michael Arrington
@TechCrunch
TechCrunch

3. Brian Clark
@copyblogger
Copyblogger

2. Guy Kawasaki
@guykawasaki
Alltop

1. Chris Hughes
@chrishughes2
my.barackobama.com Profile (must be logged in)

I have a hard time believing that some of these marketers don’t have a twitter account, if you know one that I’m missing on the list, speak up. Here are details on how the list was compiled.

Buckle the hatches, we’re going to take a look at a few more

Information Hurricanes

Image from ZaNiaC
Some information can be so powerful that it feeds on itself forming a hurricane. This immense force can move across the web leaving a devestated landscape in its wake. Fired up with the mob mentality and connected to millions of others, the information hurricane can be a dream for some, and for others, their worst nightmare.
What does this mean?
The savvy are now using these hurricanes to promote a cause or to expose their dirty laundry so they can make moves while the majority are preoccupied with the storm. This tactic has always been used by politicians and corporations, but the web has changed the rules.

Why is this so important?
When the tempest gets going and starts building speed, it doesn’t leave much time for considered thought. In the information frenzy many can be swept up and thrashed. Others never even find out, especially if they are not connected.

Electronic Droughts

Image from Ozyman
Information drought can take many forms. From lack of connection, lack of technology, lack of education, to censorship and walled gardens.

What does this mean?
Large parts of the world will remain offline or off the information grid, some will have access only to mobile devices. Some will be Many are already faced with walled gardens of information.

Information drought is and will become more prevalent. Like natural droughts, some parts of the world will be more prone to them. The determining factor will not be natural causes, but dependent on the ROI seen by large corporations and the government in those regions.

Why is this so important?
Without information it is impossible to make informed decisions, especially in emergencies. People will be at the mercy of ‘those that know‘.

Not to mention that accurate information about cultures and traditions will be lost for those without the technology to record and document them.

Black Holes

Ok, for this one we are really heading out to space. It’s not really a natural disaster, but the implications are huge.

Image from Science
This is not about Google or one specific company, but they provide the most powerful example.

Youtube has Millions and millions of embeds (ok, so that’s in links, but even if a fraction are embeds that is a lot for this purpose). Many people questioned Google buying youtube, I didn’t. Many question youtube’s profitability. I don’t.

What does this mean?
If Google decides to broadcast a message, it is now possible for them to control millions of sites instantly.

This alone is more powerful than any media company in existence.

Ever.

Even News Corp can’t compete with the user generated beast that youtube represents. User generated does not necessarily mean user control.

Why is this so important?
Add the amount Google controls through some of its other properties (Feedburner, blogger, adsense, search, reader, analytics, connect and the rest of its services). It becomes extremely clear that should Google ever feel the need to have its own public service announcement, it will be the loudest message the planet has ever heard.

Google can become a giant black hole sucking in everything around it, should it choose to do so. And all this done at the stroke of a key (or 10 thousand)…

The machine has been using us for years and we are powerless to stop it. Let’s hope those who are controlling the machinery really do no evil and have everyone’s best intentions at heart.

The pen is now mightier than 1000 swords, but machines… they still scare me.

Image source Brian Auer

So Many Image Sites

The images you select and where you choose to find them will vary depending upon their application. There are enough different types of image sites out there to find exactly what you need.
Always read the agreement and terms of use for every image you use, regardless of where you acquired it.

*All links open in a new window

Free Images

For writers on a budget, there are plenty of sites which offer their images for free use under creative commons licenses. There are several different types, but generally they require a link back from you as credit.

1. Flickr (creative commons)

Creative Commons Search
One of the best spots to find interesting images people haven’t seen before is flickr. Use the creative commons search to find images you are allowed to use.

Should you find images you want to use that don’t fall under commons licensing on flickr, email the person who took them and ask for permission. Won’t always work, but always worth a try.

2. Stock.xchng

Stock.xchng
This site offers free uploads for blogs and websites as long as they aren’t used in any trademarks, logos or porn. The image quality varies, but on the whole there are plenty of decent pictures on Stock.xchng.

3. Webshots

Webshots
This is an enormous website similar to flickr, only easier. All of their images are free to use on your website or blog. In fact, Webshots provides you with code to use, already linked back to the source for you. Not ideal for commercial blogs, but a great source of images for a beginner or personal blogger.

4. Stockvault

Stockvault
Stockvault offers free images for use, and don’t let that pesky black advert detract you, it only displays on the preview pages.

5. Cepolina

Cepolina
Cepolina is a little different than the rest, but has a selection of unique images free for use with a link back to their site. All of the images were taken and uploaded by the Cepolina family and friends.

6. Burning Well

Burning Well
The images found on Burning Well are public domain and can be used for any purpose (be sure to read any terms or licensing for each image).

7. Morguefile

Morguefile
Morguefile is an archive for post-production images. These images are free for use on the web as long as they are not re-sold, used for anything objectionable or downloaded to create another archive.

8. Free Stock Photos

Free Stock Photos
The images on Free Stock Photos are free for use with a credit back to them, either in the image or via text link.

9. Photorack

Photorack
Photorack images are free for use in both private or commercial aspects. They do not require a credit link, although they do appreciate them.

10. Photogen

Photogen
Photogen has a selection of images free to use as long as they don’t violate their specific terms of use.

11. Photorogue

Photorogue
An interesting take on image websites, Photorogue accepts requests. Fill out a quick form requesting specific shots and they will notify their volunteer photographers. If someone can handle the request they will upload the image. There is also a gallery of previous requests but no real terms of use on the site, if you use them link to the source.

12. Freefoto

Freefoto
Freefoto images are free for use as long as the proper attribution is given for each image. They also offer the purchase of licenses for use of the images without attribution.

13. Free Photos Bank

Free Photos Bank
Free Photos Bank has images for use with a source link and images uploaded by member which are individually licensed by each photographer.

14. Openphoto

Openphoto
An interesting collection of images, the pictures at Openphoto are submitted by members and each one is licensed individually.

15. Designpacks

Designpacks
Designpacks has sets of images with a common theme for download via zip file. The images are free for use as long as you aren’t selling them.

16. Free Media Goo

Free Media Goo
Free Media Goo is filled with amateur photography and free for use.

17. WP Clipart

WP Clipart
WP Clipart has a huge selection of clipart free for use by all.

18. Download Free Pictures

Download Free Pictures
Download Free Pictures has a large selection of images pre-formatted and optimized for the web. They are for non-commercial use and require a resource link back to their site.

19. Openstock Photography

Openstock Photography
Openstock Photography is part of Wikimedia Commons and is filled with images that can be used under creative commons licensing. Read the license information for each image you use.

Free, But Require Permission

These sites offer free imagery, however the images are licensed by the individual photographers and they require permission for use.

20. Woophy

Woophy
A different take on image websites, Woophy has a great selection of images by some amazing photographers. The photos are the property of each individual photographer, prior to use on the web you must receive their permission. May take a little longer, but good images are hard to find.

21. Abstract Influence

Abstract Influence
Abstract Influence is a design community where people can upload images and graphic design. No terms of image use on the site, to be safe ask for permission from the photographer prior to using their images.

Royalty-Free Pay As You Go

These sites offer images you can purchase a license for. The type of license will vary by site as will price and image quality.

22. iStockphoto

iStockphoto
One of the more popular royalty-free image sites, iStockphoto images are widely used across the web.

For smaller sizes most images are a dollar apiece, the site is easy to navigate, loads quickly and saving images to lightboxes and downloading them is virtually idiot proof.

23. Dreamstime

Dreamstime
Similar to istock, Dreamstime has a variety of royalty-free images at reasonable prices, you can purchase a pack of credits, or subscribe monthly.

24. Absolutvision

Absolutvision
A convenient option, Absolutvision allows you to subscribe for a day, a month or a year and download up to a specified amount of images within that time.

25. Big Stock Photo

Big Stock Photo
Big Stock Photo offers a quick sign-up, easy credit purchase and a great selection of stock.

26. Fotolia

Fotolia
Fotolia lets you buy credits and pay per image or subscribe and pay to download up to 25 images a day for a month, 6 months or a year.

27. Image Catalog

Image Catalog
Image Catalog provides stock images for a reasonable cost and it’s easy to use.

Print Quality Images

These sites offer images taken by professionals for intended print use. They offer the highest quality and the highest cost.

28. Shutterstock

Shutterstock
The image quality on Shutterstock has the potential to get you lost for hours. A wide variety and print quality images makes this site worth the high price of admission.

29. 123 Royalty Free

123 Royalty Free
123 Royalty Free is home to some good quality images and offers two different monthly plans, a basic and a premium. Each one allows you to download a specific amount of images every day.

30. Inmagine

Inmagine
Inmagine is full of beautiful, print quality images. Another pricier option, but if you have a budget it is a good place to bookmark.

31. Jupiter Images

Jupiter Images
Jupiter Images offers several different plans, none of them are cheap. Their search draws from a number of other image sites as well, allowing them a wider variety in one location.

32. Acclaim Images

Acclaim Images
Acclaim Images carries mainly print and poster quality (priced accordingly). Images can be licensed for web use, however there is are limited timeframe and usage involved.

Now that you have a selection to choose from, get image hunting and use them in your work.

Yes, I know these results are not 100% accurate, they are still a good example of the growing amount of social media traffic Mixx is attracting.

If you don’t believe Compete, ask Alexa.

Put it in Perspective

For a frame of reference take a look at the stats of Mixx, Digg, Stumbleupon, Reddit and Delicious together.

The smaller networks are definitely beginning to gain some power in numbers.

Note: The spike Delicious shows is partly due to the big URL switchover.

What caused this traffic increase and will it continue?

Be sure to stop by and say hi next time you log onto Mixx.

For most writers this is a no-brainer, checking your work should be part of the process (as should research).

WordPress allows you to view your posts (as they will appear on your site) while you write and edit them.

This is a handy feature that should be used frequently as you write, format and edit your posts.

Editing Checklist

Spelling
Spelling mistakes are an instant credibility killer. If your browser doesn’t check your spelling for you, (that means you internet explorer users) cut and paste your text into a word doc and check the spelling before you publish. Save that copy so you have a physical backup of your work too.

Grammar
What you say can be sheer genius, but if you say it incorrectly no one will listen anyway. Proper grammar is on the decline and while it is important to absorb web trends, it is also important to keep your english simple and standardized enough that it can be read by a larger audience. People reading translated into other languages, handicapped and mobile readers everywhere will appreciate you.

Common Mistakes
We all make them, but when you are writing you have the opportunity to correct them before anyone sees them. Find a funny way to remember them and use it.

Punctuation
Created to emphasize points and separate ideas in writing, proper usage gets your point across most efficiently. Try to avoid excess punctuation, one question mark is just as effective and far less irritating than four of them.

Cliches
We’ve all heard them our whole lives, do we need to read them too? Before you publish be sure to go on a cliche search and destroy mission.

Formatting Errors
No one speaks HTML as a first language, so expect mistakes. It’s a good idea to check your code as you go along (mistakes can be hard to find), but not everyone can be bothered. It doesn’t matter when you check it, as long as you do.

The Squint Test
Give your post the squint test, when you squint your eyes can you follow the important ideas by reading headers and bold text? Formatting should take into consideration all types of readers, the ones who want to read in-depth about a topic; and those who are looking through your post for the specific bit of information they searched for.

Self Love
Link to yourself wherever possible (within reason), sometimes as you read back through a post you’ll find new opportunities to do so, take them.

Sourcing
I can’t stress enough how important it is to credit your information and image sources. Your proofreading process should automatically include checking for sources.

Consider Your Audience
Ask yourself a few questions: What do you want to accomplish with your post? Sell a product, provide a reference, become popular on social media? If your post is a call to action, does it get your reader there? Read your copy as objectively as you can to see if it accomplishes its intended goal.

Checking Links
This is the one editing step I recommend you do after posting. Check your code when you edit, but wait until you have published the article to check each link. As soon as you click that link (yes, even if you haven’t published) you alert whoever you are linking to. Better to have them come back to your site to find a polished and published piece in which you reference them rather than an error page.

Again, The Reminder
Once you hit save (or autosave kicks in) what you have written is no longer just on your computer, it’s on someone’s server. That’s right, you don’t even have to publish for your words to be out in cyberspace, under someone else’s control. Write accordingly.

This is the grand finale for my wordpress posting tips series, be sure you read all of them to learn how to write the best wordpress post in town.
The Intro
Pt. 2 Formatting
Pt. 3 HTML
Pt. 4 Images

Selecting images that get noticed is an art itself and a few things need to be kept in mind during the selection process:

1. The Internet audience is overwhelmingly male.
2. People are attracted to pictures of people, particularly faces.
3. Studies indicate that even women prefer to see women in advertisements.

I’m not saying add pictures of hot chicks to every post on your blog, I’m just saying for best results, know your audience and be clever in your selection.

What to Look For

That said, here are some tips:

White background – Chances are, the background of your text is white (if it isn’t, it should be). That means an isolated image with a white background will sit seamlessly in your copy, saving you editing time.

Avoid the obvious – Try not to search for the same keyword everyone else does to illustrate your topic. Find a remote association (or add one) and search for that instead.

Be unique – Select images that have the very few downloads; the more times it has been used, the more likely it is to already be associated with another brand.

Keep it simple – One good picture grabs far more attention than 10 of them. Too many images and your post becomes jumbled and distracting.

Where to Find Them

There are an endless number of places to find images online, from free user generated pictures, to professionally taken print-quality photography. Here are a few of my favorite spots to find pictures.

For Free

If you want to use recognizable shots of people from these sites, legally they must sign a release. Bear in mind that the amateur photographer who took and posted the image probably doesn’t have a signed release on file. Especially consider this when posting pictures of children.

Free Stock Sites
Generally offer decent quality stock photos, the selection is never as big as the paid sites, but they are handy on a tight budget. Licensing varies by site and by image, be sure you read licensing info.

• scx.hu
• Free Medina Goo
• Public Domain Photos

Creative Commons
Be sure you understand the creative commons laws and then follow them.

• Creative Commins
• Wikimedia
• CC Pics
• Public Domain Pictures

Social Photo Sites
User generated image sites are useful, and many offer an advanced search for images with creative commons licensing. Ask permission and always credit your source.

• flickr
• flickr cc search
• webshots
• fotolog

Google Images
I recommending asking permission to use images, and always crediting the original source.

For a Fee

Paid Stock Sites
Growing in numbers, there are a wide range of these sites, from inexpensive stock photography, to higher-end print quality images.

• istockphoto
• Getty Images
• shutterstock
• 123rf
• absolutevision
• dreamstime

Professional Photographers
Unique images go a long way in our istock world. Making friends with a professional photographer is a good way to keep your content fresh regardless of your topic.

DIY

Your own photos
Depending on your industry this is probably the cheapest option. If you don’t want to source free photos, take and edit them yourself.

How to Edit Them

There are a few essential things to learn when it comes to manipulating images (whether you use a web-based service or software like photoshop).

1. Cropping – Keep images simple, crop off excess so the focus of your image is clear. If you are going to align images to the left or the right of your text, be sure to make them a bit smaller for aesthetic purposes.

2. Padding – There needs to be a buffer of white space between text and images, this makes copy easier to read and looks polished.
tip: if you are using Adobe Photoshop, you can create padding by changing the canvas size about 10 pixels wider and longer than the image itself.

3. Sizing for the page – The size of your images depends on the type of post you are writing and the types of pictures you are using. In the end, they are the accessories, they shouldn’t distract from the words themselves.

4. Saving – Be sure to save your image optimized for the web, (photoshop offers a save for web option).

Now that you know your image basics, check out the other articles in this series for blog post advice, formatting tricks, and some basic HTML. The final chapter will offer editing tips and advice.

WordPress does have a built in editor, but it can become cumbersome and confusing to use. I recommend turning the visual editor off and doing it the old fashioned way: actually learning the tags you’ll need most often.

HTML Code

Although it looks complicated, the basics of HTML are sensible and easy to grasp. Code is inserted on either side of the text you’d like to affect and there is always an opening tag and a closing tag.

Header Tags

Used to break up sections and emphasize points. h1 is the largest and they grow smaller as the number goes higher.

The code looks like this:
<h1>h1 tag</h1>
<h2>h2 tag</h2>
<h3>h3 tag</h3>
<h4>h4 tag</h4>

The results will look similar this: (They vary by WP template design).

h1 tag

h2 tag

h3 tag

h4 tag

Bold Text

Gives your words emphasis.

<strong>The code looks like this</strong>

The result looks like this

Italics

Another (less obvious) way to emphasize your text.

<italics>The code looks like this</italics>

The result looks like this

Small

Used to credit sources and make notes.

<small>The code looks like this</small>

The result looks like this

Centering

Often used for images, but can also be used to emphasize text or quotes.

<div align=”center”>The code looks like this</div>

Lists with bullet points

For listing short points – keep them one line long if you can.

The code looks like this:
<ul>
<li>List point 1</li>
<li>List point 2</li>
</ul>

The result looks like this:

• List point 1
• List point 2

Images

The code for images is a little more complicated, but learning it (or just cut and pasting it) allows you to not only manipulate your images, but to optimize them and make your blog more user friendly for handicapped and mobile readers.

When you use WordPress you can upload the images and copy the link URL into the code example below.

The code looks like this:

Opening tag —> <img src="http://www.yourwebsite.com/image/image-name.jpg" alt="The alt tag is what is vocalized to blind people when they visit your website" title="The title is the text that appears when your curser hovers over an image" width="width of your image" height="height of your image" /> <---closing tag. If you want to align your images to the right or the left of the text you can add (align="right / left") before you close the tag. Here is a shorter example (if you want to cut and paste one)
<img src="http://www.yourwebsite.com/image/image-name.jpg" alt="A pen nib dripping ink" title="A pen nib" width="100" height="177" />

The results look like this:

Links

Linking is a good way to get yourself noticed and give credit where credit is due. The concept of anchor text is often misunderstood. When linking to someone, give them a good one, use the name of the website, the website URL, article title or relevant keywords as your anchor text. I promise, very few people want you to point at them saying “click here”.

Best practice is to write with links in mind, crafting your words to create good links (to yourself and to others) benefits everyone involved, makes your links more valuable and keeps your copy on-topic.

The code looks like this:

<a href="http://www.somewebsite.com">Insert anchor text here</a>

The results look like this

There is plenty more to learn about HTML, however for your average blog post these are the few important bits everyone should know.

Be sure to look for more tips in the introduction to this blog post series, and part 2 on formatting. Up next in part 4 I will discuss images, how (and where) to look for them and some tips on editing and copy insertion.