Use diagrams to make pictures for your blog posts

<b>This post from the <a href="http://blogger-hints-and-tips.blogspot.ie/search/label/Weekly%20Blogging%20Tips">Weekly Blogging Tips</a> series is about a cost-effective way to make pictures for blog postings.</b> <br /><br /><br /><a name="more"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuNxEeDeuPemVjNq68LAvCD93O1UVZrOslVkDopDT6C4PztmTkjUurEG6DMsZ-Pvxsg18jDgmemRb8FDYKt18djLUnZHiEOeXWzIm4VKCfLdPMUZ-wzwXFFciXqa7d60GCIVWTK9RuzKWc/s795/regular-blogger-hints-tips-weekly-post-generic-picture.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuNxEeDeuPemVjNq68LAvCD93O1UVZrOslVkDopDT6C4PztmTkjUurEG6DMsZ-Pvxsg18jDgmemRb8FDYKt18djLUnZHiEOeXWzIm4VKCfLdPMUZ-wzwXFFciXqa7d60GCIVWTK9RuzKWc/s795/regular-blogger-hints-tips-weekly-post-generic-picture.png" width="320" /></a></div>The best blogging advice is that every post should have at least one picture:  is a stunning professional-looking shot which perfectly illustrates the point you are making perfectly.<br /><br />This is a great idea if you're a professional photographer and have all time in the world, or if you can afford to purchase images which are custom made for your blog.<br /><br />But most of us just aren't in that league.<br /><br />Sometimes, you can <a href="http://blogger-hints-and-tips.blogspot.com/2012/12/find-free-pictures-with-creative-commons-search-tool.html">use a search tool to find a re-usable photograph</a> that you can put into your posts. (Remember to download your own copy and put it into a Google picture host, to make sure that it's accepted as the <a href="http://blogger-hints-and-tips.blogspot.com/2011/07/postsnippet-and-postthumbnail-tools-for.html">thumbnail picture</a> for the post.)<br /><br />But another option is to use a <b>diagram</b> - like this<b>.</b><br /><b><br /></b> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYo9GTQ8E8_RDUjpNqBJOJl4EKJ3U2M5Ckmhl1taikJ2ZxQupynxlm0rEpytD-AjC4EgJcunZquuPdxugF5yQj_I3rQPN3qJQvq8Bi1xNymmYVcaBjvgrlPzIIFBBfaR6qcsM6Mk2F-w/s512/budget-cycle-plan-estimate-analyse-replan.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYo9GTQ8E8_RDUjpNqBJOJl4EKJ3U2M5Ckmhl1taikJ2ZxQupynxlm0rEpytD-AjC4EgJcunZquuPdxugF5yQj_I3rQPN3qJQvq8Bi1xNymmYVcaBjvgrlPzIIFBBfaR6qcsM6Mk2F-w/s512/budget-cycle-plan-estimate-analyse-replan.png" width="70%" /></a></div><b><br /></b> The picture above is a diagram that I used in a blog-post to emphasise that budgeting for an event is on-going through the planning phase, not a one-time job   I spent quite a while thinking about how to make the point about the original plan vs the on-going feedback loop.<br /><br />Diagrams don't have to be complicated. Sometimes something as simple as showing a bullet pointed list in a different shape can be an effective way to add "visual texture" to your post and thus make it more appealing for people to read.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj216z1xmClgERMNRDuOpWmzOIjRiapqRQcIBwhExWtBTlsrbuIYVd7koSMW5zOwzVQSETDgaAR4eWLrtAT0FDeN9_dKS3V9GfKpiZBccWxsSN0S3EPKFF7wXKQfMMq0BWEPO2j4Ymqzm2J/s912/example-diagram-to-illustrate-a-blog-post-flow.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj216z1xmClgERMNRDuOpWmzOIjRiapqRQcIBwhExWtBTlsrbuIYVd7koSMW5zOwzVQSETDgaAR4eWLrtAT0FDeN9_dKS3V9GfKpiZBccWxsSN0S3EPKFF7wXKQfMMq0BWEPO2j4Ymqzm2J/s912/example-diagram-to-illustrate-a-blog-post-flow.png" width="80%" /></a></div><br />There are various tools that you can use to make diagrams.<br /><ul><li><b>PowerPoint</b> is fantastic especially in in Office 2010 and 20123 where it has shape placement guidelines, as well as the usual squiggly word-art, smart-shapes, gradient-fills etc. </li></ul><ul><li><b>Google Spreadsheets</b> is catching up, though they've got a way to go yet, and your have to use screenshot tools to get an image (JPG, PNG or BMP) file from it. </li></ul><ul><li>And most other drawing and word-processing tools include some drawing tools too.</li></ul>

Use diagrams to make pictures for your blog posts

This post from the Weekly Blogging Tips series is about a cost-effective way to make pictures for blog postings. The best blogging advic...

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