Some blogs (like this one) are primarily text and that's okay. But other bloggers may want to combine other media into their blogs and pictures are one way to do that. Unfortunately, copyright doesn't always allow bloggers to include pictures legally. (They do anyway, but that's a rant for another time). 

So, how can bloggers create an engaging blog with pictures without breaking the law or busting out their digital camera every time they want to take a picture?

One great resource is available at Flickr. When Flickr photographers take pictures and upload them to Flickr, they can set the digital rights usage of that picture to a specific setting. These rights are based on the work that Creative Commons is doing for work (http://creativecommons.org/). And one of those settings is attribution 2.0 which says that the photographer gives permission for people to use their pictures for free as long as there is attribution (i.e. a photo credit). There are other restrictions that might be relevant, too, and you can view those here. 

Basically, that means that any picture on Flickr that has a Creative Commons "Attribution 2.0" license can be embedded into your blog and all you need to do is give a photo credit to the person who took the picture. And, to make things even easier, Flickr gives you a page where you can view all photos with this license.

So, click to that page, view the pictures, find one you like, embed it, and give appropriate credit. It's easy!

You can’t go far on the internet without seeing or hearing the term Web 2.0. According to Wikipedia.org, “Web 2.0 is a term describing changing trends in the use of World Wide Web technology and web design that aims to enhance creativity, secure information sharing, collaboration and functionality of the web.”

With that, what does it really mean for your business?

Web 2.0 can all be boiled down to relationship building. No longer is the static, brochure-type web page enough to capture the attention of the consumer and make them want to come back to your site.

There are three key elements to building a Web 2.0 website.

1. Inform – You must provide quality content that meets the needs of your consumers. The internet is becoming decentralized, meaning that people can get your content on places other than your website. This is done through article marketing, affiliate marketing, RSS feeds, social bookmarking, and viral marketing. If done well, all of these information outlets will work as a catalyst to make consumers want more of what you have to offer.

2. Entertain – People want to enjoy their web experience. You can help by making your website attractive and easy to navigate. Provide some humor and interesting features on your site. Write your web content as though you are speaking directly to the consumer. Make visitors feel welcome so they stay on your site longer, want to come back, and refer your site on to others.

3. Interact – Relationship building begins when consumers can interact with you and others. The internet relationship model is 3-dimensional. • The first dimension is you talking to the consumer. This is a top-down approach and doesn’t allow for feedback from the consumer.

• The second dimension is where you allow your consumers to talk back to you. This can be done by providing email addresses and phone numbers for them to contact you and conducting surveys and polls to solicit their opinion.

• The third dimension comes when you allow your consumers to interact with one another. This begins to build community and a strong following. A blog, through its comment posting, is the perfect example of allowing consumers to interact with each other.

Ultimately, Web 2.0 is about increasing sales for your business. In today’s market, people buy from those they know, like and trust. If you ask for the sale before you’ve established a relationship, you are likely to fail. That’s true in the offline, as well as online, world. Taking the time to build a relationship with your consumers will lead to increased and more satisfying sales in the end.

Cathy Yerges Partnering in Your Marketing Success