This is How You Spruce Up Your Visuals with 3 Free Tools

By: | May 15, 2016 | Tags: , , , , , |

 

Bloggers can use BeFunky Photo Editor to edit graphics and photosAre you wasting your time?

You research and carefully craft your blog posts. So, why is the current trend towards visuals?

Instagram, a photo-sharing social media site, and YouTube, a video sharing site, are continuing to grow in popularity. Pinterest seemed an overnight success.

Webtrends has suggested Snapchat, a video and photo sharing app, is the future of social media.

What explains all the fascination with visuals?

The answer is clear. Thanks to the Digital Age where choices are presented at lightning speed, people don’t have time to read.

You can capitalize on the tremendous popularity of visuals to bring traffic to your blogs.

This post will explain how to do it using three free tools, BeFunky, Nimbus, and Pablo.

According to Abraham Lincoln, “You can please some of the people all of the time.” If those people are a majority of your readers, would you want to please them?

If yes, then you must use pictures since 65% of all readers are visual learners.

Due to Pinterest’s changing algorithm, many readers are complaining it isn’t worth their time to use graphics since they won’t be visible on Pinterest anyway.

Is getting page views your only goal? Didn’t you become a blogger to empower your readers?

In order to do that, you must use visuals. Graphics are becoming the wave of the future. According to NinjaOutreach.com, “the Internet is becoming more and more visual”.

This post will offer tutorials on three tools that will help you offer visuals to your readers, BeFunky, Nimbus, and Pablo.

BeFunky Photo Editor

Anyone can use BeFunky since it doesn’t require a login or registration.

Step 1: Go to BeFunky.com.

Step 2: Decide what type of visual you want to make. You have three choices: a photo editor, a collage maker, or a graphic designer.

I have not used the collage maker. To make a graphic for my blog post, I choose between the photo editor and the graphic designer.

How to Make Visuals with the BeFunky Photo Editor

Step 3: Upload a photo.

Bloggers can use BeFunky Photo Editor to edit graphics and photos

By looking at the screenshot, you see you have an option of using one of BeFunky’s photos.

BeFunky is connected to Pixabay. According to blogger Kyla Osborne, you don’t have to worry about copyright restrictions as long as the photos you find on Pixabay do not say Shutterstock.

Bloggers can use BeFunky Photo Editor to edit graphics and photos

I used one of my photos. A photo of a rake seemed appropriate since a rake is a tool, and I was writing about tools.

Bloggers can use BeFunky Photo Editor to edit graphics and photos

Step 4: Apply Filters

Deciding which of the many filters you want to apply is a large part of the fun of using BeFunky.

This photo was auto-enhanced.

Step 5: Resize the Photo

Use Befunky to make visuals

I had trouble at Twitter. I made what was for me a masterpiece of a graphic the first time I used BeFunky only for Twitter to give me an error message that the photo was too big.

It is easy to change the graphic’s pixels by resizing it.

Another filter I applied was Beautify. The colors became more enhanced when I applied the filter.

Since I was writing a tutorial, I thought I should choose more filters. I applied Vintage Color 1. It seemed to brighten the picture.

You have so many more options, it feels like the combinations are endless. You can also pay for premium filters, but I feel like the free filters are enough for my needs.

I added a frame in the photo editor. It makes visuals stand out. At BeFunky, you get to determine the thickness of the outer frame and the inner frame.

You have seven choices for types of frames. I chose Border.

Step 6: Add Text

BeFunky has preset texts, but I like to choose my own.

I chose Yellowtail and Monserrat. These happen to be two favorites of mine. You would not believe how many text choices BeFunky offers.

BeFunky helps edit visuals

The first two colors show I will have white letters with a black outline. The third color I circled shows I will have a third color, a transparent color, behind my letters to enable them to stand out in front of the picture.

Bloggers can use BeFunky to make visuals

Compare the finished graphic with the original photo I uploaded in Step 3.

How to Make Visuals with BeFunky’s Graphic Designer

Sometimes, it’s easier just to stick your photo in a pre-made template.

The site has templates for Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest. You will find free templates as well as “plus” templates for paid subscribers.

Here is an example of a template I altered. The photo was mine. I just inserted it into the template and changed the wording. It took mere moments to alter.

BeFunky helps bloggers

There is one last trick I wanted to demonstrate using BeFunky’s Graphic Designer:

More and more I am seeing pictures with quotes on them.

This post opened with a quote from Abraham Lincoln.

Click Social Media Header, Image Manager.

I clicked Twitter, then Pixabay. A search bar came up. I searched for “people” since that would match Lincoln’s quote.

Bloggers can make visuals with BeFunky

 

BeFunky has many resources for bloggers. Social Media Header is one of them.

BeFunky is gaining in popularity. Many graphic tools are defaulting to BeFunky as a way to open visuals.

BeFunky has a helpful video tutorial that might inspire you.

 

Nimbus Browser Extension

Nimbus is a free browser extension.

Step 1: Get Nimbus Browser Eextension.

Start the download by going to this link in Chrome and clicking “Start Download.”

In Firefox, you would go here to get Nimbus.

You can also go to Settings, Extensions, More and type Nimbus into search.

If you look under the BeFunky section of this post, all the screenshots were taken and edited with Nimbus.

Step 2: Get something on your screen that you want to capture. Nimbus is used to screen capture.

Step 3: Select what you want to do with Nimbus.

Bloggers use Nimbus to make visuals

I always choose Selected Area.

Step 4: Edit the Screenshot

Bloggers can use Nimbus to make visuals

Choose the pencil to edit, the check mark to say the screenshot is fine as is, or the X to cancel.

Pablo

As indicated above, my graphic was too long for Twitter, and I wanted to have a graphic accompany my tweet, so I made one using Pablo.

Pablo helps bloggers make visuals

Click Create an Image.

A search bar will come up that enables you to type in what picture you are looking for. I typed in “blog”.

I chose the photo I wanted to use. The text was already on it. I just had to alter it.

Although I didn’t modify the photo, you could change the contrast.

I did modify the text size. I made it larger and resized the text box. You could change the text font as well. Caption boxes are available and several graphic sizes are also offered.

Pablo helps bloggers make graphics

 

Conclusion

In closing, Kinexmedia.com insists we are living in a visual age. You might as well take advantage of it by supplementing your blog posts with visuals.

Even the SITSGirls blog claims you can increase blog traffic with visuals.

Visitors, please share, so other bloggers know the value of the BeFunky Photo Editor and these other free graphic design tools.

What do you think? Which tool do you think you might try? Is there one you are already using? I look forward to your views in the comments section.

 Related Posts

How to Use Canva: A Quick Guide

89 of the Best Free Blogging Tools That Will Save You Time Blogging

7 Things I Wish I Knew When I Started Blogging — related to Pixabay

How to Rock Your Blog Photos for Free with Snapseed

6 Top Photo Effects That Will Make You Glow with Pride

How to Write the Best Responses for Your Blog Commenters

Sources:

Visual Content for Better Conversion

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Teresa,
      Thank you so much for your comments on my visual tools post. I am glad you enjoyed the article. Thanks for writing to tell me.
      Janice

  1. Carolann

    I added Nimbus extension and I love it! I do use Snagit and I have for years. I love Snagit don’t get me wrong but I like having that nifty little Chrome extension too! Great tips Janice thanks so much for sharing. I love tools that allow me to be more creative esp when they are easy to use. Thanks again for sharing these!

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Carolann,
      Great to hear from you. Thank you so much for writing. Tell me about SnagIt. Is there a cost?
      Janice

  2. dgkaye

    Great post Janice. I will be trying out ‘Be Funky’, it seems nice and simple to use. Lately I’ve been having fun with ‘Festisite.com’ , have you checked that out?

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Debby,
      Thank you for telling me about Festisite. I hadn’t heard of it.
      I went to https://www.festisite.com/ but didn’t really understand what I was seeing.
      Can you please send me a link to one of your posts where you used Festisite?
      BeFunky is fun and easy. If you need help, let me know. Thanks for writing and sharing!
      Janice

  3. Bren Pace

    I’m a huge fan of Befunky! I used Pablo a few times but never really caught on with it. I also like Pixlr.

    Thanks for sharing the goodies, Janice!

    B

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Brenda,
      Thanks for writing and telling me about Pixlr. I had heard of it. I went to the site after reading your comment, but I was a little confused. Is it a photo editor?
      Do you mind sending me the link to a post that has a graphic modified with Pixlr, so I can visualize how a graphic might look? Thank you so much.
      I followed you on Pinterest.
      Janice

  4. Maureen Baeck

    Great tips! I use Snapseed all the time but I’m going to try these too!

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Maureen,
      I just came from your site where I shared everything we have in common. Did you find my article in the MidLife Bloggers Facebook group?
      I hope you don’t mind, but since we have a love for Snapseed in common, I brought you the article I wrote about it.
      https://mostlyblogging.com/rock-blog-photos-free-snapseed/
      Have you ever blogged about it? I bet you doctor your travel photos with it. I’d love to see. I went to your site, but didn’t know which photos had been modified with Snapseed.
      Janice

  5. Melinda Mitchell

    BBFFJ, I’d want to use BeFUnky just cause I like the name!
    You do so many cool things with your graphics! Where do u find the time?? Seriously??
    I know you sleep, you said so in one of your articles!
    Your BBFFM

    • Janice Wald

      Hi BBFFM,
      Thanks for writing me. BeFunky is FUN– to use, to write, and to say.
      But, “sleep”? What’s that? =)
      By the way, you are the inspiration for this Saturday’s blog party, so I hope you will come.
      BBFFJ

  6. Benjamin Carter-Riley

    These tools are great for creating blog pictures.

    I hadn’t heard of the first two, but I use Buffer’s Pablo tool a lot. I tell you, I couldn’t dream of not using Pablo. It’s so great for sharing blog images without any text on them (perfect for twitter, since the text on pics doesn’t use up the character limit). Also, a big plus is that it works with Buffer which I use so much for social media marketing.

    But I might give Nimbus a try, it sounds quite good. 🙂

    Benjamin

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Benjamin,
      Thank you for sharing both my articles this week. I was so excited to get traffic from your site. Thank you!
      I love these comments. Everyone is writing to tell me their favorite photo editor. I enjoy Pablo too. I appreciate your comments which serve as a Pablo testimonial.
      Definitely, try Nimbus. It makes professional-looking screenshots. I don’t think any of my screenshots in this post used arrows, but their arrows are cool!
      Thanks again for being a friend and sharing the way you did and for writing me.
      Janice

  7. Janet Morrison

    I have lots of catching up to do, since I haven’t tried any of these tools. Thanks for the detailed instructions and illustrations. I can’t wait to get started with better visuals for my blog and Twitter.

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Janet,
      Thank you for writing me today. I love the graphic design and photo editing tools. The more tools I discover the more tools I have at my disposal. I know many people like just one. They have their favorite. I like them all! Thank you again for writing me; great to hear from you.
      Janice

Would you like to share your thoughts?

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Instagram
Pinterest
fb-share-icon
LinkedIn
Share
%d bloggers like this: