Confession: I have a pet peeve when it comes to blogs. As bloggers we tend to share our lives with people, our experiences, and our views. More often than not though there is one thing that some bloggers do not share so readily and it bothers me for some reason. What is it you may be asking? Their name! Oftentimes a blogger will provide a picture of themselves but not introduce themselves. If you are one of the nameless bloggers out there, or would just like to know how to easily create a new profile picture for your blog, this tutorial is for you!
A simple “Hi! My name is…” will help readers connect with you and your blog!
Two weeks ago, when I was on my blog vacation this is one of the things I used my downtime for. My original intro image had my name yet I wanted to add a little bit of info that would give a new reader an idea of what my blog and I were about. This is something that is simple and easy to do yet will have a great impact on your blog.
1. Choose a Photo
Choose a photo that you would like to use for your profile image and upload it to be edited in Pic Monkey.
For my button I opted to use a circular cut out. Once you choose what you would like to use for your photo you can position it how you would like it to be.
2. Resize Your Photo
Next, resize your image to fit on your sidebar. Be sure to hit “Apply” to save your changes.
3. Design!
It’s now time to design your picture. I chose to add a banner and played around with sizing and color. Once that was complete, I chose a font for my “Welcome!” and added a brief intro with a coordinating font. This is where you can let your creativity shine. Choose colors and fonts that coordinate with your design. Be sure to limit it to 2 or 3 max. Too much of a good thing, whether it is fonts or colors, can be a turnoff to readers.
4. Save Your Profile Picture
5. Upload Your Picture to PhotoBucket
You are almost done! Now it’s time to upload your photo to PhotoBucket, an online image hosting site.
Once it’s uploaded, copy the HTML code for your profile picture.
6. Add Your Profile Picture to Your Blog
Head over to your blog and add that HTML into your sidebar widget area (under Appearance in WordPress) or in your layout section (Blogger). If you would like to have your image centered on your sidebar, be sure to add the following code in front of the HTML: <div align=center”> At the end of your HTML add this code: </div>. Your image will now be centered.
Be sure to save your changes.
7. Applaud Yourself
That’s it! You did it. Your new profile picture is on your sidebar. The beauty of this? You can easily update your sidebar with a new photo or a new intro and keep your sidebar fresh whenever the whim strikes you.
Have you created your own profile pictures for your blog? Is not knowing a blogger’s name a pet peeve you share as well?
