Before you get started, make sure to have a look at our Guidelines. Posts that don’t meet them might be removed.
If you’re a member of OU or Students Association staff, a brand or organisation, make sure to highlight it in your post. The Hoot is all about transparency.
The Hoot is the place for OU students, friends and family members to share their stories, experiences and procrastination tools with the wider community. Got a great idea for a post? Make sure to read on…
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1 Choosing the format
The Hoot We've got lots of format options to choose from, perfect for any post you might want to make. If you would like a little more guidance on the individual formats, click each one below:
Note - all posts need a title, excerpt and thumbnails (image). Make the excerpt short and snappy - it's what will draw people to your post! Thumbnails need to be at least 600 x 400 pixels. You can read our tips and tricks about making great thumbnails and post graphics by clicking here.
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2 Beginning the post
The Hoot This box is where you introduce your post! Use the buttons along the top to change the text format and add a table, image or link.
It's important to note that this box does not spellcheck your content, so make sure that you've double-checked your spelling and grammar before hitting 'publish'.
Click the '+' button below the text box to add different types of content to your post.
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3 Adding images and media
Pixabay Uploading images and embedding other types of content can really add to your post. It's important to get the balance right though - try not to rely on imagery to tell your story.
Remember, you can check out our handy guide on how to effectively use graphics and images in your posts here!
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4 Credit where credit's due
The Hoot Images are awesome. Not attributing the owner of images is not. Make sure to include who owns the image and where you found it - no exceptions.
