What To Do When You Run Out Of Media Storage

A couple years ago, I was beginning to fill up my storage space. My blog wouldn’t be the same without pictures, so I needed a solution and I needed it fast. So I began my research. Just, I couldn’t find a solution that worked for me. Most posts I came across just said to buy more storage space.

Um, no thank you. Blogging is simply a hobby for me, so I don’t want to have a monthly payment coming from it. Plus, in order to have enough media space to last me a while, I’d need the $50 business plan. I don’t think so.

So, if you happen to be in a position like I was, this post is for you! I’m going to be sharing some things that you can to do conserve media storage and also what to do when you run out.

I feel like everyone can benefit from this post though. If I had known these tips when I first started, that would have definitely saved me the horror of almost running out of storage space.

Option 1 – Buy media space

Even though I just explained why this wouldn’t work for me, there are some people who this would work for. This is mainly for people who are making money off of blogging though. I don’t think many of our readers fit into that profile, so I won’t go into too much detail on it. If you want to pay money to WordPress to buy more storage space, I’m sure they will answer any question you have on the topic.

Option 2 – Host photos on another blog

I used this method for a while. Basically, you write your post on a second blog, and then copy and paste them over to your actual blog. My issue with this is that often people couldn’t see my photos. I have found that it helps if the second blog is public though, instead of private.

Option 3 – Use a site like Flickr

This is currently the method I use. I upload my photos to Flickr and then copy them over to my blog. The biggest con of this is that you can only upload 1,000 photos per media account unless you pay $6 a month. Since my dad already pays for Flickr, I just use his account. But this can definitely be a major con if you don’t already pay for a service like this.

Option 4 – Switch webhosts

I’ve looked for the perfect webhost, and I’ll let you in on a little secret, it doesn’t exist. Each one has pros and cons. Blogger however, has an unlimited amount of storage space. Therefore, you may want to switch over. However, WordPress does have the best community. It is worth looking into switching though if you are running out of storage space.

Option 5 – Start a new blog

I probably wouldn’t recommend this one. But it is worth a mention. You could always start fresh.

Ways to conserve space

• use jpgs instead of pngs
• re-use old photos
• use stock photos
• upload photos to Instagram

Okay, let me delve into those a little more. Jpgs take up a lot less space than pngs. So, if you’re making an image on Canva or something, take a moment to switch the format to jpg. It is a little bit worse quality, but I personally don’t think that’s a huge deal.

If you have something like a signature, don’t upload that photo every time you post! Once is enough.

I went over using stock photos before, but basically, they can help you save space if you copy/paste them to your site.

Finally, you could upload your photos to Instagram. WordPress has a feature where you can embed Instagram photos into your post. It might look a little rough to your readers, but it is an option.

I hope you found a method that helps! Comment your current media space for fun. (Mine is 96.3% full, hehe)

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