Please note: This is a contributed post. View full disclosure policy.
If you have a blog, you should already know that content is king — what you write on your blog can make or break it. However, imagery is a vital component of success. Your readers don’t want to struggle with reading and digesting your content. They want to understand it quickly and easily to decide whether your blog post is of any value to them. Images are a great supporting tool that takes your content from bland to engaging.
According to the Social Media Examiner report, if a relevant image is paired with a piece of information, people retained 65% of the information three days later, compared to only 10% of information retained without an accompanying image. When it comes to images, using them throughout your blog articles can improve their overall look and performance.
So, you now know they need to be there, but what else do you need to know about adding images to your blog?
Put yourself out there
Your readers want to know who you are. A photo of yourself will help readers identify more with you. It also gives you more credibility by showing the real you. Styling blog posts, such as “How to get my look,” will benefit from real photos of the real you, establishing authenticity and honesty.
Pictures are prettier than words alone
Quality images — whether they feature you, your dog, your growing list of books to be read, or a scenic country view — are pleasing to look at. The idea is for your readers to have a good time on your site, right? Adding images to your blog posts helps create a “story” with your content. They can also help people retain information, especially if you write about a confusing or complicated topic.
Increase social media engagement
According to the Search Engine Journal, blog posts thatcontain images receive 94% more views, tweets containing images are retweeted 150% more, and Facebook posts with images receive three times more engagement. If you want more people reading and sharing your blog, images are a must.
Images encourage us to keep reading
When people are faced with large, intimidating chunks of texts and long paragraphs, it can really put them off the article altogether. If they think an article is never going to end and see text going on forever and ever, then they’ll stop reading.
However, a few images here and there break up those long pieces of text to make your content more digestible. Your readers won’t even notice how long a post is because your images keep them visually stimulated and interested.
Boost SEO with images and alt text
If your blog goals include monetizing your content or growing a bigger following, then SEO is key. If you add your primary keyword(s) to your alt text on your images, you can boost your SEO significantly. Search engines continuously crawl all the text within your blog article — even the alt text. Good SEO strategy includes adding your keywords to every photo.
Draw your readers in
The first thing people see when they open up a blog post is your featured image. This is the image typically displayed when a blog is shared via social media (unless you overwrite the sharing settings). Because of this, it’s important to choose a featured image that represents the topic of your blog article well. This grabs the attention of the reader before they even read the headline — the more attention-grabbing, the better.
Add a touch of fun
Using funny images can make your blog more fun or lighthearted. If your post topic is more on the complicated or neutral side, a touch of humor or whimsy can encourage people to read all the way to the end.
If they feel appropriate to your brand and your content, you can go a step further and add GIFs. Sure, the video-like motion adds another element of visual stimulation for your readers. But who doesn’t appreciate a well-placed GIF? As a bonus, your taste in using GIFs creatively is another way to showcase your personality in your content.
Good images clarify complicated content
If you write about something technical, complicated, or neutral (a more polite way of saying it might be a little dull), words might not be enough. Screenshots are excellent for explaining how to do things and showing examples alongside your explanations. Additionally, infographics, tables, and charts can add color and style to important data and facts.
For access to an endless selection of amazing images, consider signing up to a stock photo site. Or if you’re looking for something more original, then grab your camera and take a few lessons on how to take some top-quality pictures for your blog.
If you liked this post, share it with your friends!
