In order to develop great blog content, as well as serve your readers and keep their interest, the consistent use of appropriate images can go far in making your site feel more welcoming and in encouraging engagement and sharing. They say “a picture is worth 1000 words”, and that's very true. It's amazing how the right graphic in the right spot can make all the difference in your blog. Here's our
7 Reasons You Need Awesome Images in Your Blog Posts
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1. Images Catch the Reader's Attention
The right image put in the right place can catch the reader's attention. When seen on social media it can be the difference in clicking through to the post or not clicking. It can make the reader realize you're being ironic, or serious, or silly. A great image sets the overall tone of your message. The right image can even help tone down a serious message so that the reader can receive the help intended.
2. Images Differentiate Content
This is especially true if you're using PLR and want to personalize it. Do some editing, add in some relevant pictures, and you have suddenly become unique. People are very visual, and having a picture on the blog post helps create a more memorable experience for the reader.
3. Awesome Images Add Interest for the Reader
Images add to the content in ways that mere words cannot. Images break up the view into scannable areas for a deeper understanding of the blog post too. The colors will make the blog post stand out more and keep the reader reading. Continuous text with no breaks is not only boring, but can also put readers to sleep. By breaking up a long post with relevant images, you'll have a winner.
4. Images Demonstrate Meaning
The right photos can actually demonstrate what you mean in your blog post. If you're trying to teach someone how to do something, adding in images that make your point will be very helpful. For “how to” or tutorial posts the use of screen shots or other step by step images is incredibly helpful.
5. Images Improve Your SEO
Believe it or not, a good photo and proper use of alt tags can improve your search engine optimization (SEO). Not only that, a great image will make readers more likely to share the content when it comes with fabulous graphics! Be sure to fill out all the information of your image such as the title and description text for the image, using appropriate keywords to support those of your post.
6. Awesome Images Increase Engagement
Using appropriate images will make your blog stickier (is that a word?). It will make people more likely to engage with your blog post, comment and share. People have short attention spans, and if you can break up the text they are reading with relevant imagery, all the better. If you have thumbnails set up right, when they share your blog post the image will show up next to the share, making it that much more likely for someone to click through. A “viral” post on social media is never one with a dull image.
7. Adds Humor or Personality to Your Blog
Sometimes adding a funny image can break the tension or heaviness of a serious topic. It can lighten the moment and make your readers laugh. It might also make them happy enough to want to share your blog post with others. Be careful about choosing images for humor, though. Always use good taste. You don't want to insult your audience, or make readers uncomfortable.
You should be adding at least one awesome, eye-catching, title enhancing image to every blog post. It will make your blog that much more beautiful and relatable to your audience.
If you don't know where to get images you can use without licensing issues, check out this mega list of free image sources.
For purchased images, I like to use Deposit Photos.
Check out Canva.com or Photoshop software for photo editing. They're great!
And I recently found a free 7-day iPhone Photography course by Michelle Lee that is really good. You can see that here.
