Blog Images Are More Important Than You Think

You’ve probably heard many times that images are a powerful element in marketing because they can increase views and attention exponentially.

What makes images so important?

Think about it. Pictures make you think. They take your attention from the text and transform what you’re learning into something visual. The framing of the picture, the colors and the subjects in the image all work together to create emotions within you.

People are drawn to visual information. Images are processed more quickly, transmit information faster, reinforce learning and are remembered longer than text. They also cater to people’s waning attention spans by breaking up long passages of content. For all these reasons and more, using blog images is a surefire way to make them more popular, more readable and more memorable.

Why Are Blog Images Important?

People are able to remember visual information better and longer than they remember written or spoken information. Images stick in people’s minds long past the time they’ve forgotten a line of text. For this reason, using effective pictures in your blog posts can make people remember your articles longer than they would have if the piece weren’t accompanied by a picture. In addition to being more easily remembered, images are processed 60,000 times faster than text, according to research from the 3M Corporation cited in this HubSpot blog post.

Image source: SH!FT

As mentioned before, pictures are also effective because they elicit emotion from the viewer, a truth that has long been used in marketing and advertising. You can use this to your advantage and encourage a certain feeling in your audience, but be cognizant of what emotion it is that you’re causing. Negative emotions like anger and fear could backfire and turn off your readers. We’ll talk about this further down.

If there’s one statistic you need to remember about using images in blog posts, it’s this: In a study conducted by Skyword, putting pictures in articles made views jump by 94%. Similar results have been shown for other mediums, like press releases and social media posts. The takeaway here is that images can do wonders for post popularity.

One last reason for using images is the attention span of your readers. You’ve probably heard that people’s attention spans are now shorter than that of goldfish. Content writing images provide a short break from reading passages of text, which can be taxing. If your goal is to get readers to the end of a blog post, well-placed images can push them along and make your blog writing pay off. Ideally, an image every 100-200 words can keep readers engaged until the end of your post.

What Kind of Blog Images Should You Choose?

With so many options to choose from, it can be hard to know which picture to choose for a specific blog post. We have three tips that can help your blog images stand out and enhance any content you post.

1. Original

A cardinal rule of content is to avoid taking the work of others without attribution and permission. It is better to be over-cautious when it comes to using photos created by other people. Unless you get express permission from a photographer, it may not be enough to simply post a link to their work.

Two better options are to either take your own photographs or purchase photographs from a stock photo website. If you rely heavily on creative, original media, consider hiring a photographer to the team. They can take pictures of your employees, the product your selling and other images that can fit in with the content you write.

An easier option is to go through a stock photo website. You may need to pay a fee to use these images, but you’ll have access to a variety of media, allowing you to get specific when finding a blog image to use in your post.

2. Applicable

No matter where you get your pictures, the blog images you choose should reflect the content of your blog. Whether they reinforce a point, evoke a certain emotion or demonstrate an abstract concept, they must tie to the content in your blog, otherwise, they may simply confuse your reader.

We suggest writing the content first, that way your content doesn’t clash with images you may have pre-chosen. If you’re aiming for a blog image every 100-200 words, look at the content below or above the place you want to insert an image and find something that ties in well. Here are a few things to look for when looking through stock images:

• The emotions of the represented subjects
• The overall feeling of the image
• Objects, products or services pictured
• Actions of the represented subjects

With these in mind, you can find a picture that feels customized to your blog, even if it is a stock image.

3. Visually Attractive

In a media-saturated world, readers want to see attractive photos.  The visual attraction of a blog image can be shown in many ways. Perhaps the colors pop out, or the framing of the subject is especially appealing. Consider if you are going for an aesthetic look or if you want something that is more functional. Keep in mind that the pictures you choose should align with your brand image and voice.

4. High Quality

It’s important to remember that the quality and nature of the images you use matters. Blurry screenshots and cheesy stock photos simply won’t cut it. It’s a good idea for most marketers who are serious about content creation to invest in a high-quality stock photo service for best results.

Good Blog Images Make a Difference

If you don’t use images in your blog posts or if you don’t put much thought into the blog images you do use, you might want to adjust your approach. Humans are wired to process pictures faster and remember them longer. They make an impact on us, and you can use that in your content marketing strategy.

Depending on the picture you use, you can cause an audience to feel a desired emotion. Remember that not just any image will do the trick. Use high-quality images, don’t take the work of others without permission and make sure pictures make sense in the context of your blog topic. Blog images are important, and you can use this to your advantage.

What do you think about the power of blog images? What tips or suggestions do you have to make images powerful in your content? Let us know in the comments!