A blog post without images is like a glass of lukewarm beer on a sunny day. Its there for you to gulp down, but youd probably prefer it cold. Even when you buy a soda from a store, if the soda you grab isnt quite cold enough, it gets thrown back in the fridge and you grab a different one. Theres nothing wrong with the slightly warmer soda, but you have a lot to choose from and prefer them cold.
Similarly, a blog post without images is pretty unappealing, even if the writing is great. Publish a post with images and one without, and youll see a marked difference in the engagement of the post. We are visual creatures and images attract us. Well ignore a block of text, but convey the same thing through images and youve caught our attention. Content with relevant images gets 94% more views.
However, simply adding an image to your post is not the goal here. If youre going to do it, do it right. Here are a couple of things to keep in mind when selecting images for your post.
Brand your images
Create images that relate to your brand. Having a particular, unique image style sets you apart from others. You can do that by using a certain color palette or font like many companies. For example, every photo Cadbury posts to their
Facebook page includes some form of their brands colors: purple and white.
And Nike has consistently used the same font for all of their advertisements.
Obviously you dont have to implement this in every single image you post, but keeping a majority of these similar would make people associate this style with you or your brand. In addition to that, you can literally brand your images with a logo or watermark, ensuring that if another website use your images, theyll also be giving you free advertising.
Avoid stock photos
Yes, you might be able to get them cheap or even free. And yes, they might be convenient to use, but thats exactly why you should avoid them if you want to stand out everyone else is already using them. Stock photos are easy, but youd benefit more from taking your own photos. That way, you can convey exactly what youre trying to say via a striking image, rather than sift through pages of generic photos until you find one that seems like it relates. And those original and interesting photos are the ones that are going to get shared on the Internet.
Which of the following would you prefer looking at in a Mothers Day post?
I know Id prefer the second. The first image just has a white background, some awkward posing and a few carnations. While the second photo is more visually striking, the clothes have more texture, the background is interesting and the models seem much more comfortable with each other.
Relate to your audience
If your audience relates to the images in your post, theyd be more likely to share it. You could do this through a variety of ways. Make it humorous, use current events, or make your audience curious.
Nandos embraces Internet culture by using slang, emojis and a photo of the Internets queen, Beyonc, in her jaw-dropping outfit for the 2015 Met Gala the day after the event. This tweet is timely, humorous and relates back to their product.
But the photos dont always have to be humorous. Heres P&G tweeting after the landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to make gay marriage legal in all 50 states.
The tweet is not only timed to current events, but it shows that the corporation has compassion and makes supporters of that decision feel connected to them. This emotional connection to a brand that supports the same values as the customer will make them more inclined to purchase the supportive, open-minded companys products. And in case the customer wasnt aware of which products they produce, theyre all in one shot, with their brands prominently displayed. So not only does this image foster good will for the company, it brings in new customers.
So, those were the basics of the how to of selecting images for your post. If you do not feel right about the visual, its probably because it doesnt fit the content, and your audience will notice. Putting a little effort in this aspect of your post can sure make it go a long way.