Choosing Blog Post Images: The Dos and the Don’ts
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As a freelance content writer, your main focus is crafting engaging, compelling blog copy that hooks your readers – but the blog post images you choose can be just as important as what you write.
How do you select the best images to go with your content? In this post, we’ll take you through the dos and don’ts of choosing blog post images and explain why the right ones can capture your audience’s attention and enhance your writing. Keep reading to get started!
Why Should You Use Images in Your Blog Posts?
Including images in your blog posts has several benefits for you and your audience. Images help:
- Draw in readers by making content more visually appealing
- Break up large blocks of text for improved skim reading
- Increase reader comprehension by illustrating concepts from your article
- Boost your content’s ranking in Google’s visual search
Research shows that articles that include images get 94% more views than those that don’t. So, it’s a good idea to use at least one in your blog post (no matter your topic).
Where to Find Blog Post Images
Now that you know why it’s important to include images in your blog posts, where should you look to find high-quality, relevant visuals? Finding images is easier than ever, with a variety of different sources easily accessible online.
You can explore stock photo websites, such as Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, and Unsplash, which offer professional image options (some free and some paid). You can also create your own visuals using graphic design tools like Canva or Adobe Photoshop if you can’t find what you’re looking for online.
Additionally, you can use screenshots as blog post images. Screenshots can provide context for your readers and help them visualize your content, especially if you’re explaining how to do something or writing a product review. While it’s generally fine to include screenshots, make sure that what you’re sharing isn’t proprietary information (if you’re unsure, check with the website owner).
Another option is to use your own artwork or photos. When you use your own photos, you don’t have to ask permission from the owner to include them with your content (because you are the owner!). Personal photos can give your writing an authentic, relatable feel. However, it’s a good idea to consider privacy – for example, avoid photos that give away personal or confidential information.
The Dos and the Don’ts
Here are some dos and don’ts to keep in mind as you’re selecting blog post images:
1. Do Choose Relevant Images
Blog post images should reinforce your message and complement your writing, not confuse your readers. When choosing images, make sure they make sense in the context of your blog post and are directly related to your content. For example, if you’re writing about a specific location and want to include a picture of a landmark, do your due diligence and make sure that your chosen image actually depicts what it says it does.
To help you choose an image, run a search for your blog post topic and review the images that come up. Avoid using the top-ranked images associated with your topic (since it’s likely lots of other writers will use them). But you can take inspiration from the most popular images.
2. Do Optimize Image Size
Ensure your images are the right size and resolution for web use. This will help maintain quality and improve loading times. If you use your smartphone to take pictures, they’ll likely be too large to use in their original format and will require resizing for your blog.
You may also want to crop a particular image to focus on the most relevant part or eliminate something unnecessary in the background. You can find free image resizers online; check out this list of 12 easy image resizer tools to get started.
3. Do Add Alt Text
Include descriptive alt text for your images to improve accessibility and boost SEO. If you’re unfamiliar with alt text, check out this resource on what it means and how it can benefit your readers.
4. Do Maintain Consistency
Stick to a consistent style or theme for your blog post images to create a cohesive visual experience. This helps make you more recognizable to your audience, which is beneficial when trying to create a brand identity and stand out from the competition.
5. Don’t Overload Your Content with Images
While you always want to include some images in your posts, be careful not to overwhelm your readers by overloading your content with too many images. For example, you don’t need to include an image in every single section or place images stacked on top of each other. Choose them strategically – often less is more when it comes to images.
6. Don’t Forget Copyright
To avoid possible copyright infringement, always make sure you go through the correct channels to download and use a blog post image. Use reputable stock photo websites and don’t download images you don’t have the right to use.
7. Don’t Compromise on Quality
It’s important to avoid using low-resolution or pixelated images, since these can take away from your blog’s professionalism. Your readers come to you as an authority on your topic – so it’s better to not use an image at all than to include one that’s low-quality. After editing an image, check that it’s in focus, and if it’s blurry and unusable, search for a similar one from a different source.
Keep in mind that if you’re compressing images (reducing the file size to reduce storage space and improve download times), they can sometimes become distorted in the process. So, make sure to avoid overly compressing your images and carefully review them for quality before including them in your blog posts.
Becoming A Freelance Writer
Are you interested in learning more about what it takes to write captivating blog posts? Check out our Becoming A Freelance Writer course. It teaches you everything you need to know about launching a brand-new career as a freelance writer. Claim your free lessons and get started today!
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