8 Ways to Engage Readers with Better Blog Images
Plenty of studies have proved conclusively that online posts with images attract more interest, shares and follows than those without.
So, if you have a blog, it doesn’t take a genius to work out that you should include visuals every time you publish an article. After all, who doesn’t want more readers or subscribers – and ultimately sales leads?
Adding images is a relatively simple thing to do. How many you include in your posts isn’t an exact science – it depends on how much you’re relying on them to communicate your point – but a study of 100 of the highest-ranking blogs revealed there was at least one image for every 350 words.
There are some tips and tricks that will help maximise engagement with your blog, so read on to learn how to make the most out of using images in your posts:
- People like people
Using pictures of people will attract more interest, but it’s important to make them relevant. Research has shown that generic stock photos alone don’t draw the eye as much as those that seem genuinely related to the text they represent.
‘Filler’ pictures are often ignored, whereas those that demonstrate a point, help explain a concept or represent real people are more engaging. This is a great argument for investing in an extensive set of professional images that illustrate every aspect of your business – you’re bound to need them time and time again.
- It’s fine to mix images and text – it boosts engagement and retention
Information is often absorbed more quickly when it’s presented visually, and images generally attract interest before text, especially online.
If you have information you consider important, that you really want readers to remember, incorporate it into an image on your blog. Your graphic design team will be able to do this for you in an impactful way if you don’t have the tools or software to do it yourself.
- Load times are important
How often have you got bored of waiting for images to load on a website? Not only does it turn people off, it means they are likely to spend less time on the page – so you’ll lose the value the image adds and possibly your readers too. We recommend making images no larger than 100kb.
- Images are great for education
Infographics are an ideal way to share material. As we’ve already said, the human brain processes images more quickly than text so they’re perfect for delivering bigger chunks of information – statistics and percentages in text form only might be screened out as ‘boring’, but as part of a picture they appear more user-friendly and easier to understand. Showing is often better than explaining, so get your graphic design service to come up with some eye-catching visuals to get your message across.
- Go for quality
There are many different factors to consider when it comes to the impact of visual design, but you won’t attract anyone with low-quality images. Whether it’s a photograph or an illustration, you need to adhere to high standards that will not just engage viewers but promote your professional credibility.
- The power to persuade
Whether you’re trying to convince people to take a particular view, click a button or buy a product, images are your friend. A study from the University of Minnesota School of Management and the 3M Corporation looked at the efficacy of presentations containing visual elements against those that had none. Those with visuals were 43% more successful at persuading the study’s subjects to agree with their point of view.
- Consider your position
People are more likely to read an article that has an image alongside the leading paragraph – it doesn’t matter which side it’s on. They are also more likely to read short lines of text than long ones, which happens naturally with this design – it tricks the brain into thinking there are fewer characters, and that the information will therefore be easy to understand.
It’s important to realise people focused on what your images tell them, as well as your text. This gives you another powerful way of capturing their interest and ensuring you communicate your message successfully.
- If you need help producing creative, eye-catching and highly effective visuals for your blog and other marketing materials, subscribing to Designs Unlimited is the perfect solution. For a fixed monthly cost, you can call on our graphic design service as often as you like – get in touch for more details.
