Visual impact can have a big effect on gaining readers, but only if you know how to play the game.
Of course having a pretty image at the top of your posts may stop your readers in their tracks, but there is so much more to using a relevant image than meets the eye.
Because sometimes words are just not enough. The use of pertinent images within your perfect post can improve a reader’s experience enough to encourage them to read to the end.
This Infographic will help you to understand the power of the picture:
And here’s some code you could paste into your own posts (via the text mode) if you want to share this Infographic with your readers.
Become more visually appealing
Sometimes words on their own can appear to be rather boring. Especially if there’s a lot of them showing as a dense block of text.
This can be improved by including some pertinent images in your post. Not only do they send a splash of colour into a sea of grey, they also break up a plethora of paragraphs that rise like a wall out of the page.
Now you may think having a pretty blog design would be a good alternative. However, this is not visible in blog reading lists, RSS fed links and anywhere else you attempt to promote your post. And frankly words by themselves are not necessarily going to make your post stand out above all the rest of the noise.
Saying more than words
Some people respond better to visual things, and images are another way to getting your message across. The old adage “pictures can say 1000 words” can be considered true if you can find a relevant image that portrays the subject of your post in an instant.
This is particularly true for people who are time-poor and tend to scan blog contents rather than properly read them. A brightly coloured image may catch their attention enough to force them to consider why this image was used with this post.
Sometimes the headline may need a to be ‘visually explained’ by the use of pertinent images. In this way passing potential readers who prefer to skim-read will be able to recognise the subject of your post at a glance without having to read anything first.
Share with additional words
A post with an image is much more likely to be shared on social media than one without. Social media sites, like Facebook, automatically bring up the main image when you paste in a link. This makes your post instantly more noticeable, especially if you have chosen an attractive featured image.
Images with words added to them tend to have a much bigger impact. This is particularly true if the message used resonates with the reader and they can see an affinity with it.
If you use pertinent images to tell stories, this should create a better impression with your readers. Make sure they are relevant, relatable and easily remembered if they are to make a real difference.
Remember the search engines
It’s always a good idea to add images to your post, but it’s worth optimising them if you are to benefit properly from them.
Select your chosen keyword and remember to include it in the alt tag of your image. Did you know that images are invisible to the search engines and they need the alt tag to recognise them?
Make sure you also write a good description of the image in the alt and title tags, as these are also used by partially sighted website users, who get to enjoy images this way.
Now it’s your turn
Let me know what you think in the comment box below, and why not share this post with your friends on social media?
The next post in this series will focus on having a poignant purpose for your perfect post. And you can catch up on the series’ other posts via the parent post as well.
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- How to build a non-profit website for a good cause - 25 September 2023
Thank you for the reminder about alt tags, titles and descriptions on images.
You’re welcome Honey. This is something that a lot of bloggers forget to do.
Alice thanks for this reminder, something I really need to get into a routine of doing, as it does not come naturally! I really appreciate how you explain the importance of them in this post! Another timely reminder Alice, thanks so much 🙂
You’re welcome Carrie! Let’s hope your blog posts will be full of pertinent images from now on…