Have you visited a blog that’s pure text with little or no photos at all? Or if there were photos, they were small and were not that very interesting. So what was your first impression then? Most probably, you felt bored and not excited reading all those words.
The reason for this is because people are visual in nature. This means they are easily attracted to photos and other graphics on a web page or blog page. The more quality the photos, the greater the chance to capture public attention.
It is for this reason then that any blogger or publisher should always make it a point to include photos. And this does not apply only to the home page but to every blog post. You may have a captivating story to share but without photos, you may not be able to attract as many readers as you want. Also, you can be sure to stand out from a blogging directory when people see that you have an interesting blog filled with top-quality photos that complement your posts.
So do you properly use photos on a blog post? What size should it be and where should you place it?
Image size
The size of your image is very important in capturing a reader’s attention. Smaller images won’t do any good but the larger ones are preferable. If you don’t have any background in coding, you can choose to resize your photos using various tools. On your computer, you can use Paint (via Windows accessories) which will allow you to work offline. To resize, simply open Paint and then open the file you have saved. Then click Resize on the top taskbar and decide on the pixels you want for your image. Don’t forget to save afterward.
There are also online tools to help you with this task such as Canva and Picmonkey. You just need to visit the site, upload your photo and resize it. You don’t even have to create an account to do this.
Another option is to resize it on the blogging platform you are using. Both WordPress and Blogger have this feature. Resizing images can be done after you have uploaded your photo. On Blogger, you can choose to make your photo small, medium, large and extra-large. Or you can do it via its HTML section. On WordPress, you can resize by adjusting the pixels.
And be sure to always preview your images before publishing your post. That way, you can be sure your images are displaying correctly.
Alignment
Do take into account as well the alignment of your photos. Although most blogs you may have visited have their images posted on the center of the page, you are free to position your photos anywhere you wish. Just make sure that they look good and not misaligned. Again, both WordPress and Blogger provide options for their users when it comes to image alignment hence, this should not be a problem.
If you wish to align your image to the right or left, it is best to have the text wrap around it. Be conscious of the margin around the image, though.
If you wish to position your photo in the center, this would look great in a large size. Some blogs, though, with little text use larger photos to grab attention.
Quality
The quality of your photos is also of utmost importance. Clear and crisp images can easily attract attention and can likely keep your readers glued to your blog post. And when you are able to be consistent in this aspect, you can be sure to encourage your readers to regularly visit your blog.
Another thing to keep in mind is to use images related to your blog post. You can source them from free photo-sharing sites such as Pixabay and Pexels. But if you have some photography skills, you might as well take photos yourself about what you’re writing about on your blog. If you’re into sharing your food choices, for example, learn how to do flat lays. You can get lots of inspiration from this from Pinterest and Instagram.
Originally posted on May 28, 2021 @ 1:30 pm
