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Nine Rules for Blog Post Images

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  1. It gives something for social media to display. And people are more likely to click through to your article when there’s an image.
  2. Images catch attention and draw in the eye. A captivating image will help readers engage with the content.
  3. It’s a subtle reminder that you took the time to find the perfect image. This may be when you took the photo yourself or searched through stock images to purchase it.
  4. Text-only articles can be intimidating to some readers. Images help to break it up.
  5. If you only have time to skim the article, an image will give you an idea of the topic and help you decide if you want to read it in more depth.

Here’s what to stay away from:

  1. Don’t put in an image JUST for the sake of an image. If the image doesn’t fit the article, don’t use it. No image is better than a bad image.
  2. Make sure the image is easily recognizable as a thumb-nail. In social media, sometimes the image is shrunk to the size of a stamp so you need to make sure that it’s still clear.
  3. Don’t make your images too big! Because most of us have super high-speed internet we’ve become super impatient when an image takes “too long” to load. If I have to scroll to see the entire image, I’m outta there! And if you’re reader is enjoying your blog from a smartphone… and image that’s too big can be a pain to deal with.
  4. Make sure you have rights to the image. This means NOT using an image from Google Images. Spend the time and money to purchase your own stock photography or take your own photo. “Borrowing” images (even with citing the source) is really terrible business practice and opens you up for a lawsuit.

I’ll be really honest, I always try to include images but sometimes it just doesn’t work. Either the topic doesn’t lend itself to an image or I can’t find the perfect photo to convey the feeling I want to express.

Question: Do you use images in your blog posts? What are your go-to rules for choosing an image?

Kim Galloway
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