Using images in your blog posts is a great way to grab your reader’s attention, it makes your post more interesting, and it can really drive your point home. I find that adding a great image can make a post really memorable and will increase the chances that the post itself will actually get read in its entirety. Some examples of my favourite blogs posts with images:
Why? Because I thought it was clever. It made me want to read the post to figure out why that particular image was relevant.
Why? The images are funny and oh so true. You read the words, but you understand them with even more clarity when you can visualize the point with a picture. Plus I’m a sucker for words in bubbles.
Why? The screenshots add credibility to the claims made in the post, as well as turning boring numerics into pretty graphs which can help put things into perspective.
Why? It’s a familiar image – one that is used for each Blogging Idol post. Using the same image like this will catch the attention of anyone keeping their eye out for updates.
It’s important when using images on your blog or website to know about copyright laws. While some images are free to be used in any way you want, others have certain rights attached that require you to request permission from the owner, and others simply can’t be touched. Make sure you don’t infringe on any of these rights.
When I need an image, I usually go to www.sxc.hu and get them for free. Depending on your niche and the type of images you’re looking for, the selection can be pretty limited. I’ve been using StockXpert a lot more lately. The selection is great and I can always find what I’m looking for, even when it’s something really specific.
So before you publish your next blog post, put some thought into the meaning of your post and try and find an image that conveys that.
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5 comments ↓
Hey! Thanks for the link and the compliments. Being the graphics half of Men with Pens I’m the man behind the pictures.
Finding the right image is a little like giving our readers a game of “Where’s Waldo”. I like to dig deep into the posts we write and find an image that isn’t so obvious at first glance, but after you’ve read deeper into the post, it suddenly hits you what that image was all about.
iStock is my favorite place to search. And if I can’t find what I want/need, I’ll take a couple images and Photoshop them or make something completely new.
Ahhh, the joys of being a designer!
No problem! That’s one of the things I enjoy about your blog – trying to figure out what the images mean. It’s like a game with every post
Cassie, Cassie, Cassie,
Dear God… I spent about 2 hours tonight transfixed by those gorgeous pictures on the sites you mentioned.
Holy cow! I popped onto your site to take a closer peek at your redesign and then saw this post.
The next thing I knew, I was “photo surfing”, saving pictures to my computer for future refernce, and dreaming up too many blog posts to possible keep count!
THANK YOU for great information… as always!!!
Jeanne
I’m glad you were so inspired Jeanne.
Cassie,
I have already put them to good use! Thank you!
They came in perfect for the post I just made… full of fire and outrage at spammers & scammers!!!
Jeanne
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