Images are a big factor when improving your content marketing pieces. Images are powerful and have a lot of influence on the reader, or your audience. It’s capable of evoking various types of feeling, depending on the type you choose to touch.
For most audiences, the image you choose would play a big role in how your audience perceives your content. Images can help readers break down parts of expansive content, and pull the vital information from it. It’s important to know what type of image to put in your content, which a lot of people have a problem with. This piece would give you some tips you could employ in choosing the memorable images for your content.
How Many Pictures Should Your Content Have?
Before going into the various ways of selecting memorable images for your content, it’s important to know how many images you should put on your content. The first thing you must know is that there is no set number of images you should add to your content. There are some factors that determine the total number of images you should have in your image:
- Type of content you are writing.
- Audience
- Topic
You will probably need to add a lot of images to your content if you’re writing for a beginner audience. These images should assist you in explaining the steps, and show how the specific tools work. On the other hand, you would probably need a few images when writing for an expert audience. However, you can still showcase tools. The use of images in content is more complicated than it seems. This is why it’s important always to consider your audience, which includes what they want, their expectations, and what can be directly applied in their daily activities.
Tips On How To Choose Memorable Images For Your Content
- Avoid stock images in the body content: Stock photos are usually the best of the lot. They are clear, of high-quality images that fit almost any topic and search query. However, when it comes to aiding your body content, stock photos are not ideal. Stock photos add no value into the body content. This is because they are too generic to fit the subject and simple screenshots could produce more effective visual stimulus. In addition, stock photos don’t have data-backing. Studies have indicated that they produce negative effects. Overall, it’s important to avoid stock photos in the body content and rely more on walkthroughs, screenshots, and more tutorials.
- Showcase more screenshots, tutorials, and walkthroughs: It’s important for memorable images to be thought-provoking and also actionable in nature. These two requires some form of the guided walkthrough, tutorial or screenshots to showcase examples. Tutorials are only effective if illustrated, and not told. In addition, thought-provoking contents require images that shows what exactly what you’re trying to illustrate and also bring it to life. There are some important tools that are important in adding a screenshot and highlighting images. Skitch and Evernote are important tools in doing this. Overall, regardless of the type of post you’re writing, you should try to include examples via screenshots, walkthroughs. You should also provide call-outs to focus attention on the important aspects of the image.
- Reserve GIFs for informal posts: GIFs are funny, lighthearted ways of passing information. They help to spice up what hitherto would be a boring content. However, GIFs don’t work for every content creator, every audience and every type of content published. This is why you should understand your audience, and try to palpate what they’d be receptive of. Of your audience are people below the age of 35, then GIFs may be ideal. However, if your audience is older adults, then you may have to refrain from making use of GIFs.
- Develop custom visuals to synthesize information: It’s important to find memorable images for your blog or whatever platform you use. Some people find it difficult getting images because the available ones are too generic, boring, and overused. If you have these problems, then developing custom visuals for your content may be the right thing to do. Developing custom visuals for your content improves your credibility, synthesizes complex concepts, data, numbers, and also drive more backlinks to your site. You should check for any content marketing piece online, and you would notice images that are sourced and cited from top pages. Even when you’re not writing about unique data, that can be developed into charts and tables; you can still find a way to produce custom images. You can make use of graphic design tools such as Canva, in creating your own custom images. Another way of doing this is by contracting the work out to freelancers. You may make use of websites such as Design Crowd, Upwork and so on.
- Go for high-quality images: If you’re going to be adding images to your content, then you must ensure that the images are of high quality. People tend to link the quality of your images to the quality of your product. You might want to leave plenty of room in your budget for great photography. This can help boost your trust.
- Know the purpose of adding the image: You should have a reason for every image you add to your project. Adding the right image to your project can further help you achieve your goals. As an illustration, if you’re trying to increase conversations, then you should add a human face and ensure the eyes point to your call to action. The change may be small but can go a long way in helping you achieve your goals.
- Aim to engage: It’s important for the images you add to your project to be memorable, so people can engage with it. Images should evoke moments, feelings and so on. The best way to go about this is by learning much about your audience and also think about your product or service from their perspective.
- Give credit: It’s crucial to always give credit, especially when using the work of a photographer.
You might also want to read the license carefully, as it may require attrition.
References
How to Select Memorable Images for Your Content Marketing. (2019
Picking Memorable Photos for Law Firm Content. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.customlegalmarketing.com/2019/04/picking-memorable-photos-for-law-firm-content/