Using Photos With Your Posts 1/3
"“A picture is worth 1,000 words.” – an adage that is 100% true. We process images much faster than we process written words. Our reptilian brain interprets images almost instantly, while our grey matter takes time to read letters and form them into thoughts. Blog posts with an image have the potential to capture attention and deepen the impact of your words. They promote more engagement when viewed and shared than text-only posts. The key is to include relevant, high-quality images that you can legally use. Then, utilize the tools on your blog platform to optimize how they look. In this first of three blogs, we’ll focus on where to find images you can use.
Web Search Results Are Not Free Game
Photos and illustrations that appear in a Google image search are not yours to use freely. It’s easy to tell you can’t use them if they have watermarks. If they don’t have that, visit the site where the image is displayed. If it’s not a stock photography or artist’s website with images you can buy, then someone else owns the rights. For example, if you search “piles of paper” you get a mix of business sites like a professional organizer (can’t use) and stock photo sites (can buy and use).
You can still use an image found on another business’s site if you happen to find the same image on a stock photo site or contact the photographer or artist and obtain it properly. But if the business where you found it is similar to yours, find something unique.
Look For Quality Images
Instead of Googling images for your blog, Google “royalty-free stock photos” and look for images on these sites from the get-go. You can add “free” in there if you like. Images lifted from web image searches are often too low-resolution to display as a large featured image on your blog anyway; making the images appear too small or pixelated if enlarged to fit the space. This is a turn-off. Proper photo sites will offer high-resolution (look for 2400 px wide) images with clear permissions and terms of use. Be sure to read their terms – some are for editorial use only, which is not your blog.
There are free sites like Unsplash and Pixabay that have B-list photos, run by paid, royalty-free sites stock sites like iStock and Shutterstock. The first row of results displayed might be from the paid sites, but there should be plenty of free options below that. The free ones may ask for a photo credit in lieu of payment and provide instructions on how to do that. I often start with free sites and move up to a paid site if nothing is hitting the mark. The paid have more options in the way of quantity, quality and creative ideas. You pay for quality, and there are many affordable options.
BONUS TIP
Make use of the lightboxes or favourites on stock photo sites to collect all those you like at a glance, then narrow it down and buy the best from there.
Paying for Someone’s Art
If you are balking at prices, know that before royalty-free existed, clients paid thousands of dollars for photos with tight restrictions on use. I was thrilled when Royalty-free came along and they were only $600. Now, they are even more affordable. Keep in mind this is someone’s living; photography and illustration are real careers, just like yours. It’s inexpensive, as marketing goes.
A good goal is to seek a good quality image that increases the impact of your post over looking for free (which you may find anyway).
A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words
Whether it Looks Good or Bad
People form opinions and make connections with a glance at an image, way faster than our logical minds can parse out written words. An interesting image can stop someone from scrolling right past an article seen on their LinkedIn feed. Not including an interesting relevant, high-quality image is a missed opportunity. Conversely, using an image that’s boring, irrelevant or poor quality can have a negative effect.