Creating quality content that engages your audience is a must. This is not a new trend or passing fad, content has proven to be the key to drawing people to your website for many years now. As blogs, vlogs and social media posts have become increasingly sophisticated, so too has the quality of content. More than providing value-adding content, you also need to provide a visual appeal to draw potential leads to your business.
However, not all businesses have the budget for a designer. Not all writers have time to create graphics. Not all web developers have time to ensure visual posts are optimized.
If you don’t have the time or the skills, to create eye-catching visual content that compliments your written content on a regular basis, there are three simple things that you can do to ensure that you hook your reader before the first word using visuals.
Visuals Are Not Optional
We all naturally gravitate towards great visual content in any format. Newspapers, TV broadcasts, film, book covers – they all use visual content to get our attention, then try and hold onto it with more content, such as written content or verbal content.
Blogging advice website BuzzSumo found that posts with an image every 75-100 words attracted on average 30 more shares than those without. This is because graphics keep people reading, and when people read more of your content they draw more value and feel more compelled to share their positive experience.
Graphics also leave a more lasting impression than written content. As much as 65{21dc2fe1b43c4cf57a2e25a56b286f09fbb32a45ddf34dcf04be366972dd7b06} of the population are visual learners, meaning that those people who are visual learners tend to store more information on their long-term memory if they have visual content to back it up.
Visual information is also processed on average 60,000 times faster than written information. Research has found that including visual content increases recall better than when information is delivered in an aural or textual form. Visuals help people make sense of the content and direct attention, increasing the possibilities that the learners will remember.
By including visual content you gain:
- More shares
- More traffic
- Greater engagement
All of which lead to increased authority in your field of blogging expertise.
There are certain image types that bring greater benefit than others. You only need to learn and understand how to use these three types of visual content then mix them up in your blog posts to help improve your reader engagement.
1) Graphical Blog Headers
Blog headers go at the start or just after the introduction of your blog post. They usually feature the headline of your post in an engaging, graphical form.
Blog headers, much like a newspaper headline, grab the attention of your audience. It is about more than the words, the header relies on a style that visually appeals to your audience.
You can use tools to create blog headers that avoid the generic format that might come as standard with your website blog page. Adding colour, your logo, lines of demarcation or other subtle cues can help to differentiate your blog from others.
A blog header is often the first thing a site visitor will see, so having a memorable and consistent style helps your audience to identify you from other blogs. Your blog header should recall your brand voice and inform readers visually who you are, where they are and what they are about to read.
2) Social Media (or “Open Graph”) Images
Open graph images are the images that automatically appear when you share a link to a blog post on social media.
They should include the headline of the post, and sometimes they highlight some other detail, but the important thing is that they’re much more eye-catching than a text-only share.
Blogs that include images on when shared to social media record a 90{21dc2fe1b43c4cf57a2e25a56b286f09fbb32a45ddf34dcf04be366972dd7b06} higher engagement rate. People are interested in seeing more content if an image has intrigued, moved, disgusted or otherwise affected them.
Such images can be obtained through stock image websites. While many blogs will tell you never to use stock images, they are usually the same sites that do just that. The important things about using stock images are choosing high-quality images then putting it through photoshop or another program to retouch it, add a filter or create layers to make the image your own.
3) Typography Quote Graphics
Typography quote graphics are simple to create and are shared at a high rate online. People enjoy simple or inspiring or creative, and sharing quote graphics has been popular for many years.
If you combine the right graphics with the right message, you could even go viral. That is the obvious goal for any content creator. There are many free tools to help you create these simple graphics and uploading them to your website is easy.
Design Tips for Novices
Creating visual content takes practice. While you might understand theories about color, layout and fonts, it isn’t until you are working with all the elements and trying to create your own design that it comes together – or falls apart.
These are a few simple tips to keep in mind when designing for the first time. It’s ok if you don’t nail it each time, the important thing is to include visual content and keep working on audience engagement techniques.
Tip #1: Keep Background Images Simple
Simple designs are the most effective because readers are more likely to engage with clean, uncluttered images.
White space, a maximum of three font types and few filters give your visual content a modern appeal. This is most pertinent to your blog headers, as it is often the first thing people see, so your image and content should be related and clear.
Tip #2: Let Your Background Determine the Text Placement
Even though a blog header has a graphical background, the text is still the star. You want the text to be easily read and for the image to give a sense of balance.
You might need to move your text around, experiment with colors and fonts and sometimes even select a different background to ensure that your image and text complement each other, not compete for attention.
Tip #3: Crop to Create the Perfect Backdrop
Sometimes you’ll come across an image that feels perfect for your post’s subject matter, but it might be the wrong shape, include an element you don’t like, or lack enough free space or balance.
To remedy this you need to be familiar with cropping. Be discerning with the section of an image you choose to form the background for your blog header so that you can convey exactly the visual message you intend.
Tip #4: Use Emotional Imagery
The more emotions you can work into your image, the better. Research shows a direct correlation between the emotional content of an image, and how viral it goes.
Tip #5: Use Shareable Colors
Research from Georgia Tech reveals that using pink, purple and red in your images promotes sharing. Using these colors to highlight key information is the key to balancing the use of these colours with your brand palette.
Tip #6: Use an Existing Template
Templates are a great way to get to know how a tool works. You can change the elements, and working backwards, understand how a final product has come together and start to replicate the process.
Tip #7: The Power of Contrast Filters
The aim of a good typography quote graphic is to evoke some form of emotion in your audience. While the written content is the crucial aspect of the design, understand contest to evoke a mood or set the tone is also important.
To decide what emotion you want to convey, think about what the quote elicits from you? It is usually the best place to start – go with your instincts.
Tip #8: Choose Clear, Crisp Fonts
Typography is a subject that needs investigation. But in simple terms, choose clear, clean fonts that are easily readable for headlines, mix no more than 3 font types per image and ensure that they are from the same family.
If you aren’t sure, stick to the Sans fonts and wait to explore typography further when you have understood other elements of design first.
Tip #9: Use Colors from Your Background Image to Make Your Text Pop
Try taking one of the more vibrant colors from your background and using it as your text block’s font color. This helps to create a visual relationship between the image and the text and keeps the design clean and concise.
Final Thoughts
Adding visual content to your blogs is essential. It can take time to master, however, there are many free tools that people with no design skills can learn to use to improve their content.
You engagement rates will improve steadily with even simple enhancements, such as photos, fonts and quote boxes. The additions need not take too much time, but they will deliver you improved reach that will far outweigh your efforts.
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