We’ve heard it said time and again that “a picture is worth a thousand words”, but in the age of the Internet, blogging and content marketing, it’s become far more valuable. In fact, it could be worth every single word in your blog post, because when you promote your content online – especially via social media – the associated feature image can potentially influence the viewer’s decision to click on the promo (or not). That’s why a blogger’s job isn’t done when she’s merely finished writing her post: If it isn’t accompanied by an awesome image as well, she risks diminishing the odds that the people she promotes it to will even read it. So with such a pivotal role to play in the success of a blog post, how (and where) does one find the perfect image?
Before I dive into the “where” and “how” to source great images for your blog posts, here’s a quick reminder as to why images are so important:
These days, images are more than just visually pleasing diversions dispersed nonchalantly within copy-heavy blog posts. The feature image that you choose for your post – which is the one that’s also visible when you share the post on social media – is essentially part of an ad for your post, which is why sometimes it’s worth investing both time and a little money to source the perfect image to “sell” your post (because that’s essentially what it’s doing).
Together with a killer headline, the appeal of the feature image (or lack of it) can be the difference between someone clicking through to read your post, or scrolling right past it and on to something that looks more inviting.
Here are some stats that highlight the power of images to influence our online browsing behavior:
The human brain processes visuals 60,000 times faster than text and 90% of the information transmitted to the brain is visual. (Source: Mike Parkinson, billiondollargraphics.com)Graphics affect us both cognitively and emotionally: “The audience’s understanding of the presented material, the opinion of the presenter, and their emotional state are crucial factors in any decision they will make. Whoever properly wields this intelligence has a powerful advantage over their competition.” (Source: Mike Parkinson, billiondollargraphics.com)
“Pictures interact with text to produce levels of comprehension and memory that can exceed what is produced by text alone.” J.R. Levin.
According to a Skyword study, on average, total views increased by 94 percent if a published article contained a relevant photograph or infographic when compared to articles without an image in the same category. (Source: Skyword)
A HubSpot study revealed that their photo posts received 84% more link clicks than text and link posts; photos on Facebook Pages received 53% more Likes than the average post; and photo posts attracted 104% more comments than the average post. (Source: HubSpot)
MIT neuroscientists have found that the brain can identify images seen for as little as 13 milliseconds. (Source: MIT)
According to the Pew Research Center’s Mobile Messaging and Social Media 2015 Report, although Facebook remains the most popular social media site, growth on the site has largely plateaued. In contrast, the proportion of online adults who use Pinterest and Instagram has doubled in the past 3 years: Some 31% of online adults use Pinterest (up from 15% in 2012) with 27% of them visiting the platform daily, while 28% use Instagram (up from 13% in 2012), with 59% of them visiting the platform daily. (Source: Pew Research Center, Aug 2015)
So what do all these stats mean?
Since the dawn of time, it seems that human beings have always been hardwired to process visuals faster than written text. For the last 3 decades or so, our ability to digitize information and share it via the World Wide Web has heralded the Information Age, and with the rising popularity of blogging, social media, and the ability to share virtually anything at any time via smartphones (especially images and videos), items of content are multiplying exponentially at unprecedented rates.
According to IBM, 90% of the data in the world today has been created in the last two years alone, and this statistic is about 3 years old! Brad Frost referred to it too in his awesome CreativeMornings talk Death to Bullshit back in 2013, but the gist is just as relevant today (if not more so) – along with other mind-boggling statistics like “out of the 3.8 billion photos that exist in this world, 10% were taken just last year” and “four billion things are shared on Facebook every single day.”
The point is that the term “content overload” has become an understatement. We have evolved into a new breed of online beings that has neither time nor patience for irrelevant content. Consequently, we have become skilled online scanners who can determine within split seconds whether we want to click on something or not. The average adult’s attention span is less than that of a goldfish (just 8 seconds) so if the thing that’s supposed to convince us to click on something doesn’t manage to do it in an instant, then we move on to the next item with ruthless indifference.
Images have the power to generate an emotional response from us in way less than 8 seconds and compel us into action, which is usually either to ignore or engage with the item of content it represents. And since images are ‘snackable’, bite-sized pieces of content that are easy for us to “digest” digitally, it’s no wonder that Instagram and Pinterest – both based purely on sharing of visual formats – are also the fastest growing social networks today.
Where to find images for your blog posts
There are 4 main options:
1) You can buy them from reputable stock photography sites
2) You can get them for free from reputable free stock photography sites.
3) You can get special permission from the owner of an original image to use it in your blog and credit the source (crediting the source is always good practice in any case).
4) You can photograph or create your very own, original images.
“Stealing” a photo for your blog without knowing the original source is a massive “no-no” and can have some pretty unpleasant consequences, so it’s best not to risk it.
For the purpose of this post I’ll be sharing my own personal experience with the first 2 options (and touch a little on the fourth one):
Paying for photos from Stock Photography sites
My 2 favorite premium stock photography sites are Fotolia and Shutterstock, and as much as I enjoy free photos as well (I’ll get to that in just a moment), I usually turn to Fotolia and Shutterstock for the following reasons:
Huge variety of images: They both have over 40 million images in their database, which is far more than any of the free stock photography sites, so the variety is simply massive.
Value for money: I have experimented with a few other paid stock photography sites but have found Fotolia and Shutterstock to be the best value for money. Even if you don’t normally have a big budget for stock photography, sometimes it’s worth forking out a few dollars at least for your post’s feature image, especially when you consider that a really great (and legally obtained) photo may well be the thing that convinces someone to click through to your post when you promote it. A few dollars is a small price to pay to boost the chance for clicks.
Sophisticated search capabilities: Both sites allow you to filter your search using several criteria, including category, file type, orientation, with or without people, and of course – keywords. In fact, by using really precise keywords to describe what I’m after, I can find what I’m looking for much faster than I could in the free stock photography sites, where the search capabilities are not as sophisticated. This saves a hell of a lot of time, and that’s a huge priority for me.
Photos often come as part of a series: Premium stock photography sites often include photos that are part of a series (either by the same photographer if you like their style or featuring the same model), which I personally really like because it allows me to create either a series of images throughout my post, or an animation (I’m obsessed with GIFs).
Tips for searching for images from paid stock photography sites:
Use the sophisticated search capabilities to eliminate irrelevant search results and save a lot of useless browsing time. For example, for Viola Notes, I mostly use horizontal images, so by setting the orientation to ‘horizontal’ in the search filter, I can quickly eliminate all of the irrelevant vertical images. Also, sometimes I want photos that include people and at other times I don’t, so the “People” filter is super helpful.
Use specific keywords (and even combinations of keywords) to find exactly what you want. Using generic keywords will usually turn up hundreds or even thousands of results, which is far from ideal. But by using really specific keywords (for example if you want a woman in your photo rather than a man) and adjectives to describe things more precisely, you can narrow your search to find what you really want – a lot faster.
For example, for my post Why bragging about your startup’s achievements to “help” others is actually totally unhelpful, I wanted my feature image to include a man who is showing off in an over the top way (which I figured would also add a touch of humor), so I used the keywords “arrogant man” and found exactly what I had pictured in my head in just a few minutes (see below). I attempted the same search in some of the free sites I recommended below (just for the sake of comparison) and struggled to find what I was after, abandoning my search as soon as I felt like I was starting to waste time.
Consider using a series of photos and animating them creatively to convey a concept or idea. For my post How headlines affect your blog’s dwell time and why you should care, I wanted my feature image to convey the concept of “dwell time” (the amount of time a visitor spends on a web page before leaving it) without using clichéd images of clocks or stopwatches. I wanted to convey the passage of time of a person reading something online, so I searched for a series of photos featuring the same person “looking at a computer screen” in a variety of different poses and animated them to create the exact visual I had in mind:
Avoid using ‘typical’ stock photos, unless you can add your own twist. Some stock photos look too much like, well, stock photos. Visitors to your blog most likely visit many other blogs as well, and the “obvious” stock photo choices are unfortunately used so often by people who can’t be bothered to take the time to find something less overused, that the natural reaction when you see them is to cringe.
Actor Vince Vaughn famously made fun of the phenomenon for his movie Unfinished Business, when Getty and Fox team up to create a series of idiotic stock photos.
Having said that, sometimes taking a stock photo that looks semi-boring and adding your own elements can transform it into something else entirely, whether used as a feature image or other visuals throughout your post.
Here are a few examples:
13 experienced startup CTOs offer their top tips to first-time CTOs
When it comes to your startup’s technology, God (or maybe the devil?) is in the details
Will your next blog post’s headline be a pair of sweaty socks or a freshly baked pastry?
Why startups must protect access to their cloud services from Day 1 (and how to do it in 3 easy steps)
Why you want more Catchers in your company than Batters (and how to bring out the best in your employees)
How to overcome Blank-Page Syndrome and write a kick-ass blog post like a pro
Growing your team? Here’s why you should consider hiring your direct opposite.
Great technological minds don’t always think alike. Thank goodness.
Why resistance to ad blocking is futile and what’s next for digital advertising
10 Tips for building your company’s brand ambassador program from scratch
The Haggadah’s Four Sons make an ideal startup team. Here’s why.
Don’t always choose an “obvious” photo. Many times, it is indeed appropriate to choose a photo that represents the subject of the post as closely as possible, because the image acts as a back-up to the headline and needs to convey the gist of the post in a split second. But there are certain times where choosing an image that complements the headline metaphorically or subliminally, is actually more intriguing and effective. Here are some examples (note the headlines and the feature images chosen):
Using images from free stock photography sites
Although the variety of images in the free sites is usually a lot smaller than in some of the most popular “premium” stock photography sites, often they include images that are more unique, and with so many stock photos being overused across the web these days, uniqueness is a significant advantage.
The problem is that since the search features on the free sites are typically not as sophisticated as in the premium sites, finding the image you want for a specific post can be extremely time consuming, and even if you spend ages searching, you might still not find what you’re after.
There are 2 ways to overcome this obstacle (and I use both):
Many of my favorite free stock photography sites invite you to subscribe via email so that they can notify you when new images are added to their photo library. This is a great way to see what’s new without having to browse for hours through all of the free sites all the time.
I happen to really love great imagery, so for me, browsing through these sites (often for longer than I should) is sort of a hobby. Having said that, I’m mindful of not wasting time, so if I come across an image I love, I download it right away and file it in my own self-created image library (a bit like a playlist, but with images). Sometimes I even create folders for different image categories and file more “niche” photos in those. That way, if I know I need an image of “people looking at computer screens”, or “people looking frustrated”, or “people using smartphones” (etc.), my first port of call is to go to the relevant folder in my self-created library of free photos and see if I already have some relevant images. If I’m still stuck, then I head to Fotolia or Shutterstock. Having access to a library of free images that I already know I really like and am free to use is a huge time-saver, plus often they are more unique, so it’s a win-win.
General Tips for using stock photography, whether purchased or free:
Know the licensing and citation/attribution terms: Whether you’re using free images or images you’ve purchased, always make sure that you’re clear on the type of license that’s associated with the various images so that you know where and how you may use them, and whether any citation is required.
Re-use your selected photos in a variety of ways throughout your post: If you’ve already taken the trouble to find (not to mention buy) a photo for the purpose of using it as the feature image in your post, then why stop there? Get as much mileage out of the photo as possible by incorporating it into the post itself.
My favorite way to do it is to add a quote from the post on to the photo, and brand it either using my blog’s logo, URL, or Twitter handle. I know that there’s a good chance that the image will be shared or indexed by Google, so I might as well add a few branding details to get as much publicity for my blog as I can as the images travel through the World Wide Web.
In fact, I don’t even wait for others to share these images; I share them myself in our own social channels, especially Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest, which leads in nicely to my next tip.
Add motion to the images you share on Facebook and Instagram by converting GIFs to videos. As I mentioned before, I love creating my own animated GIFs (I use Photoshop for my GIFs), but since animated GIFs don’t work on Instagram, I convert them to videos. They’re also great attention grabbers when promoting posts on Facebook.
My mega-list of stock photography sites & other groovy tools to create kick-ass visuals elements
I already mentioned Fotolia and Shutterstock. Here are a few more stock photography sites, plus some cool tools that might come in handy when preparing visuals for your blog posts (besides Photoshop, which is my personal tool of choice for image editing):
Pexels
Free images and videos you can use anywhere. All images and videos on Pexels are released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0. You may download, modify, distribute, and use them royalty-free for anything you like.
StockSnap.io
Hundreds of beautiful, free high resolution images added weekly. All stock photos are free from copyright restrictions – No attribution required.
Pixabay
Free images and videos you can use anywhere. All images and videos on Pixabay are released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0. You may download, modify, distribute, and use them royalty-free for anything you like.
Unsplash
Free (do whatever you want) high-resolution photos. 10 new photos every 10 days.
Death to the Stock Photo
Both free and premium stock photos. For $15/month you get total access to all of photos – past and future – is available to use whenever you like.
ClassicStock
A wonderfully wide selection of retro, vintage, nostalgic, historic, humorous and often wacky classic photo images and illustrations.
Gratisography
Free high-resolution pictures you can use on your personal and commercial projects. All pictures photographed by Ryan McGuire and free of copyright restrictions.
picjumbo
Totally free photos for your commercial & personal works
Unstock (by Envato)
Handpicked hi-res photos for $5 each.
Dollar Photo Club
Royalty free stock photos and vectors for just $1
GraphicBurger
Tasty design resources made with care for each pixel *free for both personal & commercial use)
Makerbook
A hand-picked directory of the best free resources for creatives, including photography, mockups, graphics, textures, fonts, colors, video, audio and other tools.
Creative Market
Large variety of both free and premium photos, templates and more.
Coverr
Beautiful, free videos for your homepage (7 new videos every Monday)
The Pattern Library
Beautiful free patterns
0to255
0to255 is a simple tool that helps web designers find variations of any color.
Paletton
The Paletton Live Colorizer is a color palette creation tool
Material Palette
Color palette creation tool: Pick any 2 colors and the tool will create a great color palette for your project.
Adobe Color CC
Adobe Color CC allows you to create color schemes with the color wheel or browse thousands of color combinations from the Kuler community.
Color-hex
Color-hex gives information about colors (including color models) and generates a simple css code for the selected color. Html element samples are also shown.
Dunnnk
Mockup generator for all kinds of devices. It’s as easy as choosing the image of the device you want your mockup to appear in, upload the image you want pictured in the device, and that’s it! In the example above I uploaded a screenshot of the Viola Notes homepage into the mac book.
Placeit
Fancy image and video mockups on a range of different devices. Small versions are free to download (see example I created above of the Viola Notes website). Subscription plans available to download larger versions.
Snagit
No matter what you’re working on, Snagit helps you capture great looking images and videos with just a few clicks. Easily customize your screen captures with effects, or show off what’s important with Snagit’s markup tools. You can also create quick videos by recording your screen, like the example I created above. You trial Snagit for free for 15 days, and after that it costs a one-off license fee of $49.95 (USD), which is well worth your while if you need to grab and share screenshots (either as images or videos) regularly.
Awesome Screenshot
Capture images of all or part of any web page. Add annotations, comments, blur sensitive info, and share with one-click uploads.
Wordmark
Wordmark displays previews of any text with the fonts installed on your computer to help you choose the best font for your project.
PicMonkey
Free image editing software.
BeFunky
Photo Editing & Graphic Design: Produce stunning photographs and captivating designs with fun, easy-to-use editing tools.
Word Swag
The Wordswag iOS app allows you to add awesome text to your photos in seconds.
ThingLink
With ThingLink you can create interactive images and videos for web, social, advertising, and educational channels. Make your images come alive with video, text, images, shops, music and more!
PlayBuzz
Use the Playbuzz platform to create and embed playful, viral content. Choose from several interactive content formats like the Swiper, Flip Cards, Polls, Quizzes, Trivia, Lists and more. They’re all free, easy to use, fully customizable, optimized for engagement and embeddable virtually everywhere.
Dafont
Awesome fonts for free (Editor’s Note: If you like experimenting with new fonts, this site is addictive).
Spruce
Make Twitter ready images in seconds.
TinEye
Reverse image search. Found an image you like online and want to find its source? Find it in a flash with TinEye
Know of other cool stock photography sites or tools for creating awesome visuals for blogs? Recommend them in the comments area below!
The post How (and where) to find the perfect image for your next blog post: A mega-list of great tools and examples appeared first on Viola Notes.