It’s past one o’clock in the morning in Southern Mexico. Instead of sleeping I am sitting at my laptop, drinking a glass of wine, writing this post about the importance of blog images. Why so late? Because it publishes tomorrow morning and I forgot all about it till an hour ago.
I need my beauty sleep so let’s get started 😉
Blog Images Can Promote a Personal Relationship
I was a wedding and lifestyle photographer for ten years before we moved to Mexico. Originally I set up my blog as another way to share my work and gain clients. I had a separate website and it was very sweet, if I say so myself… (I get a little cheeky past midnight). It featured my best work. The difference with a blog and website though, is that a blog tends to be more personal. More one on one. Not always, but usually.
With this in mind I decided that I wanted to promote that personal relationship with my blog, outside of my matter-of-fact, but sweet, website. Even though I am no longer a wedding photographer, I still want to promote a personal relationship with my clients or my readers. Besides writing from the heart, you can do this with blog images.
Yes, I love stock images. Pixabay and Pablo, (which pulls from many sites), are my favorites. With these sites and a good eye, you are almost guaranteed a great blog image. On the other hand, I also love sharing my photos of family, travel, homeschooling, ministry, and whatever else I feel like. I want to inspire people with my words and my images. Don’t you?
Where do you start? Learn how to take some decent blog images! Read, read, read! Google is a wealth of information on all topics. You don’t need a fancy camera anymore for great images. You don’t need a degree. You just need to be creative and artsy, (and read, read, read). Writing is creative and artsy. If you can write a good blog post, you can take a decent blog image 🙂
[bctt tweet=”If you can write a good blog post, you can take a decent blog image. #bloggingtips @PabloByBuffer @pixabay” username=”IBAbloggers”]
Let’s Make Your Blog Awesome is all about working as a team. What team? The International Bloggers’ Association! Let’s see what a few of our awesome members have to say about blog images.
Most Social Media Networks are Visually Driven
“Photography has become critically important for bloggers. Social media is such a huge traffic driver and most networks are visually driven. Plus having an image in a “Related Post” section after your posts can drive traffic within your own site.
Some niches, such as food and crafts, demand good photographs. You need at least one clear, well-lit and clutter free image of the final product. Bloggers in these niches should learn how their camera, (or camera app), can be adjusted to give them the best photo possible. Learning basic photo techniques can be very beneficial.
Like any skill, if you want to get better, you need to practice! And don’t be afraid to ask questions. I’ve found most people that are interested in photography are more than happy to share a tip or two, and offer suggestions (and encouragement).” – Audrey from That Recipe
Blog Images Should Compliment What You Write
“Having quality photos on your blog are just as important as the quality of your written content. They should serve to compliment what you’ve written. I find that readers, including myself, will be more likely to read blogs and online content that draw their eye in before reading the words on the page.
Even if you don’t have a lot of photography skills, there are several ways to have access to quality photos with various image-editing programs, or free or affordable stock photos. You can even edit using photo apps straight from your cell phone. I believe with all these resources, it’s not difficult to post rich images with each post.” – Bernadyn from B is 4
Touch Your Reader’s Heart With Photographs
“Blogging and photography are like body and soul. If you have beautiful photographs depicting what you have written about, it touches the reader’s heart and has a lasting impact on his mind.” – UK from Fashionable Foodz
Well there you have it. The last tip is short and sweet. I like it. I hope as a fellow blogger we have convinced you of the importance of blog images. Now go out there and take some pictures!
Our next post for Let’s Make Your Blog Awesome, an IBA original learning series inspired by real bloggers, will be focusing on choosing your blogging niche. This article should run on June 1st. Stay tuned! Signing off, in Mexico, at 2:30 a.m…., Tina 😉