Think about the iconic pictures that have touched your heart or fascinated you over the years.
How about Associated Press photographer Nick Ut’s 1972 Pulitzer Prize winning image of children fleeing from a Napalm bombing during the Vietnam War?
Then there’s the 2011 photo of US President Barack Obama and his nervous-looking national security team watching the Navy Seals raid that killed Osama Bin Laden in 2011?
And, more recently, the tragic picture of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi washed up on a beach in Turkey after he drowned as his family tried to flee Syria. The reaction that this shot generated among politicians from around the world was incredible.
These three examples captivated a massive global audience and made millions of us stop and think. They also helped to coax people to read the text that was carefully positioned alongside the images.
It’s a well-worn cliché that a picture speaks a thousand words but when writing a blog it is crucial the images you use to support your story or messaging are not a last minute consideration.
The celebrated American sociologist and early 20th century photographer Lewis Hine famously said that if he could tell the story in words he wouldn’t need to lug around a camera.
Here are five key reasons why pictures matter when producing content if you want to inform and educate your audience and, crucially, prompt a reaction and response.
1. Visual storytelling
Images stir readers’ emotions and can be memorable. This is about more than simply selecting a stock photo, company logo or product shot. A well-chosen picture will draw the reader into your content. Ask yourself, could the image in your blog tell a story on its own in the same way the famous examples above undoubtedly do?
2. Shareability
Social media is becoming increasingly visually-led and the choice of pictures in a blog will go a long way to determining who shares your content and how engaged your target audience is. Facebook knew what it was doing when it bought mobile photo sharing app Instagram for $1bn in 2012.
3. Create impact
The text may be well-written and tell a great story but it is often the picture which has the real power to hammer home a key point. Don’t use poorly-taken or out of focus pictures because these will have a negative impact on your brand and dilute your narrative.
4. Drive organic views
Images generate a considerable amount of website traffic through search engines such as Google Images and will improve the SEO for your article. Just make sure that legally you have permission to use a particular image.
5. Increased engagement
A picture can also add humour to your blog and grab viewers’ attention, especially if the subject matter is not the sexiest. Give the reader something to laugh about and they will give you some of their precious time.
Don’t use too many pictures in your blog. One powerful image can often do most of the work for you when it comes to conveying key messages, especially if it is supported by a succinct and informative caption.
As part of any content marketing strategy it is worth allocating a budget to visuals. This does not have to be a large sum of money, but it can be a very worthwhile investment to be able to purchase striking images or hire a professional photographer from time to time.
Ultimately images provoke emotional reactions in people in a way that words, however informative and creative they are, rarely can on their own.
Steve Hemsley is an experienced freelance journalist and media trainer who writes for The Financial Times, The Sunday Times and for business magazines across many industry sectors from retail and travel to marketing and HR.
