A well-written blog helps generate unique content for your site, but a well-written blog with accompanying images is more impactful than those words alone. Imagine a website with nothing but text. The retention rate of such a website would be close to nil. The same can be said for a blog. If you want to pull in readers and increase traffic to your site, then including images on your blog is essential.
WHY IMAGES ARE IMPORTANT FOR YOUR BLOG
Images do more than just add an appealing visual aesthetic; although they do that well, too, images should be intentional. A well-placed image will compliment your text without distracting your reader from the message. But why are images so impactful? How do they carry so much weight regarding retention and conversion rate? Keep reading to find out.
THE BRAIN PROCESS IMAGES FASTER THAN TEXT
In a study conducted at MIT, researchers discovered that the brain could process an image in as little as 13 milliseconds. That is 60,000 times faster than it takes for a brain to process text. Because the marketing world revolves around the ability to evoke a message as quickly as possible, it seems evident that images would be anyone’s first choice. The evidence for this case is apparent when you consider how social media platforms that use visual imagery over text-heavy posts are significantly outperforming their counterparts.
Sometimes, it might take more than 15 seconds to tell a story or share information. Blogs are specific to interests, and people who want more than surface-level thoughts on these subjects continue to visit them across the web. So how do images help in these instances?
You can use images in several ways to draw interest into your blog. A blog with a unique and exciting header image will draw more interest from readers than a blog with a less thoughtful image or no header image.
Another great way to use images to generate quick interest is to utilize one or more social media channels tailored for visual posts. Posting a unique image related to your content can be an excellent teaser to the blog and create an organic pathway for your audience to follow to your site.
VISUAL CONTENT IS EASIER TO REMEMBER
The Picture Superiority Effect is a proven psychological phenomenon in which the brain can recall a picture better than the spoken or written words accompanying it. It’s the reason that people get movie quotes wrong but not which characters said them.
Your readers might have trouble recalling the information they’ve read or heard three days after the fact, but they’ll have a much better chance of remembering it if a noteworthy picture is attached. This practice is beneficial in informative pieces where businesses can utilize charts and infographics. Marketing and branding companies know this well and use it often in the content they create for their clients.
IMAGES HELP TO BREAK UP TEXT
Blogs that are wordy tend to be read in strategic chunks. That means your reader will glance over the parts that interest them by scanning them for relevant keywords. Often, this means missing pieces of information or maybe even losing some of the contexts for which you wrote the blog.
Images help to keep your reader engaged. Using images to break up big blocks of text is a good practice that knowledgeable writers will use to manage reader retention. While adding too many images might make your article look spammy, including strategically placed images can help create an organic flow to your writing.
Think of images like transition words. You might use an image when you change the subject or allude to something outside your text. Using images in this way can give your reader a much-needed break from reading and allow them space in which they may not feel overwhelmed or uninterested.
Whatever your blog’s purpose, using images to convert your message isn’t one of the most impactful decisions you can make. If you aren’t already using images in your writing, try incorporating them into your next blog and see how well your reader retention improves.
GRIFFINWINK CRAFTS INTENTIONAL IMAGERY
For any service or product, GriffinWink is the professional resource you need to market it. Our team of writers and web designers knows what makes a good blog. We couple all of our copy and technical writing with sharp images to ensure your message hits the mark. Let GriffinWink help you connect with your readers.
