Blog posts are more about the words but photos are also important. Visuals can make or break a blog. Before you upload a photo to your post, you have to think long and hard about how it will affect the message in the post. Picking the right images for your content can be tricky at times.
Usage
The first thing you should ask yourself is “do I have the right to use this image?” Only choose images that you have the right to use. Don’t use images that belong to someone else. If you do, seek permission from them first.
If you run a big blog, you might try using stock photo sites like Shutterstock or iStockPhoto. You will pay some fee for it but the images used won’t result in copyright infringement. If you don’t want to pay royalties, remember to use the right attributions in the caption so that no one claims they were not credited for usage of the photo. But only do this if it’s for non-commercial purposes.
Subject
The subject of your photos are the most important aspect. Your subject should be directly related to the content without overshadowing it. For example, a post on road carnage does not have to have an image of a gruesome accident with bodies all over. A simple crash photo will do and still put across the message. Let the content stand on its own and be complemented by the image and not vice versa.
Size
The size of the image you pick should fit the format of the blog. Centre-align your photos and use a size of 500 to 600 pixels. This is the standard for most blogs. However, a larger or smaller size can work depending on the layout of your blog. This applies to images that are on their own line. For images that run alongside content, make sure the content column isn’t too skinny, making it more difficult to read. Make sure that the size is small enough not to overshadow the content.
Colors
The colors of your image need to be visually appealing and match the emotions of your blog post. If you’re looking for a representation of calmness, blue will work. Black is usually associated with power and mystery. Choose a color that will reflect the mood being carried out in the post. Let the color speak for the content without saying too much.
There will be times you sill select the wrong image. It happens to most of us. The key is learning to take into account what role the image is playing and why. Know what to sue and when. Let it represent your content in a visual way. This is one way to generate interest in your posts as people like the images and will be more likely to read the story attached to it.