When someone is tasked with writing a blog post, they often begin by focusing only on the text, and potentially forgetting about adding photos. If photos are added, it might be as an afterthought, just tacking on a hastily downloaded stock image to check a box. However, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that this might not be the best strategy for long term success.
One of the most important features in a well written blog post is intentionality. Indeed, this is a critical feature in nearly every endeavor. Everything that you do should have a purpose, and your aims should always be well defined. When blogging this applies to the entire post. While this obviously applies to the words, I bring it up in relation to the picture because the picture is often an afterthought for inexperienced bloggers.
The picture is important for several reasons. The first and most obvious is that it provides an opportunity to communicate a lot from a thumbnail or a glance. Modern audiences have short attention spans, and a picture can be a great addition to a title. A beautiful vista, emotionally motivating image, or other choices can all help to give your post better glance value.
Secondly, pictures can have a powerful effect on the reader. While text can help to convey information, engaging other senses helps to involve the entire cortex of your audience. The more areas that are connecting, the more likely it is that your blog post will have a lasting effect. Not only will it be more memorable, but while reading it they are more likely to be influenced by your message and brand.
The final reason is a fairly obvious one. I just talked about the power that a picture has, so if you pick poorly, all of those factors can contribute negatively to the success of your message. If a picture is divisive, unpopular, or promotes sentiment which is in opposition to your goals, your hasty choice could have a powerful deleterious effect. Therefore, the absolute most important thing to do is to not pick a picture which will be offensive or unpleasant. While a boring photo will not be remembered, a photo of unappetizing food will instantly turn people off to your brand. Therefore, when you are looking to create a successful business blog, ensure that you choose your pictures wisely. They have more of an effect than you realize.
