When you write a blog post, there are a number of things that can be done to make it stand out and catch the attention of your readers. A well-written blog post is the first thing on that list almost every time. However, there are a dozen or more other things that can take very little time and multiply not only your exposure but the quality of readership on your blog.
The number one thing on that list is the addition of graphics and photos to each and every post you write. It may seem like a small addition, but without a visual addition, many blogs look stale and overly wordy. The last thing you want is for your visitors to think your blog looks wordy.
Break up Your Text
Text may be the crux of any successful blog, but it can quickly become the enemy if it gets out of hand. A well-written blog post does not merely combine mountains of text into a coherent narrative. It needs to offer breaks, bullet points, and plenty of white space to keep the reader enticed.
If there is too much text and not enough visual relief, it will seem more like work to read the post. The absolute last thing any blogger wants is for a blog reader to approach their blog as though it is work. Readers will eventually stop reading and forget to come back. Be engaging and most of all be simple. Images make this much easier to accomplish.
Get More Links
Gaining links to your blog from other websites and blogs is the best way to grow traffic, search rankings, and page rank. In short, if other bloggers like your website, they will tell their readers and you become more popular. While good posts and exclusive information are going to get you the most possible links back to your site, images and graphics can make your site that much more visible to fellow bloggers.
Not only will it stand out when they visit, they will create a map with which another blogger can link back to your site. They can reuse your photos on their site, causing your website to index higher, and associating readers with your site.
Engage Your Visitors
Not only do pictures and graphics break up the text on a page, they engage a reader to a far greater extent than text ever can. The old adages about pictures being more valuable than any amount of words holds doubly true for the Internet as your audience has an extremely short attention span. You have about 3 seconds to grab their attention before they click to another website.
If, for some reason, your headline or first paragraph fails to do this, your pictures very well might. Additionally, well-created, relevant photos remind your visitors of your posts, and may even be reposted on other websites if they are particularly funny or interesting. People respond to images. Take advantage of that and you can increase your readership.
Create a Storyline
One of the more entertaining aspects of using images on your blog is the ability it gives you to create a compelling narrative for your visitors. You can find humorous or poignant images to punctuate specific lines of text on your page and create an immediate link with your visitors to a specific line of thought you might have. You may write multiple posts about the same topic over time.
What better way to remind visitors that they already read a previous installment than using the same image in a humorous way. You engage your reader more in the narrative of your posts and create a closer connection with them. The better a connection you can create between you and your readers, the more likely they are to return again and again.
Show Your Creativity
If you are a blogger, you are no doubt a creative soul. Do not let yourself be pigeon holed by the limitations of text. Be as creative as possible with your images. Creating graphics or images for a post can be both fun for you and entertaining for your visitors. Not only that, but the more you show your readers that you are creative and interesting, the more likely they will be to bookmark your blog and come back, hoping to find more of your trademark antics and creativity.
Adding an image to a blog, especially in the age of Blogger simplicity, can be a quick and easy way to greatly increase your visibility to potential readers. Your fellow bloggers will be impressed and express that by linking to you. Your readers will be entertained and continue to return to your site, and your traffic will increase as you grow your visibility in search engines.