I think we can all agree that creating killer content is important if you want a successful real estate blog. Promoting your content is arguably equally as important.
But what about the images that we are using to help promote our content? Are we overlooking the power of using captivating images and the positive impact they have on our content?
Now is a great time to start catering to the more than 65 percent of the population that is considered to be visual learners. Doing so can positively impact the analytical metrics of your blog post.
Let’s take a look at why captivating images for your blog is extremely important and why you can’t afford to overlook it anymore.
How to get started with captivating images
How can you, as a blogger, improve your message using the power of images?
If you feel like you have wasted time in the past researching and creating content only to be shared a handful of times, it might not be because of the content but because of the lack of or poor quality of images and graphics within your post.
According to Jeff Bellas, content with images gets 94 percent more views than content without.
Try these three tips to help increase the quality of your post imagery.
1. Focus on your featured image
If you do not have a stimulating features image, you will not captivate your audience or lure them in. This results in a low clickthrough rate (CTR).
This is one reason the display of your featured image is so important across social media channels. Your audience is possibly making a judgment about your article without even reading the title or description of the post.
The brain processes visual information 60,000 faster than text.
Keep in mind: your featured image must also be 100 percent relevant to the content in the article. This is crucial, so you are not sending the wrong message to your audience.
2. Keep your audience engaged
Now that you have captured your readers and lured them in, you need to keep your readers interested and engaged.
Be sure to add two or three images throughout your post, to help break up the text. This will give your audience a “brain break” and keep them more engaged and on the page longer.
3. Find examples of visual content that work
Let’s take a look at some visual content that will help you achieve a more successful real estate blog post.
Depending on the context and style of the article, determine which type of image will work best. For example, here is a list of three visual examples that work great for how-to style post.
- Infographics: A little more time consuming but are always my best-performing posts.
- Screenshots: A great way to give the reader real-life examples.
- Memes: Add some personality to your article by including a relevant meme to your article.
Learning to get your images just right will take time just like blogging and distributing content.
One thing to remember is that you want to make sure you optimize your images correctly and also fully utilize the option to label the alt image attributes, the description of the image and the file name as well.
Captivating images are such a strong ingredient to creating a successful blog post. I don’t necessarily believe it is an actual ranking signal, but if done correctly, you can positively impact the dwell-time on your next real estate article.
Tell me what you think, in the comments section below.
Nathan Garrett is a real estate agent at Garretts Realty Group – Coldwell Banker McMahan Co. Connect with him on Facebook or LinkedIn.