Growth Strategies

5 Types Of Featured Images To Consider Your Content

5 Types Of Featured Images To Consider Your Content

Featured images are an important part of the blog. This is a prominent image that tells readers the theme of your post and sets the tone for what they can anticipate.

You’ve likely seen the option to add featured photos to WordPress posts if you use a CMS like WordPress. You’ll be asked to upload a featured image when you submit a guest posting.

Featured images can make your website more attractive and easier to read. They provide a break between posts and help to keep the text organized.

Featured images are the first thing that grabs attention when visitors visit your website. These images are what people see as they scroll through social media posts. Did you know that images receive 94% more views compared to posts without them?

People will stop reading articles if the images are not appealing. If the image is interesting or grabs their attention, however, They are more likely to click on the article and read it.

It is therefore important to select an image that supports the content. It can be hard to choose the right one. A relevant image should be attention-grabbing and related to your content.

This post will provide a detailed look at the various types of featured images that you can use for your blog posts. This article will help you understand how to choose a featured image for blog content.

What makes a compelling feature image?

You now know the various types of featured images that you can use. Let’s take a look at the key elements that make featured images so effective.

Your featured image should include:

  • Relevant to your article’s topic
  • Attention-grabbing and high-quality
  • Your business should be on-brand
  • The perfect size for social sharing

As you can see, It’s not as easy as choosing the appropriate image. these are the factors that will make your featured image stand out.

Also read: Content Moderation: What It Is, Types and Tools

Use Five different featured images in your blog content

Your featured images can be as creative or simple as you like. Here are five different types of featured images that you can use in your blog content.

Your brand’s tone, target audience, and objectives will determine the type of featured image you choose. However, you should stick to the featured image you choose throughout your blog content.

1. Stock photography

Stock images are high-quality, professional images you can purchase for a fee. These photos are great if you need specific photos that correspond to the subject of your articles.

Although you can find high-quality images from many sources for free, it’s possible that you won’t find the right image to match your message.

This holds true even if your writing is about abstract topics. You can search terms such as ‘Customer Relations Management, mind map, SaaS’, or ‘Goal Setting’.

It’s amazing how the quality and relevance of the results can vary. you’ll get from a stock photo compared to free images.

Many free image platforms don’t offer high-quality, relevant photos that can be used to represent unusual themes. However, you will be more likely than not to find exact matches on photo content from premium sites such as Shutterstock and Envato Elements.

2. Screenshots

Sometimes it is appropriate to use screenshots taken directly from your site. You can also show screenshots of the product or service in action. If you write a tutorial-style article about how to achieve a certain outcome, it may be a good idea to include screenshots.

You can use screenshots to give your readers an idea about what you have in store for them if you are reviewing a product, a service, or a piece of software.

To draw attention to your content, I recommend taking screenshots and overlaying them over text. The visual guide will be appreciated by audience members who can easily identify what they are looking for in a post.

3. Custom images

Another option is to create a custom image for featured shots. You can do this by either taking your photos or using online tools such as Canva. Or, you could hire a professional designer. Because custom images are so great, They can be tailored to fit the theme of your article.

They can convey an emotion or message. It may be difficult for you to communicate this with normal pictures or words.

You should ensure that your custom image is high-quality, relevant, and appropriate to your article’s topic. It’s a great way for you to differentiate your content from others in your industry by using customer images as your featured images.

You can put text across an image to indicate your post title or other interesting details. These small actions can make a big difference in whether someone clicks on your post.

Top brands often have talented in-house designers who create stunning featured images from scratch. They can also use stock imagery but add brand elements to make the image stand out.

Also read: 12 Best Free Stock Video Websites

4. Vector graphics

Many businesses choose to use vector graphics over real-life photos. A vector graphic is a digital image that is created using mathematical equations and not pixels.

They can be scaled to any size, without losing quality. They are a great option for those who want to have more control over the aesthetics and tone of featured images.

Vector graphic art is required if you wish to use a specific shade of color for all your images. It is expensive and difficult to create photos that match perfectly with your brand.

Vector art can give your blog featured images a consistent look. With attractive shapes and digitally created elements, you can represent abstract concepts as well as practical details. These graphics can also be created by businesses using a cartoon-like approach, but they still retain professionalism.

If you are concerned about copyright issues with real photos, vector graphics may be an alternative. These graphics are a great way to keep your branding consistent. To create featured images quickly and easily, I recommend Canva and Stencil.

5. Featured images that feature a picture of a person

It’s obvious that real people’s images draw the eye and are engaging. This is especially true when compared with generic stock photos or fancy vector art. A picture of the author of the post or the CEO of the company can make a huge difference.

This is a way to show that the business owner is real. They’re trying to establish a connection with their audience. It can also help put a face on the name and build trust among your target market. This is an effective action that small businesses and bloggers can take to help build brand recognition.

This doesn’t mean you have to take a professional headshot. You can use a casual photograph taken on a smartphone to do the same. You can use a design tool so Canva is the best tool that allows you to combine standard images with your profile.

This is a great way for you to have the best of both. You can have an engaging and attention-grabbing image and You still get the personal touch of adding a person to your featured photo.

How do you create captivating featured images?

We’ve now covered some of the featured images that you can use. Let’s discuss how to make them.

It is quite an art to create a captivating featured image. Here are some tips and tools to help you get started.

1. Use high-quality images

Although this should be obvious, it is still important to mention. A phone camera can capture quality images but is not as effective as a professional one. Pictures taken with a professional camera will always look more beautiful

If you want your blog to look professional and elegant, either use stock images or hire an experienced photographer.

2. Free image platforms

One of the problems with using premium stock photography can be expensive. However, many platforms offer free images that you can download and use however you wish.

These platforms include:

  • Unsplash
  • Pexels
  • Pixabay
  • Shopify – Burst
  • Kaboompics

These images are free to be used without any restrictions. These images can be used in your posts or as featured images. You can even edit them and add your text to these pictures.

You should ensure you have checked the copyright requirements of images taken from other sources. Flickr and other similar platforms offer free images, but you will need to credit the user for their use.

3. Use Canva

Canva is a great free tool for creating and editing photos. It’s a powerful tool that allows you to create stunning featured images without having to be a designer.

There are many templates available for various social media platforms and blog posts. It is easy to select a template and add your brand colors, and text, and then download the image. You don’t need any technical skills.

Canva provides many stock photos and graphics for free. However, I recommend a premium subscription which gives you access to more fonts and photos as well as design features. It is affordable and well worth the investment. Canva allows you to create ready-to-edit templates that can be used for featured images.

Canva can reduce the time it takes to design. Snapp, Stencil, and other image-editing software are alternatives to Canva.

4. Work with gig workers and freelancers

You can also hire someone to create your featured images if you don’t like the idea of creating them yourself. Many skilled freelancers or gig workers on platforms such as Fiverr, Upwork, and Upwork can create featured images for your blog posts.

The best thing about this is that talent can be found to suit any budget. These freelancers can reduce the need for an in-house designer. You won’t have to do any design work for your freelancers.

You can use these platforms to do your work:

  • Upwork
  • Fiverr
  • Guru
  • Toptal
  • Dribbble
  • PeoplePerHour

Hiring a professional to design your featured images. This is a great way for your blog to have visually stunning posts.

Also read: 5 Tips for SEO Friendly Blog Posts

5. Make templates

It is important to have templates you can use for your blog posts. It will be easier to make small changes to a template than start from scratch every time.

Templates should contain the dimensions of your featured images, the font that you will be using, as well as any other elements that may be part of the featured image design.

Creating templates will allow you to maintain brand consistency and save time over the long term.

6. Create a brand kit

You can take it a step further by clicking here, You can make a brand kit to promote your blog.

A brand kit is a collection of all of your brand’s assets, in one place. This could include your logo and fonts. A brand kit is a great way of ensuring your company’s success. Ensure that everyone who works on your blog uses the same design elements.

Consistency is key to your brand’s success. This will allow you to build trust and recognition with your audience.

7. Use contrast

The featured image should be well-contrast. This means that there should be a significant difference in the brightness and contrast of the image. Contrast is important because it makes your featured images more appealing and easier to read.

You can make sure your message is clear by using contrast in the text of your featured image, rather than the background. You can also add gradients and other effects to ensure that the text is clearly visible on smaller screens.

Wrapping up

Featured images are an integral part of your blog content. They make you stand out on social media and attract more attention to your blog posts.

Consider the following factors when choosing featured images to use in your blog content: the image’s type, size, contrast, and overall design. Canva can be used to create stunning featured images, even if you don’t have any design skills. You can also hire a freelancer or gig worker to create amazing featured images for your blog posts.

These tips, along with others, will help you create featured images that are high-quality and attract more readers. What are you waiting to do? Get started now!

Written by
Isla Genesis

Isla Genesis is social media manager of The Tech Trend. She did MBA in marketing and leveraging social media. Isla is also a passionate, writing a upcoming book on marketing stats, travel lover and photographer.

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