How To Improve Your Blog Graphics (For Non-Designers).

Blog graphics image neon sign motif — Made by Greg

Let’s look at how to improve your blog graphics. We’re not all gifted with some innate artistic ability. Contrarily, some of us are masters of the spreadsheet while others are irrefutably talented writers.

Our visual standards are held to such a high degree in this age of Instagram filters. we know design and overall usability of your blog instantly affects how visitors view you and your brand. But did you know, in a recent study, design alone was reported as the most important credibility criteria for 46.1% of participants?

So, how do we add compelling visuals to our blogs and draw more attention from readers? Don’t consider yourself the Pablo Picasso of blog graphics? No Problem. Here’s my top 5 ways to improve your blog visuals to whet the palate of your readers.

1. Charts & Graphs

image example of data visualization graph — Courtesy of Adobe Stock

You are a thought leader in your industry. Basically a genius in your field of expertise. Nice work! Now let’s look the part. Creating data-driven content with charts or graphs makes it easier for your audience to comprehend your data driven messaging. More so than with mere text.

Popular data visualization methods include line graphs, bar graphs, pie charts, scatter plots and histograms. Dynamic graphs are an insightful and appealing way to visualize data and display statistics. For instance, a bar graph or pie chart is used to display categorical data that is independent of one another.

QuickSprout research reveals that articles with data-driven visuals rank fourth in shareable formats. Additionally, this research shows that blog posts with graphs and charts receive more trackbacks. Specifically, 258% more than blog posts with other types of images.

2. Quotes

image of Neil Patel with quote overlayed — Made by Greg

Social Media Influencers have the power to drive more people towards your products or services. Try featuring their messaging along with a stunning combination of typography and imagery. Doing so can help enhance your blog graphics in a number of ways.

A typography quote graphic can be created to make your blog more memorable, powerful, and easier to read and share. With the right message and a stunning visual backdrop, they can move and inspire your readers while also appealing to a wider audience. Most importantly, they’ll drive traffic to any content they’re designed to promote. Designing an original graphic that goes viral can help your blog post go viral as well.

There are a number design template tools available to help you create eye-catching visuals for your blog. For years, Photoshop has been my go-to for any graphic related imagery. However, recently I’ve been experimenting with tools like PicMonkey and Canva. I like the way PicMonkey allows you to save design elements like logos and color schemes for seamless future use. Canva is a free design platform that i’ve used personally for its beautiful design templates.

3. Infographics

image of infographic — Courtesy of Adobe Stock

Show me the data! Another popular form of data visualization is the infographic. A user-friendly infographic that is aesthetically pleasing with relevant data can undoubtedly help increase awareness of your brand. Infographics grow 12% more traffic, and 200% more shares than posts without images. I’ve been playing around with PicMonkey to create infographics for my company. I like the way you can store corporate logos fonts and colors to ensure any imagery used is on brand. There are 9 main types of Infographics. Which style is best for your blog graphics?

4. Stock Photography

Elegant image of blogger typing — Courtesy of Adobe Stock

Try to avoid the royalty-free-images like these. Despite being free, these stock images can make your blog reminiscent of a PowerPoint from the 90s. Higher quality images can be found on Getty or Fotolia (now Adobe Stock). If you’ve adopted the Adobe ecosystem, be it Photoshop or Premiere Pro, you’ll find Adobe Stock’s seamless integration a great time saver.

Try using images that are easy to understand. Stock photos can often come off as unauthentic. The images you use should enhance your content. Like with video, images are great storytellers. Depending on the context an emotional photo, in combination with your text can be very powerful.

Mix it up. Try using a variety of image types and formats.

5. Memes

Morpheus from the Matrix Meme. "What if I told you Blogging actually works" — Made by Greg

Memes define social media in a sense and are considered to be “carriers of culture.” They are the internet’s version of the inside joke. However, they also work great as blog graphics. Reason being, they are often edgy, funny, easy to iterate and many are born every day. Lastly, According to research, they lead to higher engagement from your audience.

Not savvy with Photoshop? No problem. There are a few websites that will create memes for you, allowing you to either select or upload an image, add two lines of text and pop out the finished jpg. I suggest using memegenerator.net.

BONUS TIP: The most ideal WordPress featured image size is 1200 x 628 pixels and these dimensions generally satisfy most WP blog themes.

In Conclusion

Try different things and see what works. This list is designed to present some of the best options I’ve found. Now it’s time to let your creative side emerge and have some fun. Be sure to consider any brand style guides so that you blog has a unified consistency. This includes specific writing, language, font, logo, image, color, format and any other specific style guidelines that define your brand.

Did you find this list helpful? I’d love to hear you comments and suggestions.

Category: Blogging, Personal Branding, Social Media Marketing 101