Make the Best Blog Images: Easy, Eye-catching, Pinnable!

Doesn’t your blog deserve the best blog images?

Especially if you can make them easily!

Just follow my graphic designer tips to awesome blog images. [pinit]

What Makes the Best Blog Images?

What makes for awesome blog images? They should look good on your blog, be shareable on social media, and get traffic from social media! It will help if your images:

• communicate what your blog post is about
• intrigue the viewer
• are big enough for social media platforms
• yet are readable at a thumbnail size

Let’s see how we can achieve this, quickly and easily, too!

How to Make the Best Blog Images!

Simple is best. If you have a series of blog posts, how about using the same, simple image as a background for each? Add brief type that pertains to each blog post.

I recently started a series on blogging tips, and decided that a visual of a computer would be appropriate. But you could just use a solid color, or a texture, to visually tie your posts together – and save yourself time looking for a new photo for each blog post!

1. Find your background.

Check out this list of the best free photo sites, enter a keyword, and make your choice! Or save yourself the worry of properly attributing free images, and buy some credits on either:

1. Fotolia – Buy a pack of credits for as low as $35.00US. A bit more expensive than dreamstime to get started, but in the long run, their small image prices are a bit lower.
2. Dreamstime – Buy credits for as low as $14.99US – great if you don’t need to buy images often.

I found this image of a monitor, which is very plain, but had enough of an interesting shape to catch the eye in a Pinterest news feed, for example.

2. Size your background.

Create your image at actual size, so you can see what it will really look like on your blog as you work on it. I like to use a 403 pixel width – the best Facebook photo size! This width also looks great on most blog designs and Pinterest.

Notice how my blog layout almost always starts with a narrow copy column to the left of an image? It’s more appealing to readers to read shorter lines of type, so start your post with a good impression.

While you may be tempted to have your image span the type column, I recommend against it. Let visitors start reading your article without having to scroll down past a large image.

You can size your image in your own photo editing software like Adobe Photoshop, or on free sites like PicMonkey or Pixlr. Set the width at 403 pixels, and check Constrain proportions to avoid oddly stretched images (Pixlr.com shown above right).

3. Add brief type.

In brief, readable text, clearly state what your post is about. This doesn’t have to repeat your headline, or use your keywords. Just type the best words to describe your article and entice your readers.

I recommend adding, in smaller type, your website URL, and maybe that it’s part of a series.

Here’s some info on how to add type to your image on Pixlr.com.

And you’re done!

• Add the image to your blog post, and publish!
• Pin the image to Pinterest (I recommend creating boards for your favorite blog topics, like this one on Blogging Tips). How it looks on the board is shown at right.
• Upload the image to Facebook, and include a link to your post in the Status Update (how to post a Facebook link with image).
• Share to LinkedIn, Google+ (shown below), and any other social media platforms you use.

Note how a cut-out image on white really stands out!

Now, Can You Make the Best Blog Images?

Did you find this mini-tutorial helpful? Feel free to ask any questions in the comments. Then get started making the best blog images!