A picture is worth a thousand words, as the saying goes. And when it comes to blogging, visuals are key to increasing engagement and driving traffic. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the importance of visuals and give you a list of 10 free tools to help improve your blog’s visuals.
Keep reading to learn more!
Why is visual content important?
Let’s start with one basic fact that most people don’t know – reading web content is totally different than reading traditional books. The average person only reads about 20% of the words on a given web page. That’s because we tend to skim content online, looking for key points that we can quickly digest.
That’s why visual aspects of content are so important. They help break up the text and guide the reader’s eye to the most important parts of your content. It refers both to text formatting (headlines, paragraph length, bolding) and visual elements. Moreover, according to some studies, articles with visuals get 94% more total views than those without.
Types of visuals for your blog posts
Now that we’ve established the importance of visuals let’s talk about some of the different types of visuals you can use in your blog posts.
1. Images
Obviously, images are a key part of any blog post. But did you know that there are different types of images you can use? Here are a few examples:
- Stock photos. These are professional photos that you can purchase and use on your site. They’re great for adding visual interest to your content without breaking the bank. Just be sure to choose high-quality photos that are relevant to your topic.
- Screenshots. A screenshot is an image of what appears on your computer screen. They’re often used to show readers how to do something or to provide visual examples of concepts.
- Infographics. Infographics are a combination of text and images that are used to explain complex topics in a visually appealing way. They usually include graphs, charts, and other types of data visualizations.
- Memes. A meme is an image with text overlay that’s often used for comedic or viral purposes. They can be a fun way to add some personality to your blog posts.
2. Videos
In addition to images, videos are another great way to add visuals to your blog posts. You can use videos to show off products, give step-by-step tutorials, or even just share a quick tip. Just make sure that your videos are high quality and relevant to your topic.
3. GIFs
GIFs are short, looping videos that are often used for comedic purposes. They can be a fun way to add some personality to your blog posts.
10 Free Tools to Improve Your Visual Content
So now that we know the importance of visual content let’s take a look at some free tools you can use to improve your blog’s visuals.
1. Canva
Canva is probably the most recognizable and frequently used visual content creation tool for non-graphic designers. With a simple drag-and-drop interface, you can create beautiful visuals for your blog without any design experience. The free version offers a wide range of templates, tools, and images to choose from.
Pros:
- simple drag and drop interface;
- wide range of templates, tools, and images;
- no design experience is necessary.
Cons:
- the paid version offers much more flexibility and templates than the free one.
2. PhotoAiD Free Online Photo Editing Tools
PhotoAiD is an app for taking biometric passports and visa photography. During the process of experimenting with AI-photo taking, they created 14 simple and free photo editing tools as a side effect of their main project. Tools include shadow remover, background remover, image enlarger, and other cool effects.
Pros:
- no sign-up is necessary;
- simple to use;
- wide range of effects.
Cons:
- not as many options as some of the other tools on this list.
3. PicMonkey Free Online Photo Editor & Collage Maker
PicMonkey is a free online photo editor with lots of great features for creating beautiful visuals. With PicMonkey, you can easily create collages, add text to photos, remove blemishes, and more. You can also upgrade to the premium version for even more features.
Pros:
- free to use;
- lots of great features;
- easy to use collage maker.
Cons:
- more limited selection in the free version.
4. Piktochart
Piktochart is a free online tool that helps you easily create visuals for your blog posts. With Piktochart, you can create infographics, charts, and other types of visuals. The free version offers a wide range of templates, tools, and images to choose from.
Pros:
- wide range of templates;
- no design experience is necessary;
- wide range of tools and images.
Cons:
- more limited selection in the free version.
5. BeFunky Free Online Photo Editor & Collage Maker
BeFunky is a free online photo editor with lots of great features for creating beautiful visuals. With BeFunky, you can easily create collages, add text to photos, remove blemishes, and more. You can also upgrade to the premium version for even more features.
Pros:
- free to use;
- lots of great features;
- easy to use collage maker.
Cons:
- no offline functionality;
- more limited selection in the free version.
6. Pinterest
Pinterest is a social media platform that allows you to share and discover new content. But it’s also a great place to find visuals for your blog posts. With Pinterest, you can easily search for images, infographics, and other types of visuals.
Pros:
- free to use;
- easy to search for visuals;
- wide range of content.
Cons:
- you have to create an account to use Pinterest.
7. iStockphoto Free Images Library
iStockphoto is a website where you can purchase royalty-free stock photos and illustrations. They also have a library of free images that you can use for your blog posts. The selection isn’t as large as some of the other options on this list, but it’s a great place to find high-quality visuals.
Pros:
- high-quality visuals;
- royalty-free stock photos and illustrations.
Cons:
- a limited selection of free images.
8. Pexels Free Stock Photos
Pexels is a website with a library of free stock photos that you can use for your blog posts. The selection isn’t as large as some of the other options on this list, but it’s a great place to find high-quality visuals.
Pros:
- high-quality visuals;
- free to use.
Cons:
- limited selection.
9. Unsplash Free Stock Photos
Unsplash is a website with a library of free stock photos that you can use for your blog posts. The selection isn’t as large as some of the other options on this list, but it’s a great place to find high-quality visuals.
Pros:
- high-quality visuals;
- free to use.
Cons:
- limited selection.
10. Giphy
Giphy is a website with a library of free GIFs that you can use for your blog posts. The selection isn’t as large as some of the other options on this list, but it’s a great place to find high-quality visuals.
Pros:
- high-quality visuals;
- large database of GIFs;
- free to use.
Cons:
- limited selection.
Visual content is a key element in boosting engagement on your blog. By utilizing some of these free tools, you can easily improve the visuals on your blog and make it more engaging for your readers. So what are you waiting for? Start spicing up your blog today!
Author – Michal Jonca is a travel, food, and trail running passionate who visited 40+ countries on four continents. He is a Travel Leader for the adventurous travel company Solisci and the Community Manager at Passport Photo Online. Only this year, he enjoyed his workation in Thailand, Turkey, and the Caucasus mountains.
