The impact of a photo on the psychology of the reader beyond “sex sells”
Posted: Mon Dec 23, 2024 6:44 am
Creating good content is important for a successful blog. Using photos is key to reinforcing messages and the perception of the quality of your post by readers.
Carlos Bravo3
When I started blogging, photos were just an ornament that I selected without giving it much thought. Thanks to my older brother, who had been working in the online sector for some time when I was starting out, I knew that they couldn't just be taken from Google.
Impact of a photo on the readerPhoto rights by Fotolia
It is a common practice that is still carried out by most bloggers journalist contact database due to lack of knowledge or ignorance without much concern. It is important to know that it is not allowed to use third party images without written authorization. If you are caught, you can be fined more than 1,000 euros and you would not be the first.
Content is important, but if you focus only on the written content, you are using only 30% of the options available to you to get closer to the perfect post. Even so, there is no guarantee of success, but if you don't pay attention to the details, you will move further away from it. Everyone knows that "sex sells" but there are effects beyond that, in the psychology of the reader.
1. Better perception of quality: a professional photo improves the reader's rating of an article. Although I don't know if there are studies on the subject, it is something I have noticed in my own posts. Switching from self-designed images to high-quality photos has generated 10-20% more retweets. Many other factors may influence this, such as the quality of the articles, but I have become a better writer overnight. In a football match, a player always gets a better rating than he really deserves if he stands out with his last action. Therefore, a trick I haven't tried yet could be to include a second photo at the end of the post to send the reader off on a good note.
2. Reduces bounce rate : A photo in a post acts as an anchor for the reader. It prevents the visitor from fleeing the site directly. The brain can process an image more immediately than text. An attractive photo makes the difference in the tenth of a second it takes to stay on a site or flee. We compete with our posts against millions of content that are within reach of the user with a click. We have to “grab” the visitor with both hands to keep their attention.
Carlos Bravo3
When I started blogging, photos were just an ornament that I selected without giving it much thought. Thanks to my older brother, who had been working in the online sector for some time when I was starting out, I knew that they couldn't just be taken from Google.
Impact of a photo on the readerPhoto rights by Fotolia
It is a common practice that is still carried out by most bloggers journalist contact database due to lack of knowledge or ignorance without much concern. It is important to know that it is not allowed to use third party images without written authorization. If you are caught, you can be fined more than 1,000 euros and you would not be the first.
Content is important, but if you focus only on the written content, you are using only 30% of the options available to you to get closer to the perfect post. Even so, there is no guarantee of success, but if you don't pay attention to the details, you will move further away from it. Everyone knows that "sex sells" but there are effects beyond that, in the psychology of the reader.
1. Better perception of quality: a professional photo improves the reader's rating of an article. Although I don't know if there are studies on the subject, it is something I have noticed in my own posts. Switching from self-designed images to high-quality photos has generated 10-20% more retweets. Many other factors may influence this, such as the quality of the articles, but I have become a better writer overnight. In a football match, a player always gets a better rating than he really deserves if he stands out with his last action. Therefore, a trick I haven't tried yet could be to include a second photo at the end of the post to send the reader off on a good note.
2. Reduces bounce rate : A photo in a post acts as an anchor for the reader. It prevents the visitor from fleeing the site directly. The brain can process an image more immediately than text. An attractive photo makes the difference in the tenth of a second it takes to stay on a site or flee. We compete with our posts against millions of content that are within reach of the user with a click. We have to “grab” the visitor with both hands to keep their attention.