The priority is to read high-quality and well-thought out articles while skipping those where information have just been stacked together. One thing which truly grabs the attention of the reader is good graphics as they tend to make your blog post a lot more interesting and of high-quality.
Here are some effective tips for creating the best graphics especially for the non-designers. These tips will ensure that your blog post gathers a lot of attention from the viewers:
1. Resort to Simplicity
As cliché as it may sound, the fewer and simpler are the words and the pictures, the better it becomes for your blog post. The images should only have a limited number of colors and words so that they don’t appear too complex to the people who are viewing your web page.Your superpower is not only designing the graphic rather it is also collecting the right materials to do so. You must check all the resources and find what will suit your demands the most and will work in the best possible manner.
2. Avoid Stock Images
The public is allergic to stock images so you must not bore them with something which they have already seen plenty of times. Do not even think of using such images. Instead, look for something which is different yet conveys your message properly. There are numerous websites out there which offer fresh and authentic photographs which would suit your needs. The best part about these photographs is that they do not look like any of those stock images.Also Read: Should You Start A Side Hustle (infographic)Remember, that there are a lot of websites out there which are stocked with images so be prepared to scroll through hundreds of images and web pages to find that one perfect picture.
3. Use an Overlay on the Image
After uploading the image, the foremost thing to do is to add the overlay. When the text is entered directly on the image, it becomes hard to read. The overlay (either colorful or black and white) helps in creating a contrast and brings ease in reading the text.While there are certain bloggers who overlay the entire image, it is recommended to do it only the part of the image where you want to enter the text. Otherwise, there are chances that the image might just look as a background of the text. You can even skip the overlay if the chosen image already has a lot of white space.
4. Choose Font Wisely
There are unlimited combinations of fonts and choosing the ones that look the best together is quite a difficult task. Using too many fonts in a blog graphic is not advisable and the variations in it should not exceed more than three.Scripted fonts are always hard to read. While you may want your blog to give the feel of a Jane Austen novel, it is better to avoid scripted fonts if one doesn’t want to compromise on the readability of their blog.
5. Give Importance to Spacing
Emphasizing one more time on the readability of the text than on your imagery; it is advisable to have enough space between the letters and between the lines as well. This will ensure that the graphics actually captures the attention of the reader and conveys the message easily.There are a number of online resources including “Typegenius”, “Wordmark.it” etc. which can help you in choosing the perfect combination of the fonts. Thus, you will not worry about readability as these tools will take care of it.
6. The Perfect Colors for the Image
If you think about all the color combinations, the possibilities are endless. You can spend your entire life in permutations and combinations just to get the perfect colors for your graphic images. There are a whopping 16 million colors to choose from in the color wheel and this, definitely, is not an easy job.The professional graphic designers get to study a course in their degree where they are guided on how to choose the best color combinations for their brand. Even the marketing students attend classes on Color Psychology.
If you haven’t been to any of these classes, here are three simple rules for you which will help in optimizing the image colors in your blog post:
Simple and Consistent Combination
If you are used to presenting certain kinds of color combinations in your blog posts then stick to them because they become your identity. Do not experiment with complex combinations rather choose a few combinations and keep presenting them to the audience in turns. They must be able to associate that particular color palette with your website or your blog.Go for HEX Codes
Rely on HEX codes as they can help in creating a branding strategy for your blog post. They’ll actually serve to be very friendly and will be bringing a lot of traffic to your website too.Avoid Flashy Colors
You need to stay easy on the eyes of the reader so that they can easily read the text and comprehend the image. There must be an obvious contrast between the image and the background. Unless you want your blogpost to look rather funky and non-serious, you must stick to sober colors.7. Using Icons in Images
If you want to create the simplest yet the most effective graphics then icons are the best option for you. An image can be converted into something meaningful by just adding a few icons. It is actually easy to come up with something complicated but does it guarantee that it will deliver your message to the reader within seconds.It is actually quite unlikely for a complex image to do any good to your blog so it is better to rely on something which is simpler but carries a lot more meaning. It is one of the easiest ways of instantly grabbing the attention of the readers and making a point in front of them.
8. Combining Photos and Icons
If you want to take the graphics in your blog to the next level and use them to tell a story, you can go with the combination of photos and icons. You can make your images more stylish and detailed while adding a lot of value to your blog.This is another way of customizing the image too and altering it to suit your needs.
9. Get a Drawing App
Even if you are not a pro graphic designer, you can still work on your drawing skills and utilize them to add more imagery to your blog. There are certain apps which have built in capacity to smooth the lines and remove the squashes from all your poorly drawn lines. This will help you in getting exactly what you want while making you appear a lot more talented than you originally are.You can draw the simplest images and the drawing app can make them look like a work of a professional. These apps can do wonders for your blog post and allow you to add as many graphics as you want which are created solely by you.
10. Get Expertise on Essential Photoshop Skills
If you are of the view that you need to master all the Photoshop skills to produce some remarkable photos then you are entirely wrong. Learning the basics is sufficient to tweak the photos according to your choice and render them useful for your blog post.You can start with working on cropping and resizing and then move to layers. There are a number of blending modes and layering options which you need to learn too. Importing the patterns and brushes, using the font tools, creating shapes, and using the grids and the guides are some other things which are essential for your learning.
This is enough for you to start working on the images. The other features will help you perform more complex tasks which can only help in improvising your graphic designing skills.
11. Go with the Already Hit Trends
It is wonderful to be original and different but at times, it is good to ride the bandwagon instead of reinventing the wheel. You need to follow the most successful blogs and websites in your niche and see what patterns and trends they are following. Are there any tricks or tips which you can borrow from them?It is good to keep a list of designs always with you in the case if you are running out of exciting ideas. Anyone can experience a designer’s block (similar to the writer’s block) where one can just not get something amazing in their mind and their implement it. Thus, resorting to something which is already a hit doesn’t seem to be a bad idea at all.
12. Buy Things which You Cannot Create
There is an army of designers out there which can help you in situations where you are totally stuck. You can either buy content from them or get the licenses to their designs through some online marketplace. This will reduce your workload drastically allowing you to focus on multiple aspects of the blog post with ease.Moreover, the designers may also help you in producing the perfect image or graphic for your blog that would otherwise not be possible for you. There is no harm in getting creative help and if you are paying for it then it is rightfully yours.
13. Mix Different Design Elements
All the non-designers can easily find online public domain libraries for fonts, pictures, patterns, icons, and design elements. By combining these together in different combinations, one can represent the information visually quite effectively.It is also possible to rely on a few standby templates which they have created by coming up with the best combinations. They can help you in staying closer to your style and will help you in producing the best graphics that too in limited time.
One thing to remember here is that one should not go over the board while matching different design elements. Too many of them can actually spoil the look of your blog post and will make it difficult for the people to comprehend the things which you are trying to explain.
14. Pick and Understand the Points for Visualization
The decision of choosing the points which you think require visualization is very critical one. It is not necessary that every piece of content will work perfectly when visualized thus, limit your graphics for every post for the following aspects:Easily Chartable Data
If you are talking about some sort of statistics, facts, or figures, you can easily represent them in a chart or a graph. They will not only enhance the look of your blog but a very important statistic will reach the audience easily too.Important Quotes
Some of the most effective quotes from influential celebrities can also be put into graphics instead of just writing them down. This will help in putting emphasis on their importance and people will be able to grasp them easily too.Key Information
Any important piece of information which you really want the audience to know can also be represented in this way. The data which you want the readers to not only read but share with others too can reach a wider audience easily when visualized.15. Representing the Data in the Best Possible Manner
After you have made the decision of choosing the data which you want to represent visually, it is time to decide how do you want to represent it? There are plenty of ways to represent the same information and at times, more than one way is apt.It is up to your skill and wisdom to choose something which is not even hard for you to design and the reader can understand the message easily too. Anything which serves the purpose for both the parties perfectly can be called as the best choice.
16. Come up with a Great Header Image
Do you know what the importance of a header image is? It gives a glimpse to the reader of what to expect from the blog and can either make them read the rest or leave the web page immediately. This is the reason that these images should be chosen with a lot of consideration and must be given due importance.It is very convenient to act lazy while choosing a header image and one might be tempted to go for a stock image. A better option is to go for a customized image instead of a stock image for your header as they are not able to garner much attention from the people and would cause them to leave your page immediately.
17. Focus on Audience and Purpose
Apart from the feel of the blog post and the numerous options available while designing, two very important aspects to consider are the target audience and the purpose behind your blog post. These two factors play an essential role in determining the kind of graphics and images which you can use in your blog post.For example, if you are targeting girls or more specifically brides-to-be in your blog post, you must present designs which will be catchy for them. It is not recommended to go with a rugged or sporty theme if you are talking about something like the wedding. Moreover, you also need to be very careful with the colors as they have a direct impact on the mood of the other person. As mentioned before, this is something Marketing students learn professionally and you must familiarize yourself with the basics too.
18. Learn the Basic Design Concepts
Even if you are an amateur, you need to make sure that you are familiar with some of most basic design concepts. These include consistency, repetition, alignment, and hierarchy. If you familiarize yourself with all of these and learn how to use them to make an effective design, only then you’ll be able to go further in the designing world. Otherwise, there are no chances that your self-designed graphics in your blog post will appeal to the audience.Bonus infographic:
Source: Coschedule.
Combining the information and the graphics is the best way to put your message across the audience successfully. If you want to make sure that more people follow your blogs then keep in mind the above-mentioned tips to incorporate some of the best graphics in your post and garner more attention from the general audience. Having said that, the relevance of the main content still holds priority and your blog should have information that people find useful and engaging. If not, all the graphics and highflying designing in the world cannot improve your blog’s ratings.
Author’s Bio:
This guest post has been written by Jacob Arch, a CEO, Career Advisor and a writer who writes mostly on topics related to tips to get online jobs in different fields and currently works at Assignment Writing Service in UK.
