Gratuitous Images on Blog Posts
In years gone by we were encouraged to deliver every blog post with an image. As the small-web / indieweb is reborn (rediscovered), I see fewer blogs with images.
John over on Thudfactor, debating how to handle images for blog posts, stimulated my thinking-cells and made me ruminate.
Do we need gratuitous images?
I can't a purpose to most of the images I now see. They appear on blog posts from people who are stuck in the past with their writing techniques. The ones who have it ingrained into them that they must write for the search engine, and stuff it full of repetitive phrases, with subtle differences. They also need a catchy image to stimulate the social media posts.
I recently read a blog post about the pros & cons of remote working, and working in various locations. The blog post came with a massive image of four people sitting at a table in a coffee shop; clearly AI generated as the lady had two legs and three feet!
Did it add anything to the post? For me, absolutely nothing. If anything, it made me laugh at the total failure of the author to sense-check the image. It then cheapened the article and I lost interest.
Images have their place
Don't get me wrong, there is a place for images in blogging. Perhaps you are showcasing some of your photos, or something you created. Maybe you need screen shots for guidance.
These are all necessary and useful.
What about you?
- Do you prefer images in a blog?
- Do you use images in your own blog? What do you feel this adds to the reader experience?
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