Choosing the right featured image is important. Think of it as the icing on the cake! No post is complete without an engaging image. Along with your title, your featured image plays a huge role in someone deciding to take their time to click on your post.
When choosing a featured image, lean towards a photo that:
Catches the eye
Is of a specific location
Is of a person.
Is bright, or has good lighting
And avoid using:
A small or pixelated image
A photo with words on it. Why? Words can be distracting and can get distorted or cropped when shared on other sites or social media platforms. In some cases it can work, but a good rule of thumb is to avoid it.
If you are unable to use a photo you took yourself or a photo you have been given permission to use, you can use the following free stock photo sites.
There are thousands of incredible (and free!) photos taken by professionals on these sites, which is great, but can be overwhelming to wade through if you aren’t sure what kind of photo you are looking for.
Searching for images on stock photo sites:
Most stock photo sites require you to type in keywords to sort images. Instead of typing in a string of keywords, simply type in one keyword that might apply to the general theme of your post.
For example, if you have a post about an upcoming music event you could type in “guitar” or “music”. If you are searching for an image from Vermont or New Hampshire, simply type in “Vermont” or “New Hampshire”. Most of these stock photo sites have a small selection of local images.
Looking for more options? Using Google you can find free images as well.
To find fair use images on Google:
Go to Google.com
Type in what you are looking for
Select “Images”
Click “Tools”
Click “Usage rights”
Select “Labeled for reuse”
Looking for photo size guidelines? We got you. View them here.