Did you know that Gen Z on average have an attention span of eight seconds? Millennials can pay attention for a little longer with an attention span of 12 seconds. When you’re trying to capture the attention of your audience and draw them in storytelling and storytelling images are a great way to engage them.
The art of storytelling has always been one of the most powerful ways to make an impact. Whether it be through vague parables or epic tales, the ability to make people see things differently has been a key method of teaching.
With imagery, it has become even easier to convey a story and make it stick. Keep reading and in this article, we’ll look at how to take advantage of storytelling images and how you can use stock photos to make an impact without spending too much money.
What Is a Storytelling Image?
As the name suggests, a storytelling image is a photo that tells a story. It’s not just an image that is pretty, it’s something that has a message and draws the viewers in to see what’s going on.
What Makes a Good Storytelling Image?
How do you pick the images you want to use for your content? To make sure your story is getting across, you should follow a few simple rules:
Relevance
Make sure your image is relevant to the article. This could be a person in the image, something in the image, or even just a colour from the image. You can link the image to other similar images as long as relevance is maintained.
Consistency
Don’t just grab a picture from anywhere; make sure it matches the tone of the article. This could mean using the same type of image at the start of a series (like a person or a place) or making sure that the colours match the tone.
This is a great way to keep people reading when they first land on your blog. It’s a treat, a way to keep them interested and engaged.
Storyline
It’s not just about the pictures; it’s about the story attached to the pictures. Make sure that your images have a logical flow – this makes it easier for the viewer to follow and understand what is going on.
Why Use Stock Photos for Storytelling?
Stock photos have been used for years to help tell stories. Businesses love to sift through thousands of photos to find the right one that sells their product. You can do the same to help you tell stories.
Using stock images can help you tell stories about your business and make it easier for the reader to understand the point you’re trying to get across. Not only will this help bring more traffic to your blog, but it’s a useful tool for SEO purposes.
However, those aren’t the only benefits.
Wide Variety
If you’re looking for something specific, you’re going to have to search for a long time. With stock photography, you can find so many different styles and uses. There are also lots of agencies and websites that you can use to get photos for free.
No Need for Photography
Operating a camera is hard. Even if you get one of the best cameras, you still need to take the pictures (and edit them). With stock photography, you can take the time to find an image that’s picture perfect and they do all the work for you.
Affordable
Paying someone to take a photo can get expensive. Not only do you have to pay a photographer, but you have to pay for the equipment and then pay to get the pictures edited. With stock photography, you can find and download an image for free or really cheap.
Keeps You Original
There are so many bloggers out there who are using the same photos, but with a different look. Using stock photography is a great way to keep your blog original and make sure that you stand out from the crowd.
Valid License
There are so many different websites out there that have images you can use for free. However, you need to make sure that the license for the image you are using is valid. This means that you don’t get in trouble for using an image illegally.
Stock Photography Can be Silly
It’s not just about looking cool; sometimes it’s about looking silly. Using stock photography is a great way to add some humour to your blog quickly.
How Can I Tell a Story With an Image?
The best way to tell a story is to find a series of images to tell the story. To do this, you need to follow a few easy steps:
Figure Out Your Story
Figure out what your story is, what you want to say. Make sure it’s something that people can follow and understand.
If you ask a question, you need to have an answer. Start a list of all the images you want to use, with their names and where they need to go.
Get Your Images
Go through your list and start finding the right images that match your story.
Start a new list and note where you found the images you want. Once you’ve determined what images you want, license them for your story.
Start Telling Your Story
Once you have your images, start using them in your story.
Make sure you use the right image based on your story. If you need to cut the story down, rethink the order of your images.
Caption it
One of the best things you can do to get your readers to engage with your blog is to add a caption to the image. This is a great way to get them to comment below your blog and to share it on social media.
Find Unique Storytelling Images
Storytelling is a powerful tool you can use to grow your audience. Using storytelling images can help tell a story your readers won’t forget.
Are you ready to find quality stock photos for your content? Explore our library today for images you won’t find anywhere else.