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Believe it or not, when it comes to blog content, there's a science to image selection. Here's how to choose a perfect, well-optimized image for every post. 
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If you go to the Getty Images website, you'll see millions of images, all watermarked. There are more than a hundred years of photography here, from FDR on the campaign trail to last Sunday's Oscars, all stamped with the same transparent square placard reminding you that you don't own the rights. If you want Getty to take off the watermark, you'll have to pay for it. "OUR CONTENT WAS EVERYWHERE ALREADY. "Starting now, that's going to change. Getty Images is dropping the watermark for the bulk of its collection, in exchange for an open-embed program that will let users drop in any image they want, as long as the service gets to append a footer at the bottom of the picture with a credit and link to the licensing page. For a small-scale WordPress blog with no photo budget, this looks an awful lot like free stock imagery....
Jeff Domansky's insight:
This is great news for bloggers with no budget. If you're willing to embed a photo with a caption credit, Getty Images are free to use.
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The team at Tent Social created this infographic that shows the heights and widths of all those images you need to make your social media channels look fantastic. Brands experience almost 50% more audience engagement when sharing an image or video on their social media platforms, which is why social networks are increasingly featuring and promoting visual content. Optimizing your visual space online is key to achieving maximum exposure for your name and your brand, and helps build your fan base. It can be difficult to keep up with all the social media image dimensions for Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, andYouTube. They seem to change on a regular basis, and often it’s not clear where to look for the correct sizes for cover images, profile pictures, and other graphic elements....
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Valuable time-saving tips on social media image sizes Recommended reading. 10/ 10
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...If everyone is creating content, how does a business break through the noise? How do we reach our customers in a way that engages them? Articles with images get 94 percent more views than those without. And posts with videos attract three times more inbound links than plain text posts. A study by 3M showed that 90 percent of the information sent to the brain is visual, and visuals are processed 60,000 times faster than text. And this holds up when you look at how the social world is evolving. The meteoric rise of sites like Vine, Instagram and Pinterest, as well as the efforts by Facebook and Twitter to add more visual elements to their platforms are simply following the trend that visual content is the best way to reach short-attention-span audiences in a world filled with so many content choices....
Jeff Domansky's insight:
There's a gap between the information consumers want and what they're getting according to The Economist.
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...Is there anything more you can do to convince that traffic to stay a little while longer? To not bounce straight back to the SERP? To respond to calls-to-action? To increase your conversion rate? Using the five techniques laid out in this previous article, five persuasive web design techniques, I’ll be taking a look at various ecommerce homepages that either tick one, or even all of the following persuasive design boxes....
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Must read visual inspiration and content marketing tips for marketing and PR.
Caroline_84's curator insight,
July 9, 2014 10:02 AM
Large images and simplified text are on trend to capture people's buying attention. The consumer is encouraged to focus on the product and a larger image is an online substitute for being able to touch it if you were in a shop.
Caroline_84's curator insight,
July 9, 2014 10:05 AM
Large images and simplified text are on trend to capture people's buying attention. The consumer is encouraged to focus on the product and a larger image is an online substitute for being able to touch it if you were in a shop. 
Roy Kenda's curator insight,
January 8, 2015 10:39 AM
Must read visual inspiration and content marketing tips for marketing and PR.
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Tired of chasing down sizes for images in your financial institution’s social media channels? Here’s everything you need for Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Linkedin.
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Really practical, useful cheat sheet for social media visuals
Janett Lewis's curator insight,
October 29, 2013 4:07 PM
This is nice to know if you are customizing all your social media backgrounds.
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Instagram is becoming a core platform for brands to engage with consumers since it registers consumer engagement 18 times that of Facebook and 48 times that of Twitter, according to the latest report from L2 Think Tank. The "Intelligence Report: Social Platforms" found that the visual component of Instagram has helped the platform grow to 100 million users with the average luxury brand having 100,000 followers. Other visual platforms such as Vine, Pinterest and YouTube have grown significantly and continue to be platforms for brands to deeply engage with consumers. "For all the mindshare that it occupies, social media ultimately drives very little ecommerce, less than 0.25 percent, and site traffic, less than 3 percent, for prestige brands," said Danielle Bailey, research lead L2 Think Tank, New York....
Jeff Domansky's insight:
This research report and post are extremely valuable for marketers, PR, content marketing and social media pros. It also reminds us that social media still has a long way to go in driving "real" ecommerce. Recommended reading.
Anna Kong's comment,
September 26, 2013 9:31 PM
i agree with you jian wang. this article is very informative, it shows that by engaging with consumers it does help the company with its branding and it also applies for free markets.
oliviachristy's curator insight,
October 2, 2014 6:00 PM
Consumers need to be engaged or they will switch off. The implication for marketers being that their messages won't be transmitted. Facebook is more content heavy than Instagram, with more opportunities for users to engage; group formation, events, sharing for example. Perhaps that has become their downfall in managing to keep their users engaged. The more messages we see daily, the more we filter out. Instagram is free from complexity and a bombardment of messages and content. It might be its simple, image based, to the point structure that holds an increasingly impatient publics' attention. 
luke sumich's curator insight,
October 2, 2014 10:38 PM
Want consumer engagement for a luxury brand? Use Instagram
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...So even if you don’t “do” Pinterest or Instagram, your content needs to have some kind of visual element if it’s going to rack up likes and shares. This is, of course, great news if you’re naturally creative with visuals… But if you’re like me, it means you’re likely to be stuck with stock photography. As Seinfeld would say, “not that there’s anything wrong with that,” but when you pull up “happy-woman-at-computer.jpg” for the umpteetnth time, you start looking around for something with a little more pizazz. Enter the meme. If you’ve never heard of memes (pronounced meemz), I guarantee you’ve seen at least one. They’re those funny images you see all over Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere on the inter-tubes with different messaging embedded. One of my favorites is the Boromir ”One Does Not Simply …” image from Lord of the Rings that I’ve included above. Look familiar? The good news is that you don’t need Photoshop to create and share your very own memes—just an Internet connection. There are several (free) meme creation websites out there; I’m partial to memegenerator.net, which is super-easy to use...
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Good tip for better visual marketing and the suggestion of the meme generator tools is a good one. You too can create your own memes but do it judiciously or you'll just look silly and certainly not get results.
Darrin Donahoo's curator insight,
November 2, 2013 2:58 PM
Here is a perfect example on how people are trying to get away from tradition advertising and using memes
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The demand for visual news has changed the way the media reports the news. Digital PR can provide the images, audio and video for their websites.... a recent Q & A with top journalists and bloggers from major publications they all said that their editors demand visuals with every story. Why? Analytics of viewer behavior shows that when a story has images, video or charts to support and enhance the text, it can increase views by as much as 9.7x.The L.A. Times calls it “No story left behind.” All of them agreed that they use outside video. The only caveat was that the images and videos have to be original, good quality and relevant to the story. “Visual information reigns supreme, from video to images to infographics. Overwhelmingly, marketers plan to add more video to content marketing initiatives, necessitating increased investment in both technology and production resources. Marketers’ confidence in and reliance on content marketing is beginning to diminish their reliance on print and broadcast advertising, as well as public relations.” - Altimeter Group: Content, the new marketing equation Think like a publisher. Get your Digital PR team trained to produce excellent visual material that extends the story. And learn to do it fast. Work with the media and help them to tell stories that capture people’s hearts....
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Visuals create impact and PR needs to produce and manage visuals to enhance communication and results.
Video Marketing's curator insight,
August 28, 2013 12:35 AM
Excerpt...
What brought this about? A rapidly changing media landscape fueled by new technology: In the year 2000 - 46% of US adults used the Internet 5% had broadband at homeNo one was wirelessly connected10% were using the so-called “cloud”—or hosted applications and services delivered over the InternetWhile there were vigorous conversations going on in forums and message boards, there were no social networksConnections were slow and stationery and focused around your own computerFast forward to 2013: 85% of adults use the Internet.66% have broadband at homeTwo-thirds of those online use the “cloud”Connections are faster, mobile and focused on outside servers and storageThe Internet is the third most popular source for news, trailing behind local and national television, but ahead of newspapers and radio broadcastsAlmost two-thirds (61 percent) of people get news online and 68% have watched a video news story online. (Pew Research Center‘s Project for Excellence in Journalism)
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Do you remember “show and tell” from your elementary school days? This is the exact approach social media business users should be taking. Too often businesses merely tell followers why their product or service is worthy of a purchase....
The second-best thing about Instagram is it makes extremely amateur “photographers” like me feel as though we’re capable of taking professional-quality pictures. The first-best thing: Instagram offers almost everything a business user could want in a social network, so much so, it’s (dare I say) the most effective platform out there. Here are the top four reasons why...
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Four reasons why Instagram is coming on strong as a social media channel for all kinds of users.
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A new study finds that a correction that does its work in visual form is more likely to be accepted.
At this point, we pretty much take for granted the power of graphics to help journalists explain — stories, concepts, context. What we pay less attention to is graphics’ power to persuade. But that could (and, maybe, should) be changing. A new paper (pdf) on motivated reasoning and political misperception — the latest from political science professors Brendan Nyhan, of Dartmouth, and Jason Reifler, of Georgia State — suggests that graphics can also provide a powerful, and perhaps essential, way of counteracting misinformation. In the political world, in particular — but presumably in the broader sphere, as well....
Facinating implications for PR, marketing pros too...
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...For content distribution Instagram and Pinterest are 100% visual platforms, while Facebook, Twitter and Google+ also place big emphasis on images. Without images you will not reach an audience on these platforms and without highly sharable images you will not get much engagement. Recent studies show that image posts get 53% more likes, 104% more comments and 84% more link clicks when compared to text only posts....
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Marko Saric shares a step-by-step guide to creating highly sharable visual assets and other imagery for your content.
imaginetsa's curator insight,
March 17, 2014 2:43 AM
The visual is essential for modern social media marketing - some basic but good tips and ideas here ...
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Download the interactive PowerPoint at slidedocs.com! Nancy Duarte’s fourth book, Slidedocs, introduces a new medium: slidedocs. Slidedocs are visual documen...
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Nancy Duarte's Slidedocs Is Itself an excellent example of a hybrid or slide document. This is a very complete and highly recommended resource for content marketers, PR, marketing and presentation pros. She makes an effective case for more content combined with powerful visuals and effective design.
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In a world increasingly filtered through Instagram, a carefully crafted photo shoot starts to look dated. That's why retailers are rushing to crowdsource their product shots — harvesting a stream of photos from social platforms to help sell everything from West Elm couches to Coach handbags. The photos are typically curated in galleries, where each picture is linked to a page selling the product. Increasingly, the amateur images are also showing up directly on product pages, next to professionally styled pictures. "The path to purchase has evolved tremendously, and consumers are much more likely to trust their peers than a brand," said Mimi Banks, director of social media at L'Oreal's Lancome brand....
Jeff Domansky's insight:
A good look at how smart retailers are crowdsourcing photos and user-generated visuals to help in marketing.
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What marketing strategies will we focus on in 2014? What will we leave behind? This article takes a look at the rise of visual content - and why 2014 will be the year of visuals. I’ll give you statistics and expert opinions on how marketing online is changing, and how images and visuals are taking over. Will you be focusing on visual content in 2014?
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Visuals will rule in 2014. Get the picture?
BrandGeek's curator insight,
December 18, 2013 5:05 AM
No doubt. The challenge though for digital agencies is getting clients to realise that investment in content is needed to enable them gain the kind of results they want. The best strategies are crippled without great content.
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Some people are better able to translate (and recall) information when visuals are involved. For Kelly, graphic recording is a no-brainer compared to taking primarily text-based notes. “Drawing simple pictures is actually a much quicker and more efficient way to capture ideas than to capture them word-for-word,” she says. “Ability and practice make it easier for other people to interpret your drawings, too. To create this visual content, graphic recorders listen for key ideas in a conversation. They’re trained to recognize verbal cues to identify these key ideas and quickly replicate them through drawings. This skill helps them to capture the essence of a live presentation in a short amount of time — a feature that seems to enthrall audiences both online and in-person. Graphic recordings are so fresh, in fact, that much of their appeal resides in watching the process itself unfold...
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Graphic recording marries words and images to convey an idea. The best part? The process happens live, usually at professional events where attendees can watch and learn.
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So why are marketers showing such strong interest in Visual Content Marketing? I just returned from CM World, a yearly event hosted by the Content Marketing Institute. Attendance was outstanding; up significantly from last year. That’s not surprising when you consider that 78% CMO’s consider custom content the future of marketing (source: http://www.demandmetric.com/content/content-marketing-infographic ) The interest in video content was also peaking. Again, this is not surprising. According to the Custom Content Council, ”Video is the fastest and most consistently growing medium for content marketing — 62% of respondents report using video in their content marketing.” http://www.customcontentcouncil.com/news/nearly-44-billion-new-survey-shows-rise-content-marketing-budgetSo Why are marketers showing such strong interest in Visual Content Marketing? Smart marketers realize that consumers are not interested in ads and promotional material, especially when they are online or on mobile devices. A .01% click through rate on display ads pretty much tells that story. Online and mobile consumers, who are in a buying mode, are most often seeking information to help them make a buying decision. And, most of us are visual learners. In fact, 85% of consumers say they would watch videos about products they are interested in, according to e-marketer.com http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Product-Videos-Prove-Their-Worth-Online-Shoppers/1008959.
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Marketers seem to be getting the picture. Here's why.
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They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Photo-sharing site Instagram can be worth a lot more to brands constantly trying to cut through the clutter. ... But PR execs have to look at Instagram in a different light, according to Matt Rozen, group manager of corporate social media at Adobe. The photo-sharing site, which Facebook acquired last year for $1 billion, isn’t necessarily designed to draw people to a different Web destination, but play directly to their emotional center. “I don't think people click on links in Instagram comments, nor do I think people will take action” if there is a call to action embedded in the picture, said Rozen. “People look at Instagram for a quick fix, a laugh, to be inspired or even to be surprised.” The challenge for PR pros is how to convert words that take up a good part of the daily PR traffic into images that will enhance their messages....
Jeff Domansky's insight:
This post will get you re-thinking how you can use the power of visuals to enhance your content. Also, it nicely balances the pros and cons of Instagram and other photo sharing sites.
Chelsea Tidswell's comment,
August 7, 2013 4:52 AM
I agree Tegan. This is very interesting how they see social media in a completely different way as to how i see it. I see it as a way of sharing photos with my friends, not targeting their emotions.
's comment August 12, 2013 8:21 PM
Instagram is a site used to share images with friends and i agree with Tegan. Businesses see social media in a different way than us as we only use instagram for fun.
Gorretti Lili Hakalo Vea's comment,
August 21, 2013 6:05 AM
I agree with tegan. I don't get how PR people can see it in that way. I myself have recently joined instagram and I don't believe that it has any means to target emotions
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Images get noticed quickly. They spark emotion.
They compel people to engage with them. And they drive traffic. You just have to know how to “guide” people from the social media “image” to your website. In this post, we look at 3 ways to “Dangle the Carrot” – 3 ways to tease the click out of someone – be they on Pinterest, Facebook, Google Plus or any social media platform. It’s all about providing great content but leaving them wanting more!...
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Great tips for better visual results for your blogging and content marketing from Donna Moritz.
Free Viral Ads's curator insight,
July 8, 2013 12:20 AM
Use graphics, photos and words to give your image immediate meaning and make it “clickable” 
Jeff Domansky's comment,
July 8, 2013 2:24 PM
Thanks Linda, always good to know others share some of the same interests. Always appreciate your shares too!
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So your online business has always experienced praise for its crisp quality content from customers and admirers? But as of late, maybe you’ve noticed that your posts are facing a lot of stagnancy in reaching your perfect target audience? And after initial analysis, you may have realized that your social media messages somehow lacked the “visual magic” that is necessary for image success? Below are some tips to get you back on track....
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Pictures matter and they do have major impact on your visitors.
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The iOS legion has been able to play around with Cinemagram since February of last year, but now it's finally time for Android users to also experience what the app's all about. And while there are certainly other animated applications on the platform that are somewhat similar, Cinemagram stands out from the majority due to its built-in social features -- think of it as an Instagram of sorts, where other users can easily comment on and keep up with your recent four-second creations.
What's more, the app allows other tidbits like special effects to be added to videos, while the ability to share these "GIFs on steroids" to Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr are also options within Cinemagram....
Jeff Domansky's insight:
Cool content marketing possibilities...and more cute cat and dog pictures and sharing LOL.
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Nice basic photo tips and resources for bloggers, web content.