Images are usually the first thing that attracts someone to an article, and (if used effectively) can entice a reader to read the article and find out more.
The best media that you can use is a relevent photo, but if you don't have one, you should use a relevent graphic (like a logo, etc.).
When using a photo:
- Action shots are almost always attractive to the reader.
- The more relevant to the article, the more chance of engaging the reader you will have.
When using a graphic (instead of a photo):
- It's best to be simple - create one with a logo centered on a background pattern.
- The focus should be on the logo, not the background so avoid using a busy background graphic.
- Avoid overlaying a logo onto a photo - the focus should be either on the logo or the photo, not both.
If you're wondering what type of images are suitable, take a look at your local newspaper's website - you'll notice that they rarely rely on graphics, instead they use photos to draw in the readers attention.
Image size and quality is extremely important!
When choosing an image (a photo or a graphic), make sure you're choosing a good quality copy. It's best to look for files which are at least 1920px in width, as they will generally look better across all devices.
Remember: just because it looks good on your phone, doesn't mean it will look the same on a desktop or laptop computer screen!
If you can only find a copy of the image that is smaller than 1920px, then it's best not to display the image using the HERO or INLINE style option, instead you should use LEFT or RIGHT.
Here's some do's and don'ts when working with images:
- Don't be tempted to stretch the image to make it bigger - this will decrease the quality of the image and may even make it harder to look at.
- Do find the original image and either use it, or scale it down to 1920px wide if its too big (when you upload it to SportzDigital this will automatically happen for you).
- Don't use screenshots. Ever. Not once. Not even a little bit. No.
- Do find or download the original image and use it!