Look! 7 Eye-Catching Blog Images Your Readers Love To See:

“A picture tells a thousand words”

Have you ever actually tried this? Like, found a single image and then attempted to think of 1,000 words that could describe that picture in some way or another?

Me neither. But-

When it comes to your blog articles, having at LEAST a header image doesn’t just help to grab people’s attention. In addition, it’s an interesting way to help tell (or even ad to) your story.

You can find some examples where I’ve done this, and used several images throughout a single piece that achieves the following goals:

a) Helps to illustrate the story

b) Puts a picture in the mind of the reader that ads to the one they’re coming up with as they read the words I’ve written

c) Visually breaks up walls of text and makes the whole article much easier on the eye!

Here’s just a few personal examples of what I’m talking about:

Discovering Your True Purpose (The 5 Questions Every Young Entrepreneur Must Ask Themselves):

The 7 Toxic People Who Are Fatal To Your Success (Part 1):

5 Things You Need To Master Your Marketing

So if you want to ramp up the psychological impact of your articles- and publish pieces that get attention (along with those killer headlines I know you’re taking the time to expertly craft), then here’s the 7 types of images that’ll do the job for you:

#1: Screenshots

Screenshots are a great way to illustrate a point you’re making or a story you’re telling when it relates to something you’ve done on your computer. It’s also extremely helpful when you’re sharing a step-by-step guide on how to do something computer-related.

There are a few different ways you can screen cap an image or (with some programs) even sections of video. Personally, I use the Screenshot app which gives me the flexibility to capture the entire screen, capture just one particular window, capture a cropped section of my screen or record a section of screen for a certain length of time and include sound as well.

#2: Charts & Graphs

We remember images much better than we remember words. So if you take into account how complex many statistics, reports and surveys are, the precious information you’re  sharing becomes much more memorable if you can turn them into colourful graphs. To do this, you can use Spreadsheets in Google Drive or create graphs in Powerpoint.

#3: Your Personal Photos

Instead of using cliched stock photography, why not do something interesting and original- and dig into the personal archive? Whether it’s a shot from your phone camera, a shot from your digital camera or maybe (just maybe) even a scan from the good old days when you got your rolls of film developed- I can say from personal experience that including personal photos gives your articles a much more organic and personal feel. Don’t fret if some of the photos you include are a bit on the grainy side- the fact you’re including original photos is a pro that outweighs the cons.

So go through your collection and start looking for those images that can make all the difference to your next piece- how can they help to tell your story?

#4: Stills From Movies Or TV Shows

In my time writing articles, I’ve used stills of everything from ‘Jurassic Park‘ to ‘The Nutty  Professor‘ to ‘Robocop‘- it’s great to include stills from popular/ cult movies or TV shows for two distinct reasons:

a) It reveals something about your personal tastes, your sense of humour and your sensibilities

b) It helps your audience to feel a stronger sense that you relate with them

Bonus points if you can use a memorable quote from the still you include and tie it into the topic of your article!

#5: Infographics

Infographics are an eye-catching way to make large banks of data much more digestible and easy to follow for your audience. They also have the bonus of providing you with content you can share on your social media pages in their own right. I find Adobe Spark is a handy tool for creating infographics that can then be easily replicated and used wherever I like.

#6: Custom Art

I painted this and yes, it is for sale. If you’d love to have an original piece hanging up on your wall, contact me…

Sometimes, you have an idea of the image you want to include but no matter how far you search on Google or elsewhere- it just doesn’t exist. But all is not lost. You can still have custom art created using platforms like oDesk or uPwork, and for little cost. All you need to do is post a task for the custom art job you want, and soon enough you’ll find somebody to create it for you. Simple!

#7: Comics

Maybe you can lighten the mood a little, and include a comic in your article? There are a range of sites you can source comic art from, plus relatively unknown comic artists on your favourite social media platforms. Sites have different rules regarding licensing and distribution, so check them first and respect the rules each artist applies to usage of their work.

In A Nutshell:

Taking the extra time to find just the right title image for your next article, and great images to punctuate the article itself- is well worth it. Not only does it increase the likelihood of people stopping to read your latest piece, but having well-selected images throughout the piece also breaks up the walls of text and makes people more likely to read your article to the end- which is what you want them to do after all, isn’t it?

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Here Are The Professionals & Experts I Know- And This Is What They Can Do For You:

So…it’s been a strange past couple of weeks…

I know I’m not the only person saying that, and we all have our own account of the various shifts and adjustments we’ve had to make. Even if what we’re experiencing now is temporary, we’re in a season where there’s seeds everywhere. Those seeds could produce success or failure for you, depending upon what you pick up and what you plant- what you nurture through consistent thought and cultivate through the questions that you ask.

If you’re of the belief that “the end is near” then I’ll save you some time and tell you straight up:

Go and read something else.

I understand the need to be realistic, sure- but if we’re not careful, being “realistic” about the future becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy and let’s face it, here’s the best and worst case scenario of this attitude:

a) You end up being wrong, and gain a reputation as a black-hat, Sad-Sack, Eeyore, glass-half-empty type

b) You end up being right. But people are too busy chasing solutions to this problem to care about the fact you’re going “I told you so”

“See- I told you something bad would happen sooner or later!”

And as I said the other week: now is not the time for panic. Now is the time for planning.

Because the economy is like the tide- it goes out, but then it comes back in again. In the winter time you’re rugged up all day, heavy doonas on the bed at night and anytime you step outside it’s cold. Yet just a few months later it’s so hot and muggy at night that you’re sleeping on top of your bed and waking up in a sweat at 2 in the morning as the cicadas buzz outside!

You get the point-

So today, I want to focus on the people I’ve been connecting with over the past couple of weeks. Because I’ve sat in on so many video calls and meetings, chatted on the phone with so many professionals (and given referrals for so many of them) who are open for business and ready to take your call, with literally thousands of years of combined experience across a range of industries- and I guarantee there’s at least a few people who could make a BIG difference to your business over the coming 12 months or longer…

So what I’ve done today is listed the different business categories these people fall into. Take a look through them, and if you see anything that makes you go “Hey- I could use somebody like that”- then contact me and I’ll connect you.

Because this isn’t a time for panic. It’s a time for planning.

Not a time for caution, but a time for connection.

Not the era for scarcity thinking, but the age for strategic thinking.

And I’ve just given you the cheat sheet!

So take a look, flick me an email (or call me) and see if I can’t match you up?

#1. If you have unwanted pests (bugs, spiders, mice, etc.), power problems or plumbing issues or you want to look at ways to reduce your energy bill:

I have tradespeople to connect you with…

#2. If you’re using this time to re-think how you market your business and how you can deliver a stronger brand message that gets you more leads and customers:

I know a tonne of marketing people with a wide range of skillsets to match your needs and your goals…

#3. If you’re thinking about your finances (whether it’s how your business handles the books or super or your investments):

There’s experts in the financial/ accounting sector who’d love to hear from you…

#4. If you’re having problems with your computing systems or you want to upgrade your capabilities:

Get in touch and I’ll connect you with the I.T experts who can guide you through…

#5. If you’ve found you could do with an extra hand operating your business on a daily basis:

I have virtual assistants who’d be happy to help you shoulder your workload…

#6. If you’ve realised you really need a solid plan of action moving ahead when it comes to your business, your finances or your health?

I have coaches, mentors and consultants who’ve taken people in situations just like yours to the next level before…

#7. If you have any queries about getting conveyancing done or regarding property investment, your mortgage or insurance?

I know specialists who are waiting for your call- so let me get you in touch!

#8. Seeking legal advice?

Get in contact and I’ll be happy to connect you with the right solicitors…

On top of all this?

Maybe you need something that doesn’t quite fit under any of these descriptions? That’s ok- reach out and contact me anyway, because I have contacts in other miscellaneous categories who can help you.

It’s your call. And all you need to do is contact me

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Why We Need To Give Up “The Game” To Realise Long Term Business Success…

Just this week, I sat down to chat with Profiling & Communications Specialist Alan Stevens as a guest on his broadcast. For the next 35 minutes or so we discussed a few different subjects and one of the things we covered was how people build relationships in business. Because right now, how you do this is going to be massively important looking ahead…

As it stands, people everywhere are re-thinking their business strategy. Re-thinking how they market themselves- and rightly so, if you ask me! To be blunt, it shouldn’t have taken a pandemic and mass shut-downs for it to happen but hey, people were busy going about their daily lives- and I get that. The reason betting is such a lucrative industry is because we can’t predict exactly how the future is going to go at the best of times! In my case, around this moment in time I’d expected to be up in Queensland attending several of our thriving bX groups while catching up with colleagues and old friends. Yet instead, here I am-

In place of being more or less grounded, I’ve had the opportunity to attend a tonne of online meetings, with plenty more on the way. Referrals are coming in left and right and (if I may say so) I’ve been giving plenty out as well. I can spend more time just going through my referrals list and connecting people then I do in the actual meetings. I’ve been feeling like Santa Claus!

“Ho-ho-ho…Who wants a referral?”

What this has all made clear to me, however, has been quite positive: whatever else is going on in the world, there are hundreds (thousands? Tens of thousands….millions?) of people out there who are keen to talk, keen to keep the wheels moving, keen to drum up new business, plan, act and succeed.

Going back to my catch-up with Alan, it’s reminded me that (for many of us) now is not a time to be panicking. Now is the time to be planning.

So if you’re going to do this, you want to make sure you have a solid plan and one that’s going to pay off in the long-term. Now is the time to set yourself up for the next 12 months- 5 years- the rest of this decade even!

I’m not saying that only planning for the next 3 or 6 months is a fatal mistake, but any gains you enjoy will be short-lived. When you strategise under the premise of getting sales ASAP rather than attracting top value customers, testimonials and referrals, you’re selling yourself short- and you risk attracting the wrong kind of people into your business. Let me explain it this way:

Years ago, I read a friends’ copy of ‘The Game‘. Written by music journalist Neil Strauss, it was his first-hand account of delving into the community of pickup artists (P.U.A’s). Essentially, the pickup community is (was?) a bunch of guys who had made seduction into a fine art. Something they regularly studied, practised, discussed in person and shared reports of their success online. I learned about terms like “sarging”, “negging”, “peacocking” and to be fair, Strauss wrote a genuinely engrossing account start to finish.

Now for a lot of younger, more introverted or ‘dorky’ men, the ability to attract most girls you desire would (at first) seem like an ultimate superpower, wouldn’t it? Surely by the end of this book, Strauss and his colleagues were happily living the life of a celebrity, without needing to learn an instrument or appear in a single film. Living the dream, you might say?

But instead, this wasn’t the case. Here’s why:

The problem with P.U.A (at least as it’s presented in Strauss’s account) is that there’s so many false premises involved: memorised lines, ridiculous outfits (seriously, image search ‘pickup artist’ and take a look. You want to dress like THAT?), routined interactions, in many cases sidelining the rest of your life’s ambitions and pursuits and all for what? What is the holy grail of doing all this?

One-night stands.

Short-term relationships.

Maybe long-term relationships that began like a dream yet soon wear you down as you’re torn between trying to maintain the facade you snared them with, or letting your guard down only for her to realise she fell for an image. And who’s the bigger fool, then?

The thing is, I read ‘The Game‘ 5 years before I first went into business. Yet I’m guessing that (like me) you’ve seen the same approach in business, too:

– People pushing for the quick sell

– People whipping up a buying frenzy with their big, audacious promises but then failing to deliver once the sale is done

– People basing their entire selling premise on that one thing they do but not giving you the complete picture

The thing with these operators is that while (usually) they deliver on their selling premise to some degree, the job is far from done- or done properly at the very least. Because it’s not enough just to rank #1 on search engines if you aren’t managing the rest of your online presence so you continue ranking well and attracting new leads. Picking up new leads and customers counts for little if they’re here today, gone tomorrow and you’re left looking for the next one.

A truly successful long-term business strategy is built upon valuable relationships, communication, ongoing engagement and trust.

Read that back again- and slowly. Let that guide every marketing decision you make, because it always stands true.

See, you might sell to a lead straight away, or it might take a year before they buy from you. But regardless, you want to keep them in your loop. You want to maintain an ongoing connection with them. Do that, and you’ll unlock true value in your business. The better you do this, the more valuable your business brand perception is, and the less time you need to spend chasing up new leads.

Your most valuable customers, best referrals and strongest testimonials usually come from the people who know you well. The people who’ve gone the distance with you. And it’s much harder to find these people if you approach your online communications like a P.U.A.

Like I said at the start, right now is the opportune time to be planning and adjusting your existing online marketing strategy. However, now is not the time to go chasing a “quick fix”. Instead, this is your chance to produce something people begin to value more and more as time goes on. The beauty of doing this is, as you establish this sort of connection with your leads, customers and referral partners, the workload required to attract new customers becomes easier.

Because nothing sells you like word of mouth and your professional reputation.

This is why at Scribe, when we sit down with clients to implement a strategy, we’re always thinking about what’s going to get the best results for them on a long-term basis. We understand the job doesn’t end with the name of our client being ranked #1 on Google this week, or a hit-once marketing campaign. It’s about what comes afterwards- it’s about setting your business up to thrive in the coming 6 months- and beyond. It’s about playing the long-term game.

On top of that- everything we do is backed by our Big 3 Guarantee

So if you’re keen to develop a new strategy that sets you up to enjoy long-term results and reap the benefits when our economy rights itself once more (as it will), then let’s talk about how we can make it happen.