How to find free images that turn your content into online masterpieces

Using images in your content

It used to be hard work finding free images to use in your lists, quizzes and polls, but also in your online articles. If you’re promoting yourself you can’t just pluck any images out of a Google search. There are all sorts of copyright implications.
Unfortunately paying for stock images doesn’t make life much easier. Standard stock images are often bland or clichéd and scream out “I’m a stock image!”. Then there are the complicated payment systems… A certain number of downloads a day that disappear if you don’t use them, a restricted number of images per month or limited access to particular galleries of photos – the ones you really need.

Free images you can use for online content

The rise of social media and online publication tools such as our quiz maker created a big need for high quality free images and, as usual, the online entrepreneurs have responded. You can now choose from a variety of sites offering free images that can be used for almost anything. You need to check the rules for each site as some require attribution but mostly you can download the images and use them as you wish. The main restriction is selling the images, which seems perfectly reasonable!

We’ve put together a quick Riddle list of some of the better sites we’ve seen and used. Just hit “Start” and explore our favorite options for free images

An image needs to ‘speak a thousand words’

You’ve filled your quiz or list with free images and it looks great. But does it look as good as it could be? Interactive content needs both compelling writing and images that grab the reader’s attention. The old saying that a picture speaks a thousand words applies but you can turn them into ten thousand words if people love your work enough to share it with their friends.

Make sure you have chosen images that sum up, challenge, amplify or contradict the text. You need a strong reaction. It could be a deep belly laugh as the image perfectly sums up a situation or a silent nod of agreement. Don’t always go for images that match your personality unless your content is for this particular niche. If you are writing a personality test that is aimed at generating leads from sole traders for your accountancy business you don’t want to populate it with images of hipsters – unless you’re targeting business from this demographic.

Adapting free images to create a powerful ‘hero image’

Not only do you now have access to lots of high quality free images, there are also free tools like Canva.com that allow you to easily add design elements to your images. Photoshop is a fantastic tool if you’ve a) got access to it or b) have taken the time to learn how to use it.
The lead (or hero) image of your quiz is the one that is displayed on your social media shares. Obviously the more compelling this image, the more people will take your quiz. You might have found the perfect image that sings to the heart of your quiz but a few extra touches can persuade a lot more people to click on your quiz. It also makes your free image your own.

Finding great (and free) images for your content – a summary

Searching and finding great images for your content can be a real struggle… Luckily, our Riddle quizmaker offers you various options directly from the quiz creator UI so that you can make your quizzes more beautiful (and more converting)

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