Are eye-catching images necessary for note? The role of thumbnails I realized from Yuki-san's article

Have you ever written a note article and wondered if you should include an eye-catching image?

The body text is written. The title is decided.

But, you might hesitate a little over whether to add an image at the end.

You can publish an article even without an image.

Sometimes you want to convey things through text alone, and creating an eye-catching image every time can feel like a bit of a hassle.

However, when looking at a list of note articles, I sometimes feel that articles with eye-catching images are more likely to catch my eye.

Of course, just having an image doesn't guarantee it will be read.

The title, theme, interest in the writer, and timing of the post.

There are many reasons why an article gets read.

Even so, one of the first things a reader receives before opening an article is the eye-catching image.

If it doesn't catch their eye in the list, no matter how carefully you write the body text, it might be passed over before it's even read.

If they stop before entering the body text, you might be losing out at the eye-catching image stage.

This time, reading an article by Yuki-san, whom I am on friendly terms with, gave me an opportunity to think about thumbnails again.

In Yuki-san's article, it was discussed that it's not just about making a thumbnail look decent, but that it's important to consider what you want to show first and in what order it enters the reader's eyes.

This perspective is something I personally found very convincing.

Recently, when I create eye-catching images, I have also started thinking more about which words I want the reader to see first, rather than just making a pretty image.

Are the words in the title and the eye-catching image connected? Can the reader grasp the theme of the article in an instant? What do I want to show most within the image?

If this is blurry, even if you go to the trouble of creating an eye-catching image, it may be difficult for it to leave an impression on the reader.

An eye-catching image is not just for decorating an article.

It is a small entrance for readers to feel that this article might be relevant to them before they even enter it.

This time, inspired by Yuki-san's article, I will organize my thoughts on whether eye-catching images are necessary for note, and the role I personally believe thumbnails play.

In conclusion, I feel that if you have the capacity, you should include an eye-catching image for your note.

However, this does not mean that just because you include an eye-catching image, it will definitely be read.

What is important is not the act of placing an image itself, but making the entrance to the article easy for the reader to understand.

I have personally felt the difference in response depending on whether or not an eye-catching image is present.

Previously, when I published an article without an eye-catching image, the number of likes and views did not grow as much as I had expected.

Of course, I cannot say for certain that the reason was solely the image.

There are many reasons why an article gets read, such as the title, theme, posting time, and the relationship with the readers at that time.

However, on the other hand, there have been times when an article with an eye-catching image reached double-digit likes faster than usual shortly after publication.

At that time, I felt that having an eye-catching image might have been the trigger for it to catch someone's eye in the article list.

But, the important part is that it doesn't end there.

Even if I included an eye-catching image, there were times when the number of views did not grow as expected if the content of the article and the impression of the image were mismatched.

Even if it catches the eye, if the content is different from what the reader expected, it becomes harder to get them to read further.

From this experience, I have come to feel that an eye-catching image is not just for standing out.

This time, reading the article by Yuki-san, with whom I am on good terms, gave me an opportunity to think about thumbnails again.

That is where what I had been vaguely feeling was put into words a little.

Having AI create thumbnails or eye-catching images is not that difficult these days.

But what is truly important is not whether you can create an image.

I think it's about the priority of what you want the reader to see first.

When using a character like I do, I felt once again that characters are elements with quite high visibility.

It's not just about placing a character; it's about having the character catch their eye and then conveying the meaning of the article through text.

If you can be conscious of this flow, the eye-catching image will function more easily as an entrance to the article rather than just an image.

That is why an eye-catching image doesn't just need to be made beautifully.

Before the reader opens the article, can they feel that this article seems relevant to them? Do the title and the words on the image connect? When looking at the image, is the theme or the problem of the article conveyed instantly?

If this is blurry, even if you go to the trouble of including an image, it will be difficult to leave an impression on the reader.

For example, if the article's theme is about the readability of text, but the eye-catching image is just a beautiful landscape, it might be difficult for the reader to judge what the article is about.

Conversely, if the question in the title and the words on the eye-catching image are connected, it becomes easier for the reader to grasp the direction of the article before reading.

In this case,

Just by seeing the direction of the question and the answer like this, the impression of the article changes.

That is why I believe that an eye-catching image on note is not just a decoration, but an entrance to the article.

There is no need to force yourself to create an elaborate design.

Even if you create an eye-catching image with an elaborate design, if you don't understand the basic structure and priorities, it is likely to end without achieving any major effect, let alone an increase in views.

First, decide on one thing you want the reader to see first. Then, adjust it so that it doesn't deviate from the title or the content of the main text.

Even just doing that, the eye-catching image will serve as a small guide for readers to notice your article.

Adjusting your eye-catching image a little is a kind effort to make it easier for readers who need your article to find it.