Home > Lensmaking Tips > What’s Missing? Your Intro Photo

It’s an ongoing joke between my husband and I that we don’t know what this big brick building is, located in our town. It’s the local hospital where we’ve both worked, but there are no signs ON the hospital to tell you that. All your visual clues are based on signs posted on the ground by the entrances.

Not posting an intro photo is a lot like a building with no sign, or perhaps more precisely, it’s like a sign with no building. There’s no representation of what the lens is for, and no visual cue to help readers connect with your lens. Large intro photos have become synonymous with quality web-based articles. Not seeing a great photo is like a romance novel with no tan hunk on the front, or a cut-out cookie with no frosting. Not only does Squidoo know something is missing, so do your readers!

In addition to what your readers are looking for, having a small, grainy, irrelevant, or awkwardly shaped (or missing!) introduction photo can mean missing out on being a featured lens, showcased on the homepage, winning a Purple Star, or winning Lens of the Day. Yikes!

As MomWithAHook said on SquidooHQ, “Pictures do make the lens. The first thing I notice is the introduction photo. This encourages me to click to the article.” If a photo can encourage people to read, click, and buy, that’s pretty powerful!

As you can see, having an intro photo is more than just a pretty picture on your lens. By taking your intro photo seriously, you’ll retain the readers you attract and make the most of your marketing.