Key takeaways:
- Featured images are crucial for attracting readers and enhancing your Medium stories
- You can easily set a featured image by selecting an image and pressing Shift+F (Mac) or Ctrl+Alt+8 (Windows)
- Choose high-quality, relevant images that align with your content and brand
- Optimize your images for web use to ensure fast loading times
Medium is a popular platform for writers to share their stories and ideas with a wide audience. One of the key elements that can make your stories stand out is the use of featured images. These images serve as a visual representation of your content and can help attract readers to your posts. In this article, we’ll guide you through the process of adding featured images to your Medium stories and share some best practices to ensure your images are effective.
Table of Contents
Why Use Featured Images?
Featured images play a vital role in capturing the attention of potential readers as they browse through Medium’s feed or search results. A well-chosen image can:
- Provide a visual preview of your content
- Entice readers to click on your story
- Enhance the overall aesthetic of your post
- Reinforce your brand identity
By incorporating compelling featured images, you can increase the chances of your stories being noticed and read by a larger audience.
How to Set a Featured Image on Medium
Adding a featured image to your Medium story is a simple process. Follow these steps:
- Open your story in the Medium editor
- Click on the image you want to set as the featured image (a green border will appear around the selected image)
- Press Shift+F (on Mac) or Ctrl+Alt+8 (on Windows) to designate the image as featured (a red border will appear)
Alternatively, you can set the featured image from the publishing screen by selecting the desired image from the left sidebar.
Choosing the Right Featured Image
When selecting a featured image for your Medium story, consider the following best practices:
Relevance
Ensure that the image is relevant to your content. It should accurately represent the topic or theme of your story and provide visual context for your readers.
Quality
Use high-quality images that are clear, sharp, and visually appealing. Blurry or low-resolution images can detract from the overall quality of your post.
Brand Consistency
If you have a specific brand identity or style, choose images that align with your brand guidelines. Consistency in your visual elements can help establish a recognizable and memorable brand presence.
Emotional Impact
Select images that evoke the desired emotional response from your readers. Whether you want to inspire, inform, or entertain, the right image can help set the tone for your story.
Optimizing Images for Web Use
To ensure that your featured images load quickly and don’t negatively impact your readers’ experience, it’s important to optimize them for web use. Here are a few tips:
- Resize images to the appropriate dimensions (Medium recommends a minimum width of 1400 pixels for full-width images)
- Compress images to reduce file size without sacrificing quality (tools like TinyPNG or Compressor.io can help)
- Use appropriate file formats (JPEG for photographs, PNG for graphics with transparency)
By optimizing your images, you can improve page load times and provide a seamless reading experience for your audience.
Setting a Focal Point
In addition to selecting a featured image, Medium allows you to set a focal point to ensure the most important part of the image is always visible, even when cropped for different screen sizes. To set a focal point:
- Click on the featured image in your story
- Hold the Option key (on Mac) or Alt key (on Windows) and click on the area you want to be the focal point
- A green circle will appear, indicating the selected focal point
By setting a focal point, you can maintain the visual impact of your featured image across various devices and screen sizes.
FAQ
Can I change the featured image after publishing my story?
Yes, you can easily change the featured image of a published story by editing the post and following the same steps to set a new featured image.
Are there any size restrictions for featured images on Medium?
While there are no strict size restrictions, Medium recommends using images with a minimum width of 1400 pixels for optimal display across different devices.
Can I use animated GIFs as featured images?
Yes, Medium supports the use of animated GIFs as featured images. However, keep in mind that not all areas of the site will display the animation, so it’s best to ensure the first frame of the GIF works well as a static image.
Do I need to worry about copyright when using images?
Yes, it’s crucial to ensure that you have the necessary rights and permissions to use any images in your Medium stories. You can use your own original images, purchase stock photos, or use images with appropriate Creative Commons licenses.
By following these guidelines and best practices, you can effectively incorporate featured images into your Medium stories, making them more visually appealing and engaging for your readers. Remember, a well-chosen image can be the difference between a reader scrolling past your story or clicking through to read more.
