Do all articles/hubs require a picture or photo?

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   JoAnneElizabethposted 13 years ago

   Hello Forum,
   
   Even though I signed up with HubPages a little more than a year ago, I am still very "new" to HubPages, and I have only written one Hub sor far. What I want to know is do I need to provide a picture or photo every time I want to write a new hub?

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      wildernessposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      You don't "have" to provide photos.  Most hubbers will agree, though, that it is very beneficial to the hub and makes a better experience for the reader.

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      kschangposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      No, but it's usually better if you do. People are more visual. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words.

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   QuestionMasterposted 13 years ago

   No, there is no Hubpages rule saying you have to have a picture - or any content other than a single block of text.
   
   But think about it from the reader's perspective - if they come to a page with a huge chunk of text and nothing else, they're likely not to want to read it all. On the other hand, if you break it up into capsules (with descriptive subtitles and one subtopic or paragraph per capsule) as well as add in some related pictures, links and/or videos, you're more likely to keep your reader interested.

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   paradigmsearchposted 13 years ago

   In other words, required or not, it's still a good idea.  QuestionMaster said it quite well in fact.

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   Lisa HWposted 13 years ago

   I'm not necessarily questioning the overall Internet-wisdom that says readers don't like big blocks of nothing-but-words; but as a reader (and maybe even a throwback to non-Internet times, or else a "foreigner" from the offline world); when I'm looking for something to read I prefer my reading the way it comes in non-fiction books - no pictures, no ads, nothing but text. 
   
   My point here isn't that I think Internet reading should never include pictures, ads, or anything else.  My real point is that there really still is such a thing a SOME readers who gravitate more toward the "no-nonsense" presentation of words-on-a-page and nothing else.  After the whole Panda thing (and after years of at least sort of trying to do "what everyone said people should do" when it came Hubs), I just got sick of doing what so often went against my own grain (like digging up some mediocre picture from somewhere just to be able to add a picture).  I've since started doing my own thing more.  Maybe whether including pictures is better depends on the subject.  A Hub about the beaches on the West coast probably needs a picture.  Maybe one that analyzes something like the rate of divorces in the U.S. doesn't particularly call for pictures.  Also, it may depend on the kind of readers you think your subject/Hub will attract - those who expect pictures or those who don't.

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5. 61

   JoAnneElizabethposted 13 years ago

   Thank you dear Hub Folks for your comments whether I should include a picture with my text or not.  The comments were very helpful to me.

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