When it comes to engagement for content, visual content provides an advantage that written content falls short of. Photos and videos get shared much more often than written content and are a great way to increase website traffic. For one, we can see an image and interpret it in the blink of an eye. This has migrated to the digital realm and has resulted in the rising influence of visual social media. The top social medias specialize in visuals.
For example, Google Insight reveals that on mobile alone, YouTube reaches more 18-49 year-olds than any broadcast or cable network. Pinterest has 200 million active visitors per month, and of all those Pinners 93% use it to plan purchases. Instagram alone has 1 billion users. These are powerful presences that are all geared towards visual content.
Below I will (ironically) describe in written content the importance of communicating through visual content:
Why Do We Love Visuals?
Our brains love photos, videos, and all things with color. Colors are related to certain moods and emotions. Therefore, seeing an image or other visual is much more enjoyable than looking at a paragraph. A photo of a puppy will get a stronger response than a description of a puppy, and a puppy video will get the largest response… I personally can spend hours soley watching puppy videos.
Why Do We Love Infographics?
A study by Microsoft reveals that the average person gets distracted in eight seconds. With such a short attention span, a person should be able to view, interpret, and understand your content in eight seconds or less in order to then engage in it. This is why visual content is so valuable. A lot more time and energy gets put into processing a message when we have to read an entire article. A person is less likely to engage with material they have to spend a lot of time on.
By having an infographic you will be cutting the amount of time needed to communicate with your target audience.
Why Do We Love Video?
Our brain instinctively processes images and videos much quicker. Research shows visuals are processed 60,000 times faster than text. Our optic nerve plays a large role in our brain’s understanding and retention of new information. We have grown up interpreting body language, facial expressions, and sounds with our eyes and ears.
Two of our five senses are used when watching a video, sight and hearing. By having more of our senses engaged our brain is more easily engaged. The more engaged we are, the likelier we are to click on an ad and make a purchase.
Why You Shouldn’t Abandon Written Content
While graphics and video lead to wide exposure and engagement, written content has its own advantage. A big component for exposure in the digital world is search engines… as in the one and only Google.
When a potential client is searching a term in Google, if it is relevant to your product or service, you will want your site to pop up first in the list of site pulled. This comes from an optimization of key words. As defined by Moz, Keywords are ideas and topics that define what your content is about. They are searchable terms and easily incorporated in blogs.
It is important to understand why you should use visual content to compliment your written content. While written content should always have its own place, the incorporation of visual content can only help you maximize your marketing goals.
About the Author: Linette Fonseca is a Digital Marketing Manager at Markitors, an SEO agency. She is a recent graduate of Grand Canyon University, and spends her free time eating doing yoga, reading books, and trying to lift heavy weight.
