Like video game avatars, PR pros are constantly battling to break down roadblocks between our clients' stories and the audiences they are trying to reach. Shrinking attention spans coupled with an overwhelming amount of available information have a major impact on whether or not messages are received. Even when you're trying to reach an internal audience, it's a real challenge.
Most companies and organizations cope by integrating compelling and impactful visual elements into their messages. It can be difficult to balance text and graphics when they share the page, but the payoff is worth it. The print ads at right from Moms Demand Action and the French Ministry of Health illustrate the power a message can have when copy and photo support each other, both telling its side of the story.
The same principle can be applied to all types of communication, not just expensive advertisements. Here are four reasons to consider ditching the heavy text in your next PowerPoint presentation, social media post or company newsletter.
- The human brain processes visual information much faster than text and, when you only have eight seconds to hook your audience, every millisecond counts.
- Most people respond better to visual information compared to plain text. According to the Social Science Network, visual learners account for 65% of the population.
- After three days, people can remember 55% more of what they heard if an image is paired with the information, compared to only text.
- Facebook posts with images get more than double the engagement compared to posts without photos. According to Twitter, photos and videos boosted retweets by an average of 31%.