Infographics are becoming ever more popular. Whether used to explain how a product or service works or to showcase statistics to support an opinion, companies have been using these visual aids more and more to get their points across – and rightfully so. Below are just a few of the reasons why infographics lead to more success.
As the saying goes; “a picture speaks a thousand words”, and, what’s more, it conveys information in a way that is easier to access and more powerful than text alone. Imagery and colour grabs the viewer’s attention within seconds; it stirs emotion, creates curiosity and simplifies complex concepts.
Our brains are far more likely to interpret and store images over any other form of information alone – we are visual creatures after all. This is why the use of strong imagery and clear composition drastically improves the chances of information retention – it’s worked this way since the beginnings of design/advertising. The infographic draws from these foundations to provide solutions to the dilemmas of the digital age – the more visually compelling your content, the more likely that people will remember your information as opposed to someone’s else’s similar but less appealing information.
A well-designed infographic encourages your readers to explore it because they’re drawn to the graphic elements. They feel impelled to study the images more thoroughly, which means they’ll read the content, as well. Once you’ve attracted their attention, you can use your infographic’s textual content to boost sales and increase engagement.
According to a Duct Tape Marketing infographic, the human brain processes visual information 60,000 times faster than text. An image makes an almost immediate connection between the image itself and the idea behind it. An infographic can communicate myriad data points faster than a reader can consume a single sentence of written text.
Visual content is often easier to brand than text-based content. Think about the most famous logos — those of Nike and McDonald’s, for instance. You know the brand behind the image as soon as you see the familiar swoosh on a pair of tennis shoes or when you pass the timeless golden arches while driving home from work.
Infographics are also useful for SEO purposes. They can produce more links back to your website, which tells Google and other search engines that you offer valuable content. You can also increase your rankings for targeted keywords if you optimize the image itself for search engines.