We are creatures of habit. We gravitate towards what we know. So it’s not surprising that many firms still regularly publish long-form articles as their go-to thought leadership. But they may be missing a key opportunity: well-designed, accessible graphical content can be an effective strategy for both B2B and B2C communications.
Why? Three reasons:
1. Audiences are more likely to understand and remember
Your audience is busy, so help them prioritize information. Graphics can help organize and convey information quickly and simply. Visual content also brings a benefit in its stickiness, especially compared to other content types. If you hear a piece of information, you’re likely to remember only 10% of it three days later. [1] But add a picture, and the recall rate increases to 65% — an invaluable technique for marketers looking to educate their audiences.[2] And this technique is even more relevant for marketers in highly regulated industries from finance to pharma, who regularly relay complex statistics or detailed research.
2. Audiences are more likely to read and respond
If audiences can see in advance that content is going to take up less time and energy, they’re more likely to read it in the first place. Articles that include infographics generate an average of 178% more inbound links and 72% more views than all other posts.[3]
Even just coloring visuals has been shown to increase willingness to read content by 80%.[4] Infographics build brand recognition by strengthening perceptions of your business and its messaging.
3. Visual content is more multi-channel friendly
Importantly, infographics can be used again and again across multiple channels. A striking visual can be a great way of linking marketing campaigns across platforms. And simply including visuals will likely increase your content’s reach—visual content is 40 times more likely to be shared on social media.[5]
Few other adjustments to your creative process will make as much of an impact as incorporating graphical elements into your content strategy. I encourage you to identify at least one area to implement an infographic in your next content project.
Want to know more about how infographics can become a part of your content mix?
You can contact me at mstaknis@imprintcontent.com.
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[1] http://www.brainrules.net/vision
[2] ibid.
[3] https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/33393/The-Marketer-s-Ultimate-Guide-to-Link-Bait.aspx#sm.0001h5vdmybjoedew9c2oonp879wc
[4] https://www.office.xerox.com/latest/COLFS-02UA.PDF
[5] https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/science-behind-popular-infographics
