5 reasons graphic design convert prospects into paying customers

Let’s face it, the graphic design industry is worth $45 billion globally with almost $13 billion in the US market alone.

Now consider that 68% of digital marketers use visual assets and 80% use graphic design in marketing, the proof is in the pudding that the demand for graphic design services is booming, and set to grow even further.

The power of visual content in marketing cannot be underestimated. Visuals are a powerful way to break down complex information into chunks that can be conveyed quickly and efficiently. They also help you retain what’s being said longer than just reading text alone!

There are 5 key points to keep in mind when using graphic design services to develop visual marketing content.

1. Long-term memory retention

The human brain stores information in both long-term and short-term memory. To help recall and to influence behaviour, information needs to be stored in long-term memory. Once information is locked into long-term memory, it becomes harder to forget. To ensure this happens, it is important for visual images to be linked directly to concepts.

Dr. Lynell Burmark, an educational consultant, writes and speaks about visual literacy, a term that I often speak about with clients. She states that, ‘…unless our words, concepts, ideas are hooked into an image, they will go in one ear… and out the other…’

Considering the amount of advertising that we see daily, getting effective cut through into long-term memory with visual content becomes essential.

2. Faster transmission of messages

DID YOU KNOW?

• 40% of our nerve fibres are linked to the retina.
• 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual.
• Our eyes can register 36,000 visual messages per hour.
• Our brain can see images that last for 13 milliseconds.
• Visuals are processed 60,000x faster in the brain than text.

Consider babies and young children. They are born being able to see and hear, not read, and speak, as these are learned skills as they grow up.

Very early on they spend much of their time watching, observing, and learning to read facial expressions and body language. This enables them to communicate their needs to receive their desired responses, based on their ability to interpret the visual cues from those around them and their interaction(s) with the environment.

In fact, they are utilising visual learning as a communication strategy and fine-tuning a lifelong learning skill. Human beings in one form or another, have been around for millions of years. The first form of written communication appeared in pictograph form before evolving into hieroglyphics and then individual character/letter formations.

The evolution of written text took thousands of years and continues to evolve today with the increasing use of emojis and abbreviations.

Why? Because visual content can convey messages and concepts fast.

3. Visual content improves comprehension

As a former teacher, I know that visual content improves student learning, stimulates imagination, and has a positive and long-lasting impact on cognition.

One of our jobs as a marketer is to use graphic design services to create content to use in visual communication campaigns. The purpose of these campaigns is to influence a behaviour change and invoke an action.

The way to do this is to make sure that the visual content is closely entwined with the words that are used. This will allow an audience to comprehend and process information more efficiently and effectively.

The higher the level of comprehension, the more likely a person will be to take an action, whether it be clicking here, download, sign up or buy now.

Not only does our brain process visual content faster, but our level of comprehension is also increased.

4. Good visual content evokes powerful emotional connections

Ask yourself, how do you feel when you see different visual content?

The emotional centre of the brain is stimulated when looking at visual content. These emotions are processed and influence the way information is stored and retained.

Neural plasticity or the brain’s ability to reshape itself can have significant implications on the acquisition of new information and the associated learning. Our visual and emotional centres in the brain are easily linked, that’s why a negative image can leave a strong emotional impression. Conversely, positive images evoke positive emotional responses.

Whether negative or positive, visual content is responsible for invoking powerful emotional responses.

5. Visual content motivates an audience

Seeing something is a fundamental element in visual communication. People retain less than 10% of what they hear, 20% of what they read, but 80% of what they see. Therefore, seeing something rather than hearing or reading goes a long way towards helping with retention and increasing and audience’s response rates.

I know first-hand from my days of teaching, students were more enthusiastic and motivated when presented with visual content, compared to a block of written text. Another reason why movies and plays are used in addition to text when teaching literature.

In the world of marketing, utilising the principles that teachers and educators use on a daily basis makes serious sense. After all, we want our audience to be motivated to engage with our brand. We also want to remove the barriers to accessibility, so people are encouraged to learn more about a business.

Using graphic design services in your visual communication is more likely to increase levels of engagement, improve the rate of brand retention and impact an audience’s ability to understand the messaging.

What happens when you use visual content incorrectly?

It is important to remember that the use of incorrect visual communication can negatively impact an audience. When visual content is misaligned with the intended audience, the costs to a brand can be significant. The cost of repair to a brand can be even greater.

My advice?

There are lots of graphic design solutions out there, ranging from DIY options, online platforms, freelancers, and full-service creative agencies.

There are pros and cons to each of them, but importantly, ensure that you engage someone who is ‘better’ than you with design and marketing this way you will have that second set of eyes to ensure your visual strategy aligns well with you overall marketing strategy and brand voice.

To read the full article click here.

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