Business Buzz - Making You Famous

Even in grade school, “visual aids” were considered to be the be-all-end-all in what’s cool. Although in most cases target audiences have moved on from elementary school, none of us outgrow that desire to engage our senses when we’re presented with new information. Photographs, illustrations, graphs, infographics, icons, timelines, text art, logos, videos, animations, and countless other forms of visual communication can seriously up the value of your brand’s content.

Despite the general consensus that visual elements add interest and are worthwhile, the majority of press releases are still being listed without any graphics. Why does this continue to happen? Here are three reasons to never publish another press release, blog article, or social media post without an image attached.

1. People process information better with both a text and visual component. Approximately 65% of the population is what we call “visual learners.” And even those who aren’t will be more likely to read and retain your content longer if you utilize more than one of their senses. Don’t go overboard – too many graphics are just as difficult for people to process as none at all. But if you want your audience to notice and remember your content or company – add a visual.
2. Your search ranking depends on it. In the age of Online, images not only serve to attract attention and engage your audience, they are essential to help you get noticed in organic searches. Engines like Google place a higher priority on site with graphics than those without. The algorithm sees visuals as a sign of quality content. Additionally, many people now filter their searches through images only, so without a graphic they will never find your site. That said, be sure that the images you use relate directly to your content, and that important information is also available as searchable text somewhere on your page.
3. The benefits far outweigh the cost. Images cost money to produce, and there is often an added fee to include them in wire services. But this cost is more than offset by the added exposure a visual will afford your content. In a study released by PR Newswire, we learned that almost half of the most-viewed press releases contained some sort of illustration. In fact, press releases with multiple graphics are 552% more likely to be seen by reporters, online and in traditional media.

We encourage all of our clients to add a photo, illustration, stock image, or at the very least a headshot of the main person being highlighted in a news release. We offer in-house, streamlined infographic services for clients to make it as easy as possible to generate graphics. You may even purchase stock photos if you have news that can’t wait.

The wisdom of adding images to online content has been touted for at least the last few years – but press releases, blog posts, and other articles continue to lack this important component. Don’t make the mistake of limiting your content’s reach by missing out on the visual audience.