1. People are Visually Wired

As humans, we are naturally wired for visual experiences. According to this infographic, 50 percent of the brain is involved in visual processing, while 70 percent of all sensory receptors are located in the eyes. Furthermore, the average person is able to understand visuals in less than one-tenth of a second. That’s a lot faster than taste, smell, touch, and hearing. What all of these data points reveal is that humans thrive when exposed to visual content. Thus, it makes sense that people would crave more and more of this enticing content. This is also why social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat are becoming more popular, whereas Facebook and Twitter seem to be stagnating (at least with the demographics that matter).

2. The Internet is Too Busy

Take a look at this infographic from SA Ignite. What do you see? There are visuals, numbers, quotes, and other unique elements. Now, what if all of the information contained in this infographic – which is actually a lot – was merely written out in paragraph form? Would you still be willing to read it all? Most people wouldn’t. See, the internet is a busy place. The average person encounters thousands of unique pieces of content on a daily basis and has little ability to filter what is and isn’t important. Infographics are unique in that they simplify and consolidate information in an aesthetically pleasing format that commands attention. Even though the content may not be more important than the dense paragraph next to it, the infographic nails the delivery and therefore wins over the reader.

3. Infographics are More Engaging

Infographics are like pieces of artwork. You can stare at the same infographic and get something new from it every time. This speaks to the high level of engagement they offer. And since engagement leads visitors to stay on the site longer, which increases the likelihood of a conversion, businesses would do well to utilize them more frequently on important web pages.

4. Ability to Enjoy Online and Offline

Infographics don’t just work online. They can be printed in poster form and displayed in real-world settings. They can also be designed entirely offline, using real life items. This makes infographics highly versatile, which is something people connect with and enjoy. If nothing else, this enhances the useful life of infographics and gives businesses the ability to maximize their content investment.

5. Familiar and Easy to Share

Finally, infographics are easy and fun to share. People are familiar with them and don’t hesitate when it comes to sharing them with friends and family on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and even LinkedIn. In fact, infographics are among the most shared content formats around. And when you consider that they’re far more cost-effective to produce than videos, it’s a sound marketing investment.

Are You Using Infographics?

From a business perspective, infographics are one of the most high-returning pieces of visual content you can invest in. They’re engaging, highly shareable, and easy to reproduce over and over again. If you aren’t currently using them, then now is the time to reconsider your current approach and find room in your budget to develop immersive infographics that resonate with your target audience. This will not only increase engagement and visual appeal to readers, but also make it easier for them to share your content! Featured photo credit: Shutterstock.com via shutterstock.com