How visual elements can enhance storytelling

Storytellers, whether they are authors, reporters, website owners, or marketers, understand that. Between the publics ever-decreasing attention span and our information-soaked world, visual elements can help storytellers get their message across. That’s where companies such as Spiel come in. Let’s look at the ways in which visual elements can help you get your message across.

They are attention-grabbing!

Visual information stands out more to the eye than endless streams of text. Take for example social media sites such as Facebook. When you scroll through your newsfeed, what captures your eye? More than likely, it’s the posts with pictures or other visual elements that make you stop and take notice more than posts that are just words, right? You’re not alone. Some studies have shown that posts with a visual element attached with receive nearly 100 percent more views than the same content without the visuals.

A break from information overload

Another reason people use visuals in their content is because audiences need a break from information overload. The human brain is hardwired to receive visual information and we are more able to take in information that is presented in a visual way. Graphics, photos, infographics, charts, etc. help the audience to better absorb the information.

We live in an age when so much information is thrown at us every day, in so many ways. Social media, constant newsfeeds on an endless loop, radio, television, advertising – it’s all information that we soak in, whether we realize it or not. That can result in some serious information overload. By providing attractive images, graphs, and other visual elements for your audience to “read,” it’s like accomplishing two tasks at once. On the one hand, you still grab their attention and get your message across, but you do it in a way that actually gives them a break from the constant influx of information that comes at them in verbal and/or written form every day.

Credibility and authenticity

Finally, by using visual elements in your storytelling, you lend credibility and authenticity to your work. For example, if you present statistics in the body of an article, there’s a good chance it will be glossed over by many readers. On the other hand, if you present the same statistics in a visual way, it’s more likely not only to be read, but also to be taken as fact and the call to action, if there is one, heeded.

All of this having been said, no matter how dazzling or beautiful your visual elements are, the most important this is that they are accurate. An infographic that presents information that is faulty or that doesn’t add up will instantly spell disaster for your credibility.

There you have it: Some of the best reasons to incorporate visual elements into your website, social media posts, presentations, etc. If you aren’t savvy at creating these elements yourself, there are lots of graphic design companies out there who will help and do the work for you.