WHY IMAGES MATTER Successful communication with stock photos from Fotolia
We humans are visual creatures...
...and around 80% of all environmental information is perceived through our eyes. We think, speak and remember by means of pictures – and of course our media environment has adapted to these characteristics. A quick glance into the social networks with its ubiquity of images reveals immediately how visual today’s internet actually is. And for those who prefer hard numbers: images on Instagram are liked 3.5 billion times every day.
It is therefore no surprise that images play a crucial role in communication and advertising. But how come?
Seven good reasons!
1. Images are fast
Everyone knows the effect when he or she opens a magazine: images are the first thing we see. Our brain captures image content in a split second and as a coherent whole, whereas texts must be read and understood.
2. Images arouse curiosity
Visual stimuli appeal directly to an archetypal human characteristic: our curiosity and our interest in everything that is new. Images that we can not interpret at first glance invite us to engage with them.
3. Images evoke emotions
Images are processed in the right brain: the hemisphere which is associated with imagination, intuition and feelings. Emotions are mainly caused by stimuli that appeal to our right brain.
4. Images are remembered
There are images that we remember years and years after seeing them: Our memory for visual stimuli is more pronounced than that of linguistic information. The emotional impact of images ensures that they are more memorable.
5. Images are universal
A picture is worth a thousand words: This sentence is true even literally. Images function without language and without translation, in many cases around the world.
6. Images are credible
Especially photos correspond to our personal perception of reality: they appear to be a direct representation of reality and therefore seem objective and reliable to us.
7. Images tell stories
What will happen next? Images have a high entertainment value. Properly selected, they set the imagination of the viewer into motion and let him experience what he has watched: He becomes involved, engaged and captivated.
Images are a factor of success!
Images are effective for many good reasons. Take advantage of the power of images for your communication!
Browse more than 50 million photos, vectors and videos on Fotolia. Here you will find the perfect images for your marketing, advertising or branding campaign.
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Fotolia images used: #86554162 © filipefoto, #50007431 © aleshin, #70702059 © tomer turjeman, #102551467 © Voyagerix, #88499375 © oneinchpunch, #67587098 © hitdelight, #101731753 © Goinyk Volodymyr, #76261213 © shsphotography, #76265626 © marioav, #89522722 © Andrey Armyagov, #91412649 © GaudiLab, #55258410 © nickola_che, #66428155 © guas, #83702025 © inspiretta, #80780994 © Halfpoint, #100272326 © romaset, #71440794 © taonga, #93131519 © teksomolika, #72098108 © KopoPhoto, #58907139 © Dudarev Mikhail, #42127869 © lassedesignen, #94245233 © Andreka Photography, #88557801 © master1305