Attention spans are at their lowest—the majority of the population can access any information they want at any time they want through the internet and various forms of ever-improving companion technologies. The written word, while still significant, is often glanced over in favor of more stimulating materials such as images and videos. Consumers are constantly bombarded with advertising materials, so in order to stay competitive you will have to make adjustments in your approach to favor more visual mediums.
Trade 1: Reports for Infographics
The days of long, detailed statistical reports are still lively and relevant for many academic and scientific fields. But if you’re trying to market yourself, those droll figures aren’t going to cut it. Take some time, find a graphic designer if need be, and put together a concise, eye-catching image that successfully sums up your findings.
Trade 2: Headlines for Snapshots
Not every post you make in your blog, newsletter, or other publication is going to have an easy image attached to it. But you need to accentuate your content with a rich, creative image that will help command the attention of a populace that doesn’t have time or patience for words.
Trade 3: Resumes for Profile Pictures and Online Portfolios
This extends beyond just job seekers—in order to successfully market yourself, you need at least some kind of presence in social media. A tidy, black-and-white resume that may have landed you the position of your dreams last decade could now be cast aside nonchalantly in favor of a candidate with a spiffy LinkedIn profile. Your customer base will make decisions the same way—so ditch the text, and offer as much visual material for your business as possible online.
If you want to stand a chance against your competition, you’re going to have to use more visual mediums in your advertising strategies. Start making these trades, and you’ll find yourself much better embedded in the current market.
