SLYOU Magazine Issue 1 | Page 30

colors should be used in all forms of marketing and advertisements. Also, using consistent images, logo and colors make it easy for people to identify a product with the company. Build brand awareness of your company or organization by using visual communication. Gives better retention of information Since the human brain processes information in image form, a person will be able to retain visual information for long. People easily forget what they hear or read easily but retain images for long. This is because images are stored in long-term memory, and words and texts are stored in short-term memory. A study conducted on active learning showed that 10- 20% of the participants were able to remember spoken and written information while over 50% of visuals and images were remembered. It is important to aim at retention of information when passing marketing products and services. It is simple The illiterate can understand visual communication, making it an effective communication method to all. Its simplicity makes it easy for people to understand the information. Coming up with an appropriate image for an advertisement may take time, but the end-result is usually simple and understandable to all groups of people. The main reason as to why you still remember road signs is because they are simple, clear, and memorable. It is flexible Flexibility in visual communication makes it better than verbal communication. For instance, if you are looking forward to advertising a product to millions of people across different cultures, you may consider using images and graphics. This is because they are flexible and can be understood by different people. Verbal communication will be limited to language, and some terminologies may not be similarly understood by different cultures. Images are more flexible than words. 28 SL-YOU | Business, People & Lifestyle It is effective Visual communication is one of the most effective ways of sending information. The main reason lies in the cognitive function of the human brain. Nowadays, images and graphics have flooded the advertising field because of the effectiveness of visual communication. The mind remembers images faster than words or texts. It is popular People love watching images, GIFs and graphic videos rather than listening to words or an advertisement. If you are running a business, you will easily catch the attention of potential customers by using visuals, images and GIFs in advertising. Social media platforms like Facebook encourage ads to have fewer words and more graphics. Also, visuals stimulate the emotions of the people, making them respond quickly to an advertisement. Conclusion Visual communication is important just like using Skype for communication. People pay more attention when communicating with people they can see rather than just using telephone or emails. Visual communications can have a positive impact in boosting your business. Start applying visual communication techniques in your business and you should get positive results. www.slyoumag.com | July-August 2019