It’s no exaggeration to say that human beings are visual creatures. Our brains are wired for pictures, not paragraphs. In fact, according to John Medina in his book Brain Rules, studies have shown that if you read or hear something, you’ll retain only about 10% of the information three days later. But if that same message is paired with an image, your retention jumps to a staggering 65%. That’s not a small difference—it’s a game-changer.
This natural advantage is known as the “Picture Superiority Effect,” and it has profound implications for how we share and absorb information. Whether you’re giving a presentation, crafting a blog post, designing a social media campaign, or even trying to get your point across in a meeting—images make your message stick.
Despite our evolutionary preference for visuals, most of our modern information is delivered through text. We read reports, emails, articles, and tweets all day long. But here’s the kicker: reading is not natural. Unlike vision, which developed over millions of years as a survival mechanism to spot threats, find food, and assess our surroundings, written language is only about 5,000 years old—a blink in evolutionary terms.
When we read, our brains go through a slow, energy-intensive process. Each letter is essentially a tiny picture that must be recognized, strung together with other symbols, and finally translated into meaning. This decoding process is highly inefficient compared to how we process images. Images, on the other hand, are absorbed almost instantaneously and stored more reliably in our long-term memory.
How to Use Images to Your Advantage
Knowing that visuals outperform text opens up opportunities to improve how we communicate. Here are a few ways to incorporate images more intentionally:
Use Infographics Instead of Bulleted Lists Why not turn that block of text into a visual flowchart or an infographic? Tools like Canva or Venngage make this easy.
Replace Text Slides with Pictures in Presentations Instead of packing your PowerPoint with bullet points, use striking images that reinforce your key points. Then speak to the image instead of reading off a slide.
Show, Don’t Just Tell Whether it’s a product demo or a concept illustration, visuals help your audience “see” what you mean. People are far more likely to remember a diagram or video than a verbal explanation.
Use Metaphorical Images to Evoke Emotion A metaphorical image can amplify emotional appeal. Want to show strength? Use a picture of a mountain or a lion. Want to communicate freedom? Try a bird in flight or an open road.
A Glimpse Into Our Evolutionary Past
Think back to prehistoric times. Before written language, humans had to rely entirely on visual and sensory cues to survive. Spotting movement in the bushes could mean food—or danger. Visual memory was essential for remembering which berries were safe to eat or where the best hunting grounds were. This ancient wiring still plays a central role in how our brains operate today.
In contrast, writing is a learned skill, not an instinctual one. Children don’t pick up reading naturally; it requires years of instruction. But hand a toddler a picture book, and they’ll instantly engage with the visuals, even if they can’t read a single word.
Visuals in the Digital Age
In the fast-scrolling world of social media, visuals aren’t just helpful—they’re necessary. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest thrive solely on image and video content. Even text-dominant platforms like LinkedIn or Facebook prioritize posts with images because they perform better in the algorithm and draw more interaction.
In marketing, this matters a great deal. Visual storytelling helps potential customers imagine themselves using your product or service. It breaks through the digital noise and creates an emotional anchor. People buy with emotion, not logic—and visuals are the shortest path to emotion.
Practical Next Steps
If you want your message to land—and stick—begin incorporating more visual elements into your communication. This doesn’t mean abandoning text altogether. It means supporting your message with visuals that engage the brain in the way it was meant to operate.
Ask yourself:
Can I turn this list into an infographic?
Would a single image say more than this paragraph?
Is there a photo or icon that would better illustrate this idea?
Once you start looking for these opportunities, you’ll find that images not only make your content more engaging—they make it more memorable.
How could incorporating more visual elements into your business communication improve your impact and clarity?
