![Communicate [your] Skills](http://communicateskills.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/header450x60px.png "Communicate [your] Skills")
Is Text Over Photos the Death of Quality Content?
My headline for Tuesday’s post was Why Writing Text Over Photos is the Next Big Thing. I’d like to stick to that subject by discussing if this light-hearted way to digest information will kill the readings of longer and more quality packed articles.
May there be risks involved with this new trend? Does writing on photos indicate the death of longer, more insightful articles and stories?
Well, I don’t think so. But I think it’s the death of boring writing. Journalists and communications professionals must learn to present their content better. People read less that you think and if you don’t present it well or structure your article in an interesting way, you’ve killed your text right at the start.
You must also keep in mind that people have less and less time for your message. We’re experience an overflow of information every day and when so many sources compete of readers’ attention, your message must stand out, it must be clear and easy digested and your text must be worth your readers time.
The same principles rules whether you write for external or internal readers. Employees don’t say to themselves “Oh, this is boring, but it is from my company so I read all of it anyway“. No, they react exactly the same at the workplace as they do in their private life. Isn’t the text interesting or relevant to them, they won’t read it.
So, looking at the new photo+text trend as a way of challenging dull content, I think the trend only will benefit readers, even of longer stories.
Where do you think this text over photos trend will go? Will it grow even bigger or will we get bored with it? Do you think it will affect the way we digest information? Please share in the comment box below!
Related articles
- How to Write Cohesively for Effective Content Marketing (acumium.com)
- What makes great content and not so great content? Great content is written for the reader, poor content is written for the writer. (webcontentrx.typepad.com)
- Why Adding Text Over Photos is the Next Big Thing (communicateskills.com)
About the author
Anna Rydne is a communications specialist, a mother and a small business owner. Based in Stockholm, Sweden, she's determined to uncover the secrets of how successful people and companies communicate. Anna has a special interest in social media marketing and personal branding and she believes the road to success is trying. She tweets about all things comms, social media and marketing @CoSkills and writes for SteamFeed.com twice a month. She holds a bachelor's degree in psychology. Contact her at anna@communicateskills.com.
I agree that text over photos work. People are visual and only have so much time, and if you put short blurbs of text over a photo, it imprints in their mind much better.
Photos with Text http://wp.me/p2q94H-1 via @kmstrand
Combining several different ways to process information is often the best choice if you want someone to remember your message. Thanks for commenting!
Text over photos on websites and in blogs is a nice hybrid between a powerpoint and a slideshow. Used correctly, I believe it can make your message clearer and “stickier” than just plain prose. Not to talk about the possibility of adding a nice new layer of information between text and images.
The most excellent example I’ve seen is actually a slideshow: http://owl.li/d9FgI (this is Ian Lurie’s presentation at SES SF 2012).
Thanks for sharing a great link! I agree with you about being one really good example of how to present data!
love your writing (-:
Thank you so much for your kind words!