Infographics are currently the little black dress of
marketing – everyone’s go-to design. They’re everywhere, and I mean everywhere. Just enter “infographic” on
a Google image search and you’ll see what I mean.
But here’s the trouble with the current infographic craze-
not everyone is a visual learner. Marketers could take a lesson from professors
who pay heed to adult learning styles in order to deliver content that’s meaningful
to everyone. So, in the interest of continuous learning, here’s a breakdown of
the most commonly recognized adult learning styles:
The
Visual Learner
The visual learner absorbs information most easily from,
you guessed it, visual sources, such as charts, symbols and graphs. Does this
mean visual learners love infographics? You bet we do! About 60% of the
population can be categorized as having a strong visual learning style.
The
Auditory Learner
The auditory learner absorbs information most easily when
it’s heard, spoken and discussed. Think of them as explorers of their
environment. They listen, they discuss, and I’m guessing they’re lovers of
music. About 25% of the population can be categorized as having a strong
auditory learning style.
The
Kinesthetic Learner
The kinesthetic learner absorbs information most easily
with a hands-on approach. They learn by doing,
so don’t expect them to read your instruction manuals. If your product requires
instructions, you might take a cue from Ikea and keep it simple. About 15% of
the population can be categorized as having a strong kinesthetic learning
style.
The
Read / Write Learner
A sub categorization of the visual learning style, the read
/ write learner needs to go beyond visual cues to application. You know the
co-worker who still takes hand written notes in the meeting? Yep, they’re
probably a read / write learner. I can relate. You can talk to me about
something all day, but until I read it myself or write it down, it’s just not
relevant.
So, what does this have to do with marketing? A lot! As
marketers, a big part of our job is educating the target audience so they
understand how great our products are, why they should buy them, and how to use
them. If you’re only integrating one technique, you may be missing a large
piece of your target.
The next time you have a brilliant idea for an
infographic, go ahead and design it. But be sure to build a fully integrated
plan around it to ensure relevance for your auditory and kinesthetic learners
as well.
Curious
to know your personal learning style? Take the free online VARK
assessment.
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