Any teacher can tell you that students have three basic learning channels: auditory (written and spoken words); visual (pictures and graphics); and kinesthetic (hands-on activities). If you had to choose your preferred channel for online communication, you'd probably pick verbal communication. But, says Rick Sloboda of Webcopyplus, only 20 percent of us rely primarily on the auditory channel—the remaining 80 percent split evenly between visual and kinesthetic.

So if your Web site fails to woo these predominant learning styles, your message might not be as effective as you think. Sloboda cites the book Neuromarketing, for instance, in which authors Patrick Renvoise and Christophe Morin report a finding by the 3M Meeting Management Institute that "effective visuals" reduce the time required to communicate a concept by 40 percent.

In addition to augmenting marketing copy with photos, illustrations, charts, audio/video feeds and interactive elements, you can also use language to appeal to visual and kinesthetic learners. Tap the visual channel with descriptive imagery: "I saw the surfer ride the huge blue wave." The kinesthetic channel, meanwhile, will likely respond to vocabulary that evokes the sense of touch: "The ice-chilled beverage was so refreshing."

The Po!nt: "Deliver distinct, consistent and memorable web content via various forms to connect with online visitors emotionally, and ultimately drive desired actions," says Sloboda. "Covering the full spectrum of learning styles in your web content will help you engage, inform and influence a higher percentage of your target audience."

Source: Article submitted by Rick Sloboda of Webcopyplus.

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