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kamangir.net
The English version of this cartoon proved so popular globally that it was soon translated into local languages, like Persian. |
A couple weeks ago I blogged the
5 Stages of a Blogger's Life cartoon. (The concept for this cartoon was mine, and
Alex Hughes created the artwork.) This was an experiment to test a theory of mine: that cartoons could be particularly successful in increasing news site traffic -- and that news organizations should do more with cartoons.
The results? In one week that cartoon got over 40,000 hits -- making it the most popular post ever on my Online Journalism Blog.
Here's why: Cartoons are close to a universal language. You need not read English to understand them. Cartoons, therefore, are a good strategy to attract a global audience.
...I say "close" to a universal language, because cartoons usually include a small amount of text, requiring minimal translation effort. This also presents an opportunity for online publishers to add value to cartoons with just a little commentary in the local language. That's what bloggers in Spain, Romania and Iran have done, among others.
The value of online imagery doesn't stop with cartoons. How about a well-produced infographic? The second most popular post on the Online Journalism Blog is The World According to Newspapers -- a series of cartograms by Nicolas Kayser-Bril that illustrate how different news operations "see" the world. This post drew tens of thousands of visits (many from the Far East), due in part to the fact that this image made sense in any language.
The popularity of online video also owes something to this transglobal appeal. Last year in a Globe & Mail interview, Cult of the Amateur author Andrew Keen dismissed the skyrocketing popularity of YouTube videos like The Evolution of Dance. Of course it's not Shakespeare, but Keen missing the point. This video's popularity lies largely in how it transcends language barriers -- and even cultural ones -- since it spans a vast range of pop culture eras and styles. It's Saturday evening television gone global. It's Mr Bean.
Therefore, I think news organizations would do well to take a fresh look at one of their often undervalued assets. To start, just put your cartoons, infographics, and video online (many still don't), and make the most of the opportunities they present.
...Meanwhile, if you have any insights into how news orgs are using visual content online (or not), please let me know in the comments.
(Thanks to SedNonSatiata for the translation of the Romanian cartoon)
