It's a mistake to think of pictures as mere distractions. In fact, some studies show that the presence of an image can hugely impact how much time people spend reading accompanying copy.
Images - photos, clipart, drawings, diagrams, logos - can increase a reader's engagement with the page, and influence their willingness to read more of your copy.
A reader may not spend a lot of time looking at the image itself. (This is especially true of familiar pictures: images which are frequently seen can register in peripheral attention mode. Think of a picture of Sydney Harbour Bridge, or a red rose.)
The presence of an image can increase propensity to spend time on the page and read accompanying text.
Choice and use of images must mesh with context.
For example, in a magazine or newspaper ad, people expect a dose of "excitement" as they interact with the page. Creativity, attractiveness, and high impact are rewarded accordingly. (Think about those gorgeous visual feast advertisements in fashion and lifestyle magazines.)
By contrast, in a tender submission, the evaluator is looking for answers, facts, and evidence. In this context, use of images is about creating a design that helps the reader focus on relevant information, overcomes boredom, and confirms you as the right choice. High design could interfere with that.
In a promotional email, the recipient will want to quickly get to a decision about what action they need to consider.
When next setting out to use printed material or email to present your credentials or persuade, remember that text-only won't improve your number-of-words-read score. Selective use of images will.
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