What are infographics and how can they be used?

Infographics are simply graphic visual representations of information, allowing us to present information quickly and clearly.

The use of visual information has certainly boomed over the past few years and infographics have grown in popularity, proving successful for many businesses of all shapes and sizes.

Why are they successful?

In a world where we are constantly bombarded with so much information, infographics help counter information overload because they are engaging, accessible and digestible; they allow for quick consumption, beyond just words on a page.

After all, 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual and high-quality infographics are 30 times more likely to be read than text articles. Did you also know that 40% of people respond better to visual information than text?

Listicle-type content (e.g. X things you didn’t know about Y) have always been successful – we only have to look at the likes of Buzzfeed to see that. And infographics can operate in a similar way, presenting a snap-shot of information that is eye-catching and quick to read.

So now we know that infographics are popular, how can we use them as part of our content marketing strategy?

How can they be used?

As well as simplifying what otherwise could be dry, complicated content, infographics are a great type of visual content that can be pitched into the local press as well as being promoted across social media and on your website.

There is also the opportunity to increase brand awareness by embedding your company’s logo and brand into the infographic. Additionally, infographics that include links and are compelling by nature will drive more traffic to your website because people will click and share –  and that’s what the goal is: to create shareable content, increase brand awareness and get more website visits that will generate more leads.

So to summarise, here’s just some of the ways infographics can be used for your business:

• Generating media coverage (both print and online)
• Increase brand awareness
• Simplify complicated content
• Present data/survey
• Explain clearly how something works
• Drive traffic to your website
• Compliment long copy/blog posts

How do I create one?

While the recipe for the perfect infographic is still under much debate in the marketing world, what is always clear is that you need to create something that is visually appealing, which is a challenge in itself because art and design is very subjective.

Secondly you need it to be clear and easy digestible, otherwise it defeats the point. People love facts, figures and statistics. Add to that some compelling images and graphics, and voilà – you’re on your way to creating shareable content!

This brings us to our most important point. It’s all well and good having great looking content, but if it’s just sat on your website catching dust, you’re not making the most of its potential. Like we addressed above, the aim is to create something that people will want to share. Once you’ve sussed out the way it’s going to look, the job is halfway done. But it also needs to be relevant to your target audience. This is where you should look at what’s currently trending in your community or industry and what’s relevant to your business and your customers.

And you?

Have you had any experience of using infographics in your business? And were they successful? Let us know via Twitter.

Or perhaps you’d like to start using infographics as part of your content marketing strategy? If so, be sure to get in touch to see how we can help you to generate engaging and shareable content.