6 Steps to More Effective Infographics
May 15, 2019
Infographics are the perfect mix of written and visual content in a form which is easily digested and interesting to look at. Infographics aren’t all that new. It’s almost like an online pamphlet, giving you all the information you need in a quick literary-bite, complete with diagrams.
Every infographic is a little different. Some are comprised primarily of facts and figures, while others use charts and graphs. It’s a personal choice and can be dolled up however you like. As a marketer, it’s your responsibility to make sure the content you publish is engaging and on the mark. But, what can you do to make infographics pop?
Here are 6 steps to perfecting your infographic game and improving customer outreach.
1. Start by Researching What’s Already Out There: One of the best ways to design any new content is to see what’s already taking shape and making waves in your industry. Information which is deemed popular is worth investigating and potentially revisiting as an infographic. You should also scope out the types of infographics being used in blogs and social media and see if yours are measuring up. Do you have enough visual content? Are your colors jumping out at readers enough? Is your infographic too broad or too narrow in scope of content? These are all important questions to ask while researching.
It’s not that you should be copying what’s popular, but rather, gaining ideas from what you see. There are many new perspectives on infographics floating around the internet and it’s always fun and exciting to see what others are doing with their content. For example, some infographics aren’t used to share statistics at all. Some are used to share directions or demonstrations, complete with photos of step by step applications for products or services. This is a fantastic use of an infographic and a unique way to engage with customers and keep them coming back for more.
2. Make a Template: Your infographics should all be different, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start with the same template. Having a template is a great strategy to save time and headaches trying to decide where everything should go. Knowing where your title will be, where your first image will go, and what size font you can use without skewing the graphic are all important details to map out.
Just as you wouldn’t write a novel without creating a plot summery so you know where you’re putting major developing scenes, you shouldn’t create an infographic – or any other content – without a plan in mind. Over time this template could change, or you could develop several templates. One for each week of the month.
3. Divide Content into Smaller Pieces: When consumers see long paragraphs, they automatically look at the clock. Do they have time for a lengthy read right now? Maybe not. And that’s where you’ll miss out. Cutting up the content into small bite sized pieces and scattering it throughout the infographic in a strategic manner is the key to keeping attention and still sharing the information you want to share.
There’s a reason Twitter got so popular so fast, it’s easy to consume Tweets in the few seconds between phone calls at work, on the subway, or between brushing your teeth and jumping into the shower in the morning. In other words, these short, easily digested pieces of content are fast enough that nobody will think twice about them being a potential time waste. If your infographic is setup in such a way that it appears like small “Tweet” sized pieces of information, you’re more likely to retain consumer attention for longer.
4. Make it Visually Stimulating: It’s not enough to slap some numbers and photos on a page and email it to your customers. Today’s consumers are smart, and they’ve seen it all. To keep them interested, you need to go above and beyond by delivering some truly inspiring visuals. A popular medium for infographics is cartoons. Bright, fun, and simple – cartoon images are an excellent way to share information and make it creative and enticing to read.
Trying to share a pasta recipe? Give those spaghetti meatballs googly eyes and a smile. Presenting a new sneaker to your health and wellness customers? Present them in 2D with some truly eye-catching colors. There’s a reason kids love cartoons; they’re whimsical and interesting. Just what you need to make your infographic shine.
5. Add a CTA: Your infographic has a purpose – to get customers to your website and buying. So, don’t forget to add a call to action to get them where you want to go. Whether you’re trying to boost numbers of followers on Facebook, traffic to your landing page, or conversion through your ecommerce site – tell your customers where they should be looking next.
Something as simple as, “want to see more about our latest product? Check out the online store at www.visitherenow.com.” If your infographic works, you’ll have new visitors in no time.
6. Make Your information Easy to Share: An infographic is useless if nobody sees it, so make sure it’s easy for your viewers to share. Include a share now button for each of the social media platforms you’re on. You should also consider mobile users when designing the infographic so everything fits neatly onto the screen of a smart phone. Remember many of the consumers who see and share will be on a mobile device.
When in doubt, ask your customers what they want to see. You’d be surprised to see how much feedback consumers offer when it regards something to do with them and the content they consume. Nobody knows better what customers want to see than the customer themselves.