Many people are visual learners. They are more apt to remember something they see instead of something they read. So a great way to communicate with your users (and prospective buyers) is to use an infographic to convey information. Social Media Today says, “Businesses who market with infographics actually gain on average 12 percent more traffic than those who don’t.”
That said, infographics are not easy to make. It takes someone with a little bit of technical writing know-how and graphic design knowledge to make a good one. Or it could take someone with the graphic design knowledge and someone else with writing experience working together. Unless you have people who know precisely what they are doing, outsource this to a professional. It is too important to mess up.
There are a few things to keep in mind when creating an infographic. You want to, after all, make sure that it is on-point and actually useful. (After all, you should not use an infographic just for the sake of using an infographic, just like anything else.)
Think About Your Target Audience
Remember: you are not just trying to look cool, but you’re trying to say something to someone. If you make an infographic that’s meant for the whole wide world, chances are it is going to get ignored. As the adage goes, you cannot please everyone.
The Kiss Metrics blog points out, “The infographics with the most traction, most attention, and most virality, are ones that meet your target audience right where they want it most.”
So how do you meet your target audience? Well, you should craft a persona for an infographic. You want to know what story you are going to tell, and who you are going to tell it to. An infographic, in that regard, is no different than a complex web design project.
It Has to Look Smashing
Everyone and their dog are doing infographics these days. So, if your infographic does not blow people away with its design, you will have just wasted web space. Again, this is where you want a really smoking hot graphic designer working on your infographic. You want someone who is up-to-date on the latest trends and design software. In other words, you want someone who knows how to make things look pretty. And knows how to properly size things.
If you are looking for some recent good examples of snazzy design, you might draw inspiration from this. Not all of the examples are perfect — some have crowded text and many go on for far too long. However, for current look and feel, these are good examples.
Keep Things to the Point
Do not try to cram in a whole bunch of ideas into one infographic. If you think you have an infographic that is going to be very complex, break it up into multiple infographics. You want people to look at your infographic and have an “a-ha!” moment. If you put too much information in, you will create a sensory overload. Those infographics are usually ignored.
Here is the perfect example of something that keeps things to the point (and goes back to something we already mentioned).
Use Data That Calls People to Action
You need to use statistics in your infographic that back up why people need your product or service. Use reputable information. Use recent information. Track down the original source of your data. Credit that source or sources. Always.
Have Sparkling Copy
What you say in your infographic is just as important as how it looks. Know what you are going to say and say it well. That said, infographics should not be dense with copy. Use writing sparingly. Use lots of white space. This is easier on the eye.
A great way to attract attention through your copy is by asking a question as your headline. Offering a “how to” tip works as well.
Promote the Heck Out of Your Infographic
Sadly, just because you have an awesome infographic does not mean it will automatically be shared by millions. You have to do the same work you would put into sharing a blog post. You have to put it up on social media. You need to get influencers to share your infographic. You should also use social plugins to make it shareable. However, if you have a good infographic, you have just won half the battle.
Do you have any other tips or ideas to share? Let us know in the comments section.
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