And they’re hard to miss: their brightly-colored boxes decorate websites and blogs all over the internet. Infographics are essentially pictures that wrap up basic data and knowledge in a basic, easy-to-understand package. Someone else has done the heavy lifting of poring through the hundred-page report to give you the information you need, all in one tidy little place.
If executed well, infographics can be a strong addition to your content marketing plan. Writing blogs, conducting email campaigns, sharing landing pages and creating videos are great, but infographics can often be forgotten in all the shuffle.
So how do you create a powerful infographic, and how do you pack the most information into it to make it meaningful, powerful and helpful to others? Try these five steps to get started.
1. Do your research.
Whether you are seeking to show a cross-section of data from many different sources or compiling the information from one landmark report, make sure you read and understand the data you choose to include in your infographic. Remember, you are the heavy lifter. Viewers of your infographic are trusting that you are sharing accurate information.
2. Group your information into bite-sized morsels.
The way your data is organized can mean the difference between positive, even viral, reception and visitors clicking away instantly from your site. What does your end user need to know, and how can you organize all of the bits and pieces into the best, most effective experience for him or her?
3. Edit, edit, edit, and Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS).
Infographics aren’t meant to tell an in-depth story; they exist to be scanned. If your viewer wants more information, your infographic becomes a jumping-off point. Or if the user simply needs a statistic and is ready to move on, your well-curated data is easily accessed for use elsewhere.
4. Choose imagery that reiterates and enhances your message.
Instead of acting as a pleasant placeholder, thoughtful images stick with your viewers and encourage them to share. Food and animals are great: colorful, cute and recognizable… but most likely only appropriate in an infographic about food or animals. Your challenge now is to make your information sing. Intangibles like customer service, health insurance or content marketing may require more finesse, so get creative.
5. Use your imagery to lead the user through your data in a fun but logical way.
Think about the user experience: do the groups of information you’ve collected fit together like a puzzle? Or are the concepts circular, connecting back to each other? After a user scans your first data, where should his eye go next? Which points will pique a reader’s interest and keep her scrolling to the bottom of the infographic?
5. Acknowledge your sources.
As with any image or information, make sure you give credit to the person or organization where the information originated. No matter how many times the statistic has been shared, you are plagiarizing if you don’t cite your source. Most designers choose to list the credits underneath the infographic to avoid clutter.
6. Is your message clear?
After you’re finished, check back over your infographic with fresh eyes. Does every data point in the infographic communicate your message?
7. Create a social media plan to share your content.
Is your completed infographic applicable to everyone in your email contacts list? Probably not. But if you carefully target like-minded audiences through guest blogs, Twitter or LinkedIn, your infographic will have the best chance of reaching others
With a plan, complete editing and design process, you can learn how to create powerful infographics.